Japanese Castella Cake
A tall Japanese honey sponge with a smooth brown top and fine, moist, springy crumb.
Equipment
- 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan
- Parchment paper
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Fine-mesh sieve
- Instant-read thermometer
Ingredients
Cake
- 6 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup bread flour sifted twice
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tbsp warm water
- 2 tbsp whole milk warm
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
Instructions
Prepare:
- Heat the oven to 320 F (160 C). Line the loaf pan completely with parchment, leaving enough overhang to lift out the cake.
- Stir the honey, warm water, milk, and oil together until smooth.
Mix the Batter:
- Whip the eggs and sugar on high speed for 8 to 10 minutes until pale, very thick, and able to hold a ribbon on the surface.
- Sift in the bread flour in three additions, folding gently after each. Fold in the honey mixture just until no streaks remain.
Bake and Rest:
- Pour into the pan and run a skewer through the batter once to remove large air pockets. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes until the top is evenly brown and the center reaches about 200 F (93 C).
- Cool for 5 minutes, lift out, and peel away the parchment. While slightly warm, wrap tightly. Rest for at least 12 hours before trimming and slicing.
Notes
- Bread flour gives castella its characteristic resilient crumb.
- Fold slowly from the bottom of the bowl so the dense flour and honey do not settle.
Nutrition
Calories: 220kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 5gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 115mgSodium: 65mgSugar: 27g