Castella Cake (Japanese Honey Sponge Cake)

Ingredients

• 6 large eggs (at room temperature)
• 1 cup sugar (200 g; granulated sugar)
• 1.25 cup bread flour (150 g; sifted twice)
• 0.25 cup honey (80 g; mixed with 2 tbsp warm water)
• 2 tbsp warm water (to dissolve the honey)

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat your oven to 320°F (160°C). Line an 8x8 inch (20x20 cm) square cake pan with parchment paper, ensuring the paper rises at least 2 inches above the sides of the pan to support the cake's rise.

2. 2

   In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup (80 g) honey and 2 tbsp warm water until the honey is completely dissolved. Set aside.

3. 3

   Sift 1 1/4 cups (150 g) of bread flour twice to ensure it is light and airy.

4. 4

   In a large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add 6 room-temperature eggs and 1 cup (200 g) of sugar.

5. 5

   Beat the eggs and sugar on high speed for about 5-8 minutes. The mixture should become very pale, thick, and triple in volume. It should reach the 'ribbon stage,' where the batter falling from the whisk leaves a trail that stays on the surface for a few seconds.

6. 6

   Add the honey-water mixture to the egg mixture and whisk on low speed until combined, about 30 seconds.

7. 7

   Add the sifted bread flour in three separate additions. After each addition, whisk on low speed just until the flour is incorporated. Do not overmix.

8. 8

   Give the batter a final gentle fold with a rubber spatula to ensure everything is well combined from the bottom of the bowl.

9. 9

   Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan from a height of about 12 inches to help pop large air bubbles.

10. 10

    Run a wooden skewer or a chopstick through the batter in a zigzag motion to remove any remaining large air pockets. Tap the pan firmly on the counter once or twice.

11. 11

    Bake at 320°F (160°C) for 35-45 minutes, or until the top is a deep golden brown and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.

12. 12

    Immediately after removing from the oven, drop the pan from a height of about 5 inches to prevent the cake from shrinking too much.

13. 13

    While the cake is still hot, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap (still in its parchment paper) to trap the moisture. This is the secret to a moist Castella.

14. 14

    Let the wrapped cake cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 12 hours or overnight. This allows the flavors to develop and the texture to become bouncy.

15. 15

    Before serving, trim the side crusts with a sharp bread knife to reveal the yellow interior, leaving the dark brown top and bottom crusts intact. Slice into thick rectangles.

Notes

Using bread flour is essential for the characteristic chewy texture; do not substitute with all-purpose or cake flour. Wrapping the cake while hot is crucial for moisture. The cake tastes significantly better after resting for 24 hours.

Nutrition per serving

• dessert
• Japanese
• cake
• baking
• snack
• honey
• sponge cake