All the flavors of your favorite sushi rolls, layered into an easy no-bake cake. Silky salmon, creamy cheese, crisp cucumber and seasoned rice press together into neat slices — no rolling mat required. It looks impressive on the table, yet the hands-on time is minimal, much like my Creamy Baked Salmon Pasta on busy evenings.
Ingredients
- 300 g (1.5 cups) sushi rice
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- Pinch of salt
- 3–4 nori sheets
- 200 g (7 oz) lightly salted salmon, thinly sliced
- 1 cucumber, thinly sliced
- 100 g (3.5 oz) cream cheese
- Sesame seeds to taste
- Soy sauce for serving
Instructions
- Cook the sushi rice until tender. Season with salt and rice vinegar, then mix gently and let it cool slightly.
- Line a rectangular or square dish with plastic wrap.
- Layer the ingredients in this order: salmon slices, a layer of rice, a sheet of nori, cream cheese, cucumber slices, another sheet of nori, another layer of rice and a final sheet of nori.
- Press everything down firmly, fold the plastic wrap over the top and refrigerate for 1 hour so the cake sets.
- Unmold, slice into portions, sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve with soy sauce.
Tips
- Use short-grain sushi rice — its starchiness is what holds the layers together. Allrecipes has helpful guides on choosing the right rice for sushi-style dishes.
- Chill the cake for the full hour so it slices cleanly without falling apart.
- Dip your knife in water between cuts for neat, even portions.
Nutrition (per 100 g): 154 kcal · protein 10 g · fat 6 g · carbs 14 g.
If salmon is your thing, don’t miss the Crispy Draniki Potato Pancakes with Salmon and Stracciatella or the Creamy Baked Salmon Pasta — both are reader favorites.