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–+ servings

Japanese Castella Cake (Kasutera)

Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Resting Time1 day
Total Time1 day 1 hour 10 minutes
Author Yuto Omura
Servings 16 servings

Ingredients 
 

  • 1 tbsp coarse sugar turbinado or similar
  • 100 g bread flour
  • 20 g cake flour
  • 3 egg whites approx 35g/1.25oz each
  • 120 g white caster sugar
  • 4 egg yolks approx 17g/0.6oz each
  • 40 g honey
  • 30 ml whole milk
  • 30 ml cooking oil any neutral oil, I used canola

Instructions 

  • Before you start, measure out your ingredients and separate the egg yolks and whites into separate bowls. Cover and bring to room temperature. Line an 18cm (7") square cake pan with baking paper with slightly overlapping edges. Sprinkle 1 tbsp coarse sugar across the baking paper and set aside for later.
    a square cake pan lined with baking paper and sprinkled with coarse light brown sugar (turbinado)
  • Start preheating your oven to 180 °C (356 °F). Sift the 100 g bread flour and 20 g cake flour into a bowl and set aside.
    sifting flour into a steel mixing bowl
  • Pour 3 egg whites into a clean, dry glass bowl and whip on low/medium-low setting until foamy and doubled in size. Add 120 g white caster sugar in 3-4 additions, making sure it's fully incorporated before adding the addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally. Once incorporated, increase the speed to medium/medium-high.
    whisking egg whites in a glass mixing bowl and gradually adding white sugar
  • Whip until you have a meringue with stiff peaks that stand up straight.
    meringue with stiff peaks in a glass mixing bowl
  • Add 4 egg yolks one at a time and whip for 5-10 seconds each to incorporate.
    adding egg yolks to a glass mixing bowl
  • Drizzle 40 g honey into the meringue and whip for 10 more seconds before switching to a spatula.
    drizzling honey into meringue
  • Sift the flour into the batter one-third at a time and gently fold with a spatula to prevent losing too much air.
    folding sifted flour into meringue mixture to make castella
  • In a small bowl, whisk 30 ml whole milk and 30 ml cooking oil together. Take 2-3 tbsp of the cake batter and add it to the bowl. Whisk them together until incorporated.
    milk, oil and a small amount of castella cake batter whisked together in a small bowl
  • Pour the mixture over a spatula and into the cake batter, then gently fold until combined. The final batter should be thick and smooth.
    pouring oil, milk and batter into the rest of the batter
  • Pour the batter into the lined cake pan and use a bamboo skewer to draw lines across the surface, moving back and forth in a zigzag motion. Do this in both directions 3 times, then drop the pan on the counter to pop any large air bubbles. Place on the top shelf of the oven and bake for 1 minute.
    castella cake batter in a lined square cake pan
  • After one minute, take the cake out and draw lines in both directions again. Return to the top shelf and repeat twice more. After the third time, smooth out any lumps and then move the pan to the middle shelf and bake for 7 minutes. Reduce the heat to 160 °C (320 °F) and bake for about 30-40 minutes. (See note).
    drawing crosses across the surface of castella cake batter in a pan
  • Check on it around the 25 minute mark. The castella is done when a pierced skewer comes out clean. Once baked, drop on the counter to shock and prevent shrinking. Cool for a few minutes, then carefully pull it out of the pan.
    baked castella cake on a baking tray pierced with a skewer to check it's cooked through
  • Without removing the baking paper, wrap the whole castella cake with plastic wrap while it's still hot/warm, then place it upside-down in a large airtight container and rest for 24 hours. If you live in a hot climate, let it cool to room temperature then store it in the fridge.
    Japanese castella cake wrapped with plastic wrap and placed in a large airtight container
  • After 12-24 hours of resting, unwrap the castella and trim the edges.
    cooled castella on a black chopping board with edges cut off
  • Cut in half, then cut each half into thick slices. Use a sharp knife and wipe between each cut for a clean finish.
  • Enjoy!
    A slice of castella cake on a red plate with a more slices cut on a wooden chopping board in the background

Notes

  • Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days, 1 week in the refrigerator or 1 month in the freezer.
  • If your oven takes a long time to change temperature from 180 to 160℃, reduce the heat after moving the cake to the middle shelf (3 minutes) and bake for 37-47 minutes. Alternatively, after 7 minutes at 180℃, open the oven very slightly to let out some of the hot air when you reduce the temperature. Just be careful not to open it too wide and change the temperature too drastically.