Honey Castella Cake (Kasutera)

Slightly denser than a traditional sponge cake but lighter than a pound cake, the Japanese castella cake only takes four simple ingredients and 15 minutes of active work to make! The hardest part is waiting half a day before digging in.

This eye-catching cake is defined by the characteristic contrast between its dark top and bottom layers and light interior. The high sugar content in the cake batter allows for caramelization around the entire external layer of the cake, and the bread flour (not all-purpose or cake flour) gives the cake the perfect, chewy texture.

Castella goes perfectly with a cup of tea or coffee, and it’s the perfect excuse to have dessert for breakfast.

Honey Castella Cake
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 55 mins
Yield: 8 slices

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 110 g granulated sugar
• 40 g honey
• 100 g bread flour
  
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8.5” x 4.5” loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Crack eggs into a clean, heatproof bowl. Add sugar. Over a double boiler, beat eggs on medium-high speed for 7-8 minutes or until they have quadrupled in volume.
3. Add honey and continue beating for 30 more seconds.
4. Remove whipped eggs from heat and sift in bread flour in three increments, whipping on medium low speed each time for 15-30 seconds until just combined. Make sure you don’t overwhip or else the cake will not rise in the oven.
5. Pour the batter into the lined pan. Drag a skewer or chopstick through the batter to get rid of any large air pockets and to smooth out the top.
6. Bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes. Then reduce the oven temperature to 320°F and continue baking for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the cake.
7. After removing the cake from the oven, immediately turn out and wrap with plastic wrap. Let cool at room temperature upside down, and transfer to refrigerator to rest for at least 12 hours to retain moisture and develop flavor.
8. When serving, trim off the four sides to leave a dark contrasting top and bottom. Slice the cake into 8 slices and serve with tea, coffee, or fruit.

Per slice (edges removed): 120 calories: 21.8 g carbs; 2.2 g fat; 3.6 g protein