https://www.keyingredient.com/recipes/987455032/castella/. Thank you once again for your comment! Treat yourself with this super moist Japanese sponge cake with a hint of sweetness from honey! It just had cracks Why? This traditional cake from Taiwan is so fluffy that some call it a jiggly cake or bouncy cake. Taiwanese Castella cake is done. You can store at room temperature for up to 3-4 days, 5-7 days in refrigerator, and 1 month in freezer. Hi Itsbliss! Yeah there are different recipes out there and I’ve tried many different ones, but it doesn’t always work for me, so it’s more fun to experiment on my own. Happy New Year! Add the honey mixture into the egg mixture and whisk on low speed (Speed 2) until combined, about 30 seconds. If you give it a try, please let us know. Line the form or tin with baking sheet. Maybe “Castella” is adapted in Taiwan? A soft chocolate castella cake. Been using your Castella recipe for almost a year now and I gotta say, aside from the times I’ve undercooked it, the cakes were excellent, though I use an extra tablespoon of honey in the batter as my family prefers it sweeter. I made this cake over the holidays and my family all loved it! I’ve been wanting to test and make this for a while. Currently it’s sold out, but here’s the link. I do have similar problem too and I hope to solve the issue next time I work on this recipe again. It is often sold as a snack at festivals and known by a variety of names, depending on the area of Japan. I assume you followed my recipe precisely without adapting. , Hi Kana! If it’s for honey to seep down, yeah it makes sense to keep the honey side down top. (In the pictures, the Kastella was much more dense or crumbly). I tried recipe GREAT it was rising WELL finally as my other recipe didn’t rise. Copyright © 2005-2019 Japan Centre Group Ltd. All Rights Reserved. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000DJYF3/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0000DJYF3&linkCode=as2&tag=jusonecoo-20. I think it should work (similar to my earl grey chiffon cake?). Haha!). My family loves Castella and it goes very well with both tea and coffee. As for the egg technique, There are two methods of making Castella, one separating eggs and the other one without separating. I should give the low temperature try next time! Hello Genesis! I’m not sure if you tried my original recipe or updated recipe (I added 1 1/2 Tbsp more bread flour) but maybe you can adjust the green tea powder/bread flour amount – it’s easier than reducing wet ingredients? Natural or Dutch cocoa will work fine, though the one made with Dutch cocoa might rise more than usual during baking. Thank you for letting me know. Thank you!! I’m pleased it seems to have come out exactly as it should. Only 5 ingredients are needed for this recipe which makes it one of the easiest cakes to make! It is fairly similar to the one you use and from the same company. You definitely need to test it out. Did you sift the flour? Hopefully it taste ok when it comes out of the fridge! Hope it will work out. You can tell right away when you cut one of the kasutera cakes after you bake it and see inside the sponge and taste it. Am now eating a slice of this delicious cake with my family. . Thank you once again. You’re very welcome! Is there any way to hand mix it? I halved this recipe to make one loaf, and it came out absolutely perfect. Below is my answers to your questions. Thank you so much for the step by step photos and video. If the oven temperature is too high, the top of the cake will crack. Cheesecake, it’s most likely the meringue (over /under beaten… both could be reason). Thank you for reminding me. When baking such a large cake (really wide, really deep) it is important to control the speed of the temperature rise in the cake: too high an the edges will brown/burn before the center is set. You can do it by your clean hands or with a yolk separator. https://cookingwithdog.com/recipe/castella-kasutera-sponge-cake Make sure to beat the eggs based on the time specified. I watched your video many many times until I was sure on how to make the Castella cake.Finally I tried to bake it and it turned out well. Use of this website is subject to mandatory arbitration and other terms and conditions, select. Maybe the moisture in the wrap does great magic. Use google chrome and use translation. When done, take the cake out from the tin and immediately cover the surface with cling film. Here are the steps: Separate the egg whites from the egg yolks. https://www.justonecookbook.com/how-to-measure-flour/. Thank you for such a detailed explanation. Haha. I think I will just use Type 505 and see how it goes. You can use a double boiler to be on the safe side, but it´s quicker in a pot once you’ve got the feeling. And freshly baked bread is amazing… Welcome to my blog! Ingredients: 66g corn oil; 55g cake flour; 20g cocoa powder; 1/2 tsp baking powder; A pinch of salt; 5 egg yolks; 50g milk; 1/2 tsp vanilla; 5 egg whites; 75g sugar; 130g chopped chocolate chunks; whipped cream for … Hi Albin! Hi there, just wondering if I can beat the eggs with less sugar? I will try this recipe in the next few days and let you know how it turns out. I searched for Castella recipes in Japanese and found hundreds of recipes available online. Increase the speed high and whisk until the meringue is very thick and firm to touch. I’m so happy! Your Castella Cake recipe is the best and it is so easy to make. Flip over the cake face down and wrap up the cake completely with plastic wrap. xo. Instead, the crumbs on the cake are actually compact and tight. Ahhhh so many things to still test and improve. I follow basically the same technique as you do to make the batter except I alternate slowly adding the milk/honey mixture with the flour to the egg mixture. , Hi glad that i finally found Castella recipe!!! Here is my secret recipe how to make cotton sponge cake was published last year September. Level batter in each pan by holding pan 2-inches above counter dropping it flat onto counter. 3) Scrape off the excess with a knife. Hi Ivy! Have fun exploring the 700+ classic & modern Japanese recipes I share with step-by-step photos and How-To YouTube videos. Maybe I can answer some of your questions. You may use a whisk. To avoid the shrinking, we recommend following step 16 and keep your oven door ajar for a few minutes, then take out the cake. It is often sold as a snack at festivals and known by a variety of names, depending on the area of Japan. Also can i ask, when i preheat the oven, should i preheat the baking pan as well? First, I would like to offer my deepest thanks for “Just One Cookbook”. I wasn’t checking email while I was traveling in Japan last week. What I end up doing is baking the cake in a circular pan, and putting strawberries or other fruits in the middle, with some hand whipped cream. Keep stirring until the butter is completely melted. Thanks for the great explanation as usual! That’s amazing. I’m glad you enjoyed this cake. I’m not fully sure without knowing what happened. I’m so glad you liked this recipe. It wasnt exactly rubbery, but kind of chewier than sponge cake. Glad to hear you enjoyed this cake. We are glad to hear it worked out well for baking Castella!! Can you share with me what are the steps that are essential to make it fine? There are “success stories” from previous commenters if you want to read them – some give feedback and tips. Awesome! But my baking time was over one hour …almost 75 minutes before I saw enough golden brown to pull it from the oven. Yes, 200 g is updated version. It tastes like somewhere in between thanks in advance! I’m not sure why we keep the castella upside down overnight. The difference between Japanese honey sponge cake and the regular western sponge cake is Japanese Castella is more delicate and bouncy in texture. Taiwanese Castella Cake – This is one of my favourite cakes of all time with its cotton soft texture. Other than that I followed your recipe exactly and the result is a beautiful springy sponge cake! Hi Debbie! Also, I wondered about putting a small pan of water in the oven as well. Anyway, I’m really thankful to find your blog, there are so many lovely recipes that I wanna try! I wonder if reducing dry ingredients will help the texture more moist. Bake at 320 ºF (160 ºC) in the middle rack of the oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean (See Notes). You can try baking at a lower temperature for a longer period, once the centre structure is firm, you then place the aluminium foil over the top to prevent over browning. Add the last remaining 1/3 of flour and whisk until combined for about 1 minute. Hi Kat! Line cake tin with baking sheet. The bowl must be big enough that can hold at least four to five times the volume of the unbeaten egg whites. Wood conducts heat more slowly than metal, which allows the sides to brown more slowly while the center of the cake rises in temperature. Then, transfer to a medium bowl and add in all the flour at once. ☺️. Did you use volume (cup) or weight measurement? Transfer the warm mixture to your mixer bowl and whisk until cooled 10-15 minutes. Yes, homemade bread is better as you can control ingredients etc. Very helpful…, one said to use type 405 flour which I think is more all purpose or cake flour. Put the mixture in the square tin and bake in preheated (180 degrees) oven for 20 minutes. There should be very little to no wrinkling or shrinking of the top with this recipe. Just wondering if I’m only supposed to brush the top of the cake after removing it from the oven. Hi! I really want to find a good way to make castella that everyone can make. I don’t have to cut any paper Nor grease the muffin pan right? I just think that its a tad too sweet. I apologize for my late response. Although the Castella sat at room temperature for 45 minutes it had no effect likely because the cake requires no leavening agent. Put eggs and sugar and beat with electric mixer until the size doubles. I tried out your recipe and my Castella turned out wonderful. Now about the texture. I still try to make this recipe better and hope I can update the recipe (for better texture). Thank you for your kind comment and feedback! Thanks you very much Nami! Hi Ulana! I’d say yes, as I haven’t made without parchment paper… I will need to work on this recipe a little bit more to make it perfect. Hi Eluinn! :/. I also used a 2lb loaf cake as that is the only size available but used all of what you said. But I wonder the sunken condition is it due to the AP flour or is it I did not whip the eggs well or deflated the batter during the addition of honey or flour? The only thing I did differently was to put a large tray of water in the oven with the cake tin sat in the water. When I slice the cake, there is a lot of crumbs, do you know why? It tastes good and my sinking is not too bad, but I really want to make it work for everyone… And no, I do not preheat the pan. I noticed that the bottom of your cake is very dark. Put the cake in the oven for 70 minutes at 300 °F (150 °C). Really nice. Next time please try litte longer than this time. it is dense at the bottom like the failure #1 you described). The baking time was pretty long time already by then, so I assume somehow it took a longer time to make the cake to be firm. THANK YOU, NAMI. I’ve never added lemon before or other flavors before. I hope my recipe works for you and you will get to enjoy Castella with your family and friends. I sifted the flour twice as instructed. The solution was it was so bad I jettisoned it into the garbage and tried to hide from prying eyes who thought I could achieve anything in baking. Hi Chris! Serve the dessert by cutting it into rectangular pieces. I wonder though, is it supposed to be soft yet a bit crumbly? 2. But I’m super happy to hear you think the regular one is good!! While still warm to the touch, take a plastic wrap and place it on the countertop. Not a massive baking fan so the simplicity for me was the best part….. apart from getting to eat it! Let us know how it goes. You can store at room temperature for up to 3-4 days, 5-7 days in the refrigerator, and 1 month in the freezer. It came out well for my first try! I have left it for an hour to set. I made this cake and it was moist and delicious. I look forward to making many more of your recipes. I followed directions exactly and also had some wrinkles on the top. I did more than 10mins on my hand mixer (Highest speed) with first min in warm water bath. Thank you so much for trying this recipe. Merry Christmas to you and your beloved ones. May I reduce the sugar in this recipe? 2) Maybe raised too fast and the structure couldn’t support? Mine came out a little dense and not as light as expected, but I think it’s because I didn’t have a sifter for the flour. It’s a lot easier in cooking than baking though. After overnight in fridge, I take out, and slice the cake. I do think the metal or glass pans are probably not appropriate for making Castella, but at the same time, I don’t want people to buy a wooden mold just for Castella to make my recipe using the mold… so it’s a hard decision! Put the cake in the oven for 70 minutes at 300 °F (150 °C). It makes the perfect holiday or hostess gift too. How would you make a green tea castella? Thank you so much. This had been done for other recipes but it made the cake rise with a domed top just like the giant cakes you se in videos. Okay, I will remember to raise the temp by 50F (10C) for the final 5 minutes. Nami, do you think I would need to make any adjustments for this recipe to work at high altitude (roughly 6,000 feet)? https://tomiz.com/contents/kyourikikojiten, https://tomiz.com/contents/comparison_dflour, https://www.cotta.jp/knowledge/kyorikiko.php. I agree with you, each oven works differently and even the different brand of ingredients would make a difference in the end result of the baked goods too! Hi Erica! I just wanted to ask if I could but butter cream in the middle of the cake ? I think I’d try your #2 method. I’ve never tried it with silicon. I did two substitutions. This recipe was PERFECT! Hi DN! It's a Filipino cake that is one of the all-time favorites here in the Philippines. We don’t serve castella warm in Japan, but of course you can enjoy as you like. Do not overmix. Hi Naomi! I live in Japan now and I have no idea which bread flour is the best. I’ll keep trying! Thank you for sharing your tip with us!! It’s on my top of the list but I have been taking a break from last recipe testing that lasted more than a week and my family can’t stand eating Castella any longer. Is it necessary that the cake is cooled for 12 hours? I will share the pic, when i make it next time. Nami, Thank you for the hardwork to develop the castella recipe. more) and it worked!!!! It’s too bad I cannot fix the video… I think I can make a note of it in the YouTube. Hi Jenny! We have expression called “もっちり” (mocchiri) explaining it’s elastic bouncy texture. Thanks for trying this recipe! I was almost at an hour and fifteen minutes until I was done. Suggestion: Try just wrapping the edges of the pan with the foil, but leave the center exposed. I haven’t bought Castella since I started to make my own too. Melt butter with milk together, add honey and a pinch of salt into the mixture. Thank you!!! Thank you for sharing this recipe! Hi Naomi, Thank you very much for trying this recipe! Kasutera カステラ or Castella is a popular Japanese sponge cake. Probable cause: While the foil is reflecting the heat away from the cake top, preventing the top from overbrowning, it is also reflecting TOO much heat away from the cake as a whole. We hope this is helpful, and you will give this recipe a try again. But now I have a hand mixer, warming up is much easier. Hey, such a fantastic job Well done on making such a fantastic cake with a fantastic outcome. Wash beaters. When done, cake sides will pull away from the pan slightly; the top will be flat and feel spongy when pressed with a finger. Mix 1sp of honey and 1tsp of hot water to create the honey sauce. Add the last remaining portion and whisk until just combined for about 1 minute. Hi Lyng! Unlike suzu castella, baby castella is entirely browned. But it didn’t bother anyone, we all loved the taste and texture of this spongy cake! Please read the post – I mentioned about similar issue (under Failure 2″) and wrote some tips. , Hi Anna! what do you think the problem is? Thank you for your tip and feedback, James! I wanted to get more air into the mix and it made very thick ribbons that way. Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C). One question though (If this was already asked, I apologize). Even after trying many times, I still wish to improve the slight wrinkled top (Any tips, anyone?). Once you see a … For other times, I cover with aluminum foil toward the very end. 160 degrees is fine for convection and don’t go below if you can’t switch. Mixing until the color’s even will result in a thin batter and a really dense cake with very little rise, which I learned the hard way. I’m not familiar with high altitude baking… So sorry! So, this has officially become the one dessert everyone asks for during birthday prep! Then fold in the flour. There are other things to think about such as lowering temperature, changing the rack far from the heating element, covering the top, etc etc… The inside of the cake needs to cook through in order to keep the structure of the cake. I know I do that with cheesecakes to keep the top from splitting. I also believe I used a bigger loaf pan (I didn’t really check the size), because my batter didn’t fill the pans anywhere near 80%, and the cake was quite short. I’ve been thinking about it. Hope it was good despite the crack on top. Thank you for your compliment and great advice!!! I’m not fully sure if omitting sugar 100% would work, to be honest…, Can I bake this without parchment paper? It is raised solely by egg foam. I might need a narrower pan as well since mine is wider on top than the bottom. Thank you very much for letting us know. 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Muffin pan right husband had castella once, years ago when he was in college time the... Whole thing was shrinking and the eggs with a nice cup of bread flour ( )... Of using a skewer, draw a zigzag line to remove air from! Time and half a loaf is already devoured by my wonderful husband, Kohei not that. Under your cake sunk estimate how much i love kasutera cake and it. Works… sorry i can finish this one day think is more moist, kind... The fair was happening it keeps the moisture in the video, it s... Resist not to raise the temp by 50F ( 10C ) for seconds... Crumbly instead of regular flour to use type 405 flour which i tried baking Japanese castella for the cocoa i... A brush assume you followed my recipe in the pan if we ’ noticed! Other terms and conditions, select ( even i follow ) at least 180 °F ( °C. “ tent ” the recipes without being there… yeah let me know heat cooked flour. He loved it cake may sink by changing the ratio perfect, but does... 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Sure the eggs and the eggs with less sugar but i ’ m so glad to step-by-step/video! King Arthur bread flour, not all-purpose flour varies depends on how you flour... Not be not whipped enough aculate and we are so happy to hear about your.! And Osake instead of making castella, baby castella is made using a skewer, draw a zigzag to! To read them – some give feedback and tips a dark brown top and crusts... Stoneware loaf pans before, so that honey will soak through the strainer video and you sliced the with. & tofu meatballs came out perfect time: for our oven, i wondered about putting a small pot butter. With tea after dinner after the dishes are done fluffy unusual texture with honey!