Homemade Moist Castella is a Japanese sponge cake enriched with honey and mirin (sweet cooking wine) for a tender crumb and sophisticated flavor. The combination of these ingredients delivers a naturally moist cake that's ideal for entertaining.
Delivery in as fast as one hour.*
Prices vary by store
*Service fees apply. Instacart® and the Instacart logo are registered trademarks of Maplebear Inc. d/b/a Instacart.
Line a mold with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 180°C (360°F).
Put an ingredient (A) in a bowl and warm it in hot water until honey softens.
Put eggs and caster sugar in a separate bowl and whisk with a hand mixer while warming it in hot water. Whisk until a ribbon-like streak forms when dripping from the top.
Sift in bread flour and mix quickly with a whisk.
Add Step 1 and mix with a whisk.
Add crystal sugar and spread it all over.
Pour it into the mold from a slightly higher position, put the long chopsticks in the batter, move it up, down, left, and right to release the air, and bake it in the oven at 180°C (360°F) for 15 minutes.
Lower the oven temperature to 160°C (320°F) and bake it for 40 minutes. If you insert a bamboo skewer and it doesn't come with the batter, it's done. Remove it from the mold, let it cool, and it's ready.
Cool completely, wrap in plastic wrap or foil, and store at room temperature for 2–3 days or refrigerate up to one week. Castella tastes better the next day as flavors mature.
Mirin adds subtle sweetness and umami depth while contributing to moisture and a tender crumb. It balances the honey and creates the signature rich flavor of authentic castella.
Yes, substitute mirin with 15 ml of milk or water, though the cake will lose some depth. For best results, try sake or sweet sherry as an alternative.
A skewer inserted into the center should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. The top should be golden brown and spring back lightly when pressed.
Wrap cooled castella in plastic wrap or foil and store at room temperature for 2–3 days, or refrigerate for up to a week. It slices better after resting overnight.
Overbaking is the main cause. Honey and mirin keep this cake naturally moist, so avoid baking beyond the clean-skewer stage. Also ensure eggs are at room temperature for better volume.
Mexican Pozole Rojo
60 min
Traditional Mexican Corn Tortillas at Xcaret
Café de Olla
25 min
Mexican Beer Cocktails: Santana and Ancestral
5 min
Yucatecan Cheese Ball Antojitos
60 min
Mexican Christmas Punch
35 min
Salmon Ceviche
75 min
Mexican Hot Chocolate
20 min
