Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Cube the unsalted butter and chill until slightly firm but pliable. In a medium bowl combine 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1/4 tsp fine salt.

Make crumb mixture

Add the chilled butter cubes to the dry mix. Use your fingertips or a pastry cutter to rub the butter into the flour-sugar mix until it forms coarse crumbs about the size of small peas.

Bind with yolk and flavor

Lightly beat 1 egg yolk with 1/2 tsp vanilla extract. Sprinkle the egg yolk mixture over the crumbs and toss gently until the crumbs are moistened but still crumbly. If mixture becomes pasty, add up to 1 tablespoon extra flour to restore crumbly texture.

Bake crumbs

Spread the crumb mixture in an even layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 12–15 minutes, stirring once at the 8-minute mark to brown evenly, until crumbs are golden and crisp. Remove from oven and let cool completely on the sheet; crumbs will firm as they cool.

Strawberry cream filling

Prepare strawberries

Hull and coarsely chop 10 fresh strawberries. Reserve 6 extra strawberries and slice them thinly for garnish. For a smoother filling, reserve 2 of the chopped strawberries to puree and keep the rest chopped for texture.

Make strawberry puree

Place the reserved 2 chopped strawberries in a small blender or food processor and pulse until smooth. Measure about 2 tablespoons of puree; if more liquid results, drain slightly on a fine mesh to avoid thinning the cream.

Whip cream

In a chilled bowl, whip 1 cup heavy cream with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Keep chilled while preparing the cream cheese base.

Prepare cream cheese base

In another bowl, beat 4 oz softened cream cheese with 3 tbs powdered sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract and 1/2 tsp lemon juice until smooth and slightly fluffy.

Combine and fold

Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture in two additions, using a rubber spatula to keep the mixture light. Gently fold in the 2 tbsp strawberry puree and the remaining chopped strawberries until evenly distributed and the cream is pale pink and smooth. Taste and adjust sweetness by adding up to 1 additional tablespoon powdered sugar if desired.

Assembly & garnish

Prepare buns

Split 6 soft dinner rolls or sweet buns horizontally, keeping halves intact so they act as boats for the filling. If using pre-baked buns, warm them for 3–4 minutes in a 300°F (150°C) oven to refresh, then cool slightly.

Fill buns

Using a spoon or piping bag fitted with a large round tip, generously fill each bottom half with the strawberry cream filling, mounding slightly in the center.

Top with soboro

Press and sprinkle the cooled soboro crumbs over the filled cream, covering the surface. The crumbs should adhere to the cream; gently press so they don’t all fall off.

Garnish and serve

Arrange sliced strawberries on top or to the side for decoration. Dust lightly with 1 tsp powdered sugar. Serve immediately or chill for up to 1 hour to firm the filling. If storing, assemble just before serving to keep crumbs crunchy.