Castella Cake

Name: Castella Cake
Cook time: 140 min
Total time: 140 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 5 large Eggs, at room temperature; 180g Granulated Sugar, superfine if possible; 150g Bread Flour, sifted; 2 tbsp Honey; 2 tbsp Mizuame (水飴), starch syrup; 1 tbsp Water, warm, to loosen honey/mizuame; 2 tbsp Zarame Sugar, coarse crystal sugar, for the pan

Castella is a light, moist Japanese sponge cake with a fine, tender crumb and a glossy, honeyed top. This simple, old-fashioned cake relies on well-whipped eggs and a touch of syrup to give it a delicate sweetness and the signature bounce. It’s wonderful sliced thin with tea or coffee and improves if rested a few hours or overnight.

Castella is a light, moist Japanese sponge cake with a fine, tender crumb and a glossy, honeyed top. This simple, old-fashioned ca... Show more

Traditional Japanese Recipe

Health Grade

E+ · Indulgent

Time

2 hrs

Price

0,25 €

Calories

255 kcal

vegetarian

low calorie

low sodium

kid friendly

Method

Preheat the oven

Set the oven to 320° F and position a rack in the center so the cake bakes evenly.

Prepare the pan

Line an 8 x 8-inch square pan with parchment, leaving enough overhang to lift the cake out easily. Press the paper neatly into the corners, then scatter zarame sugar evenly over the bottom so it melts slightly into the cake as it bakes.

Warm the syrup

In a small bowl, stir together honey, mizuame, and water until smooth and loosened. If the syrup is stubbornly thick, set the bowl over warm water for a minute and stir again; don't let it get hot, just fluid enough to pour easily.

Whip eggs and sugar

Place eggs and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer or hand mixer. Beat on high for 8 to 10 minutes, until the mixture is very pale, thick, and tripled in volume; when you lift the beaters, the batter should fall in a ribbon that sits on the surface for a few seconds before sinking back in.

Fold in flour

Sift bread flour over the egg foam in 3 additions, folding gently with a spatula after each addition just until no dry streaks remain. Drizzle in the warm syrup mixture and fold again until the batter looks smooth and glossy. Fold with a light hand so you keep as much air in the batter as possible.

Fill the pan

Pour the batter into the prepared pan from a low height to avoid knocking out too much air. Tap the pan lightly on the counter a couple of times, then run a skewer or chopstick through the batter to pop any large trapped bubbles so the crumb bakes up fine and even.

Bake the cake

Bake on the center rack for 45 to 50 minutes, until the top is a rich golden brown, the cake springs back lightly when touched, and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool and slice

Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then lift it out using the parchment overhang. Peel away the side parchment and wrap the cake while it is still slightly warm to help keep the crumb moist. Let it finish cooling for 1 hour, then slice with a sharp knife into neat pieces and serve.

Ingredients

Method

For 8 servings

Adjust servings

5 large Eggs, at room temperature
180g Granulated Sugar, superfine if possible
150g Bread Flour, sifted
2 tbsp Honey
2 tbsp Mizuame (水飴), starch syrup
1 tbsp Water, warm, to loosen honey/mizuame
2 tbsp Zarame Sugar, coarse crystal sugar, for the pan

Nutrition

Per Serving.

Calories

255 kcal

13% of Daily kcal

Protein

6.8 g

14% RDI

Fat

4.1 g

1.3g sat fat

Carbs

49 g

18% RDI

Sugar

34 g

68% RDI

Fiber

0.5 g

2% RDI

Salt

0.1 g

1% RDI

Quality Profile

Scored against dietary guidelines.
Tap rows for a deeper breakdown.

Composite score - weighted by current nutrition science

E+ · 3.6 / 10

Comments

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Ingredients

For 8 servings

Adjust servings

5 large Eggs, at room temperature
180g Granulated Sugar, superfine if possible
150g Bread Flour, sifted
2 tbsp Honey
2 tbsp Mizuame (水飴), starch syrup
1 tbsp Water, warm, to loosen honey/mizuame
2 tbsp Zarame Sugar, coarse crystal sugar, for the pan

Castella Cake

Method

Preheat the oven

Prepare the pan

Warm the syrup

Whip eggs and sugar

Fold in flour

Fill the pan

Bake the cake

Cool and slice

Ingredients

Method

Nutrition

Calories

Protein

Fat

Carbs

Sugar

Fiber

Salt

Quality Profile

Comments

Ingredients

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