ingredients

Flour

90 grams (3.06 ounces)

butter at room temperature

90 grams (3.06 ounces)

Latte

90 ml (2,9 once)

egg yolks

5

he must

a pinch

Honey

2 teaspoons

Vanilla extract

1 Teaspoon

album

5

Sugar

90 grams (3.1 ounces)

A delicious cake made with just a few ingredients? It can be done! This Castella Cake is an easy Japanese cake, made with flour, sugar, eggs, milk and honey. It is also known by its other name,   Kasutera   . It’s a super light and fluffy cake sweetened with honey.

It is said that the cake was introduced to the Nagasaki area (back in the  16th century  ) by Portuguese traders. In fact, the full name in Portuguese “Pao de Castela” means bread from Castile, which is why it is called Pastel de Castella. The traditional Castella Cake uses only four ingredients (flour, eggs, sugar and honey), but we add a few more.

Unlike a  regular cake  , which relies on leavening agents like baking powder to make it rise, this cake only uses eggs, making it  super delicate  and fluffy. It is light as a feather and almost  melts in your mouth  . This is the softest cake ever created and so easy to make!

Castella cake gets its name from the light, fluffy Pao de Castela that Portuguese traders introduced to Nagasaki in the 16th century. But there is something special about this cake.

If you look at the ingredient list for Castella Cake versus that of a typical cake, you may see a noticeable difference. Cakes typically rely on leavening agents like baking powder, baking soda, and some acidic ingredients to rise. In this cake, beaten eggs are enough to make this cake light and fluffy.

In Japan it is so popular that you can find it in stores throughout the country.

Castile Ingredients

The Traditional Castella Cake only has four ingredients:

Bread Flour  – Be sure to use bread flour with a high percentage of protein.

Eggs  – Do not use an egg substitute, eggs are essential in this recipe as they create lift.

Sugar  – This adds sweetness to the cake.

Honey  – This adds just a slight honey flavor.

How to make castella cake

Melt the butter and combine it with the honey, salt and egg yolks, beating everything until thick and foamy. Gently fold in the beaten egg whites. Keep as much air as possible (do not beat again, just add the egg whites).

Pour the batter into a baking pan and cover with parchment paper. Bake in a bain-marie (or bain-marie) at the specified times and temperatures. Cut and serve!

Tips

Use  high protein flour  . This means that the flour will have enough gluten to allow the cake to rise properly.

For  the cake to rise enough  , you must beat the egg yolk mixture until it is thick and creamy.

Do not skip the sifting process, otherwise the cake will not be as light and fluffy.

Once you add the flour, do not overbeat the mixture.

This cake should not be made gluten-free as it needs gluten to rise.

If you see  cracking on the top  , it may be that your oven temperature is too high (use an oven thermometer to make sure your oven is accurate). Let the cake cool in the oven; if it cools too quickly, it could also start to crack.

Using vanilla extract can  reduce the eggy flavor  of the cake.

For a  green matcha cake  , add 1 ½ tablespoons of high-quality matcha green tea powder to the egg yolk mixture and stir to combine.

This recipe is different from the  Taiwanese castella cake  which is more like a soufflé and is a little more wavy.

How to serve castella cake

Serve the cake with your favorite fruit jam and ice cream.

How to store Castella

Store Torta Castelle in the refrigerator (in an airtight container) for up to 2 days. You can also freeze them. Wrap individual slices in cling film and store in the freezer for up to 1 month.