It's amazing how many random facts there are in the world, just waiting to jump up and poke you in the eye. For example, the Japanese Christmas Cake.

Last week, Ashley Nakaoka e-mailed, asking for a recipe. Never having heard of such a thing, I had no recipe in my back pocket, but after asking around and Googling around, the answer was easy enough to determine. The Japanese Christmas Cake is a sponge cake layered with whipped cream and fruit, typically red berries.

Although Japan is not a Christian nation, the trappings of the holiday are important and this cake has become one. Nakaoka said she heard about it in Japanese class and was curious.

This being Christmas Eve, I know it's late in the game for me to be telling you how to make a holiday dessert. Some shopping hours are left, though, so if your pantry isn't stocked with cake flour and cream of tartar, you can run out for some.

Or, you can assemble an easy, reasonable facsimile:

» Use a cake mix. It won't be a sponge cake, but the lightest box-mix cake would be a white cake. Layer it with whipped cream from a can or a tub. That's what we did for our cake, pictured above.

» Buy a sponge cake. Or if that's hard to find, look for Lady Fingers or Madeleine cookies, which are sponge-cakelike in texture. Make minicakes or line them up in layers.

» For fruit, canned peaches or mandarin oranges, while not red, would taste good. Or use a nice, chunky jam - whatever flavor is in your cupboard.

  A traditional sponge cake is made with no fat beyond what's in the egg yolks and no chemical leaveners (although this recipe uses baking powder to help guarantee results). The cake relies on trapped air and steam to make it light.

Another random fact: Sponge cakes and angel-food cakes are related, but angel-food cakes use only egg whites. Chiffon cakes are also related, although these do have butter.

Technique is important so pay attention to detail (I didn't the first time, and my cake did not rise to its full potential). This is the type of cake that will improve as you, the baker, try and try again. Key elements:

» Don't grease the pan. The batter will rise better when the sides of the pan are dry.

» Beat the egg yolks until light and foamy, then add sugar gradually and continue to beat until thick. “;Joy of Cooking”; suggests beating until a spoonful of the mixture dropped back into the bowl will stay suspended for a moment above the rest of the yolk-sugar mix.

» Warm the yolk mixture, either by adding hot water, or by beating over a bowl of hot water. This helps increase volume.

» Fold in the flour gently, the idea being to keep the air in the batter.

If this is all too much to accomplish on such short notice, consider this cake for New Year's instead. Or, look at the picture: Wouldn't it be perfect for Valentine's Day?

Japanese Christmas Cake

Adapted from “;Joy of Cooking”; (Scribner, 2006)

1 cup sifted cake flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
» Topping:
2 cups whipping cream
1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Sliced fruit

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottoms of two 8- or 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper. Do not grease pans.

Combine flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.

Beat egg yolks on medium-high speed until thickened, about a minute. Gradually beat in sugar. Continue beating 3 minutes, or until thick and pale. Beat in water, then vanilla. Gently fold in dry ingredients.

In a clean, dry bowl and using clean beaters, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form. Gently foldof whites into batter, then fold in remaining whites. Pour batter into prepared pans and bake 20 minutes, or until a pick inserted into center comes out clean.

To make topping: Whip cream and sugar on high speed until fluffy. Don't overbeat, or mixture will separate. For best results, chill bowl and beaters 10 minutes in freezer before beating.

To assemble cake: Spread whipped cream between cake layers and top with fruit. Spread more whipped cream on top of cake and decorate with fruit. Sides may be covered with whipped cream or left bare.