Deal with your self to this moist and bouncy Japanese sponge cake referred to as Castella. Prized for its delicate crumb and candy honey taste, it’s a beloved tea snack and an incredible hostess present, too. Bake an ideal Castella Cake at residence with my strategies and suggestions!
One in every of my favourite sweets of all time is Japanese Castella Cake (カステラ). It’s a moist and bouncy sponge cake with a candy honey taste. My household enjoys this refined confectionery with inexperienced tea or a cup of espresso for our three o’clock oyatsu (snack) time.
It’s probably the most well-liked muffins in Japan, too. You‘ll discover it offered nearly wherever—at malls, specialty candy outlets, kissaten (espresso outlets), and even comfort shops. Don’t fear in case you’re not in Japan to purchase this scrumptious deal with, although. Immediately, I’ll share my recipe with particular suggestions and strategies so you may make this beautiful Castella Cake at residence!
What’s Castella?
Castella, or Kasutera (カステラ), is a beloved Japanese honey sponge cake identified for its candy style and ethereal texture. Extra delicate and bouncy than an everyday sponge cake, castella is legendary for its positive and moist crumb. It’s cherished nationwide as a tea snack, memento, and present, making it one in every of Japan’s hottest confections.
This well-known cake originated in 1543 within the port city of Nagasaki on the southern Japanese island of Kyushu. That’s when Portuguese retailers and missionaries arrived with a agency and easy bread referred to as pão de Castela (“bread of Castile” referring to Spain’s Kingdom of Castile).
Because the sixteenth century, Japanese artisan bakers have reworked the recipe right into a candy cake because of Nagasaki’s abundance of imported sugar. They’ve additionally integrated eggs, honey, and sugar to present it a extra delicate and sponge-like texture. It’s a Western-style confectionery that’s uniquely Japanese!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
You’ll be amazed that you could make this Nagasaki specialty in your personal kitchen!
- Makes use of a regular loaf pan – Castella is historically baked over low warmth in a picket body as a result of metallic pans switch warmth quicker and can lead to a dry cake. Nonetheless, you should use an everyday 1 lb. loaf pan with wonderful outcomes in case you apply the strategies that I share right here.
- Makes a really moist cake – I take advantage of a really thick Japanese sweetener that helps yield a superbly moist texture.
- Takes simply 1 hour of energetic baking and prep time – Prep and bake this castella in simply an hour. Loosen up whereas it chills in a single day. The wait is price it!
Components for Castella Cake
Right here’s what you’ll must make Japanese castella:
- Bread flour – Provides an elastic, bouncy texture
- Massive eggs – Use at room temperature so your substances mix extra evenly and cohesively
- Water
- Sugar – Binds with the water to maintain the crumb delicate and tender
- Honey – Gives castella’s signature taste; provides moisture and a wealthy coloration
- Mizuame (水飴, glutinous starch syrup) – Retains the cake extra moist (see beneath)
- White glowing sugar (or zarame ザラメ, Japanese coarse sugar) – Provides a golden brown crunch to the underside crust
Substitution Suggestions and Variations
- Whereas my recipe requires white glowing sugar, genuine Japanese castella generally makes use of zarame (ざらめ, ザラメ), a rough sugar. Because it’s not simple to seek out outdoors of Japan, I made a decision to make use of glowing sugar that you could find on Amazon. Nonetheless, please use zarame if you could find it.
- Mizuame (actually “water sweet;” additionally referred to as millet jelly) is a standard Japanese sweetener fabricated from starch. It‘s an excellent sticky and clear syrup that’s extraordinarily thick (see the picture beneath). Make sure to use the thick sort offered in a jar. It’s concerning the consistency of molten sweet that’s virtually cool sufficient to tug into laborious sweet. It’s laborious to seek out outdoors of Japan, however some Japanese markets (like Nijiya Market in my space) could carry it. For those who can’t discover it, go away it out fully. Don’t use the skinny sort of mizuame offered in pouches. It’s runny and fluid like honey, and it comprises an excessive amount of moisture for this recipe.
Left picture: Mitsuwa sells 3 mizuame manufacturers: Those on he left and center have good consistency (tremendous thick). Don’t purchase the one on the suitable (too watery).
Proper picture: Nijiya sells this model (Ikkyu san no mizuame) and I take advantage of it.
Find out how to Make the Greatest Castella
Observe my exact directions and strategies and also you’ll be rewarded with essentially the most scrumptious do-it-yourself castella cake!
- Line the baking pan with parchment paper.
- Make the batter. First, beat the sugar and eggs collectively in a mixer on excessive velocity. Subsequent, fold within the honey and mizuame, and at last add the flour.
- Pour the batter into the pan; take away the air bubbles.
- Place in a preheated oven.
- Combine the batter 4 occasions through the first 12 minutes of baking. Then, bake for one more 28–half-hour. It’s completed baking if it bounces again while you contact it along with your finger. No want to check it with a toothpick.
- Invert the cake onto a nonstick mat and let it cool.
- Wrap in plastic and chill in a single day.
- Trim the aspect crusts with a pointy bread knife. Slice and serve!
Recipe Suggestions and Strategies
- Deliver the eggs to room temperature. This is essential. I go away them on the counter for a number of hours. You too can fill a bowl with very heat (however not scorching) faucet water and submerge the chilly eggs till they attain room temperature, for about 10 minutes.
- Weigh your substances. Precision is essential in baking, and weighing your substances with a digital kitchen scale is essentially the most correct strategy to measure. I extremely encourage you to weigh your flour and sugar as a substitute of utilizing measuring cups, as you could scoop greater than you want.
- Use a light-colored pan. I like to recommend a light-colored loaf pan for this recipe. A dark-colored pan could have scorching spots, overbake on the edges and backside, and bake the cake too quick.
- Use stainless-steel clips to carry the parchment paper. I’ve tried alternative ways to connect the paper to the cake pan, however nothing labored till I used the clips.
- Don’t microwave the honey combination. I do know it’s tempting to warmth the combination to facilitate dissolving, however we don’t need to enhance the batter temperature with a heat honey combination. Press down and mash the thick mizuame with the mini spatula to facilitate dissolving.
- Whisk the eggs and sugar for five minutes on Pace 10 (for this KitchenAid). This setting labored completely. The batter ought to quadruple in quantity and fall in ribbons. For those who double the recipe, you possibly can nonetheless whisk for five minutes on Pace 10.
- Don’t overmix the batter after including the honey combination and flour. Simply 30 seconds after every addition is sufficient. Overmixing may deflate the egg combination and overdevelop the gluten within the flour.
- Combine the batter throughout baking with an offset spatula. The Japanese mixing approach referred to as awakiri (泡切り, “bubble lower“) helps to even out the batter‘s temperature so the cake will rise with out cracking.
- Use a serrated knife with small enamel. I’ve tried all types of knives to chop castella. The one one which labored properly was the SUNCRAFT CUT model bread knife, as per JOC baking assistant Haruka’s recommendation.
Find out how to Retailer
To avoid wasting for later, wrap the person items with plastic wrap. Retailer for as much as 3–4 days at room temperature, 5–7 days within the fridge, and 1 month within the freezer.
FAQs
Can I take advantage of all-purpose flour or cake flour?
For genuine Japanese castella, you want bread flour. It provides the cake an elastic, bouncy texture. All-purpose flour simply can not produce this texture. The excessive protein in bread flour additionally helps the castella obtain a chewier and denser crumb than an everyday sponge cake made with cake flour, which has much less gluten.
Why are there wrinkles on the highest of my cake?
In case your cake prime begins to wrinkle, you could have overbaked it. If that’s the case, your cake shall be drier inside and have laborious, dry edges. Subsequent time, begin checking 10 minutes sooner to see if the cake is finished. Additionally, I encourage you to verify your oven’s temperature with an oven thermometer, because the precise temperature inside could differ from the show setting. Each oven is totally different; please modify your setting to realize the proper precise temperature.
Why did my cake stick with the silicone mat?
You’ll have underbaked your cake if the highest sticks to the Silpat mat. On this case, the cake shall be moist and a bit soggy on prime and lighter in coloration than mine. Subsequent time, attempt baking it a couple of minutes longer till the highest is a bit darker and drier (however not wrinkled). Additionally, your oven’s precise temperature could also be decrease than what your oven shows. Subsequent time, verify it with an oven thermometer and modify the setting accordingly.
What’s the distinction between Japanese castella cake and Taiwanese castella cake?
Taiwanese castella cake (or Taiwanese soufflé castella) is an adaptation of Japanese castella cake. It’s jiggly, eggy, and pillowy delicate whereas the Japanese model is denser. Taiwanese castella is much like a soufflé, the place you separate the egg yolks and whites, then whip the egg whites to medium peaks. You fold this meringue into the egg yolk combination, pour the batter right into a cake pan, and bake it in a water bathtub inside a baking tray. Taiwanese castella additionally makes use of totally different substances like cake flour, oil or unsalted butter, vanilla extract, milk, and lemon juice or vinegar.
What to Serve with Castella
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Japanese Castella Cake
Deal with your self to this moist and bouncy Japanese honey sponge cake referred to as Castella. Prized for its delicate crumb and calmly candy taste, it is a beloved tea snack and an incredible hostess present, too. Bake an ideal Castella Cake at residence with my strategies and suggestions!
Servings: 1 Castella Cake
Components
Forestall your display from going darkish
Directions
Earlier than You Begin…
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Please be aware that this recipe requires a chilling time of 12 hours or in a single day.I extremely encourage you to weigh your substances utilizing a kitchen scale. For weights, click on the Metric button above. For those who‘re utilizing a cup measure, please comply with the “fluff and sprinkle“ methodology: Fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and stage it off. In any other case, you could scoop greater than you want.
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Collect all of the substances. The eggs should be at room temperature. Preheat the oven to 320ºF (160ºC). For a convection oven, cut back the oven temperature by 25ºF (15ºC) to 295ºF (145ºC). Put together a twig bottle with water, an offset spatula, and a bamboo skewer. Use a 1 lb baking pan that’s light-colored for one of the best final result.
To Put together the Components
To Combine the Batter
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Match a stand mixer with the whisk attachment and vigorously beat the eggs and sugar on excessive velocity (Pace 10) for 5 minutes with out stopping. For those who beat the eggs with a handheld mixer, it should take extra time.
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The crushed eggs will quadruple in quantity and have a thick texture and pale yellow coloration.
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Once you cease the mixer and elevate the whisk attachment, the combination ought to fall in ribbons.
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Steadily add the honey combination to the batter whereas whisking on low velocity (Pace 2) till mixed, about 30 seconds.
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Steadily add the bread flour whereas whisking on low velocity (Stir) till simply mixed, for about 30 seconds. Don’t overmix.
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When the flour is simply mixed, cease whisking. Once you elevate the whisk, the batter ought to fall in ribbons.
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Utilizing a silicone spatula, scrape the batter from the bowl‘s sides and backside and gently fold the batter a couple of occasions. Subsequent, sprinkle ½ Tbsp white glowing sugar on the underside of the lined pan. This sugar will add a crunchy texture to the cake‘s backside and assist retain moisture.
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Pour the batter into the cake pan in only one spot. This helps to attenuate air pockets and easy the highest of the batter. Tip: In case your pan is smaller than mine, you‘ll want so as to add the surplus batter to a different smaller pan and use a shorter bake time.
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To stage the batter and assist take away air pockets, maintain the cake pan 2 inches above the counter and drop it flat onto the counter. Then, draw a zigzag line by way of the batter with a bamboo skewer to additional get rid of air bubbles.
To Bake
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Place the cake pan on the center rack of the preheated oven at 320ºF (160ºC). Shut the oven door and set a timer for two minutes.
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After the 2-minute timer beeps, reset the timer to 1 minute and full the next a number of steps over the subsequent minute. First, open the oven and spray twice above the cake batter with the spray bottle.
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Subsequent, use an offset spatula to combine and flow into the batter 15–20 occasions from the left aspect, with out touching the glowing sugar on the backside of the pan. This mixing approach, referred to as awakiri (泡切り, “bubble lower“) in Japanese, helps to take away air pockets and even out the batter‘s temperature so the cake rises evenly with out cracking.
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Lastly, combine and flow into the batter 15–20 occasions from the suitable aspect. Shake off the surplus batter from the spatula and shut the oven door. Reset the timer to 2 minutes.
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Repeat this course of (Step 2 to Step 4) 3 extra occasions. To recap, when the 2-minute timer beats, mist twice with water.
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Combine the batter from the left aspect, then combine from the suitable aspect. Reset the time to 2 minutes. Repeat this course of 2 extra occasions.
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On the 4th and last time, take away the stainless-steel clips. Run the bamboo skewer by way of the batter. If any of the clips have been submerged within the batter, fill within the clip marks within the batter with the skewer.
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Spray water into the oven, then bake at 320ºF (160ºC) for one more 28–half-hour.
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The cake is finished if it bounces again while you contact it along with your finger. Tip: In case your cake prime appears to be like wrinkled, you could have overbaked it. Subsequent time, verify earlier to see if it‘s completed. I extremely encourage you to verify your precise oven temperature with an oven thermometer to see if it‘s working hotter than the show setting and modify accordingly.
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Take away the castella from the oven. To assist forestall shrinkage, drop the pan twice onto the countertop to launch the steam vapors from the cake. Subsequent, invert the cake from the pan onto a nonstick silicone mat (I take advantage of Silpat). Depart the parchment paper in place. Depart it the other way up and let it cool to room temperature, about 45–60 minutes. Tip: I discovered {that a} nonstick silicone mat works completely right here, as parchment paper could stick with the cake. Nonetheless, in case your cake sticks to the silicone mat, you could have underbaked it. Subsequent time, bake it a couple of minutes longer. Additionally, verify your precise oven temperature to see if its working cooler than the show setting and modify accordingly.
To Chill In a single day
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As soon as cooled, instantly wrap the cake with its parchment paper in plastic wrap to retain moisture. Then, put the wrapped cake within the fridge and retailer in a single day (or not less than 12 hours). It will assist the cake develop a positive and moist texture.
To Retailer
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To avoid wasting for later, wrap particular person items with plastic wrap. Retailer for as much as 3–4 days at room temperature, 5–7 days within the fridge, and 1 month within the freezer.
Diet
Diet Details
Japanese Castella Cake
Quantity per Serving
% Day by day Worth*
* % Day by day Values are based mostly on a 2000 calorie food regimen.
Editor’s Word: This publish was initially revealed on September 14, 2013. It was up to date with a barely revised recipe, useful suggestions and strategies, and new photographs on Could 2, 2024, and republished on Could 24, 2024.
