Castella Cake

Name: Castella Cake (Portuguese-Japanese Sponge)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 4 œufs; 120 g de sucre; 100 g de farine de blé tamisée; 3 cuillères à soupe de miel; 30 ml de lait; 2 cuillères à soupe d’eau chaude; Optionnel : 1 cuillère à café d’extrait de vanille pour plus d’arôme

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Castella is a Portuguese-inspired Japanese sponge cake leavened entirely by eggs, containing no butter or added fat. Its signature light, fluffy crumb and delicate sweetness make it an elegant dessert best enjoyed with green tea.

Total

55 min

Servings

4

Recipe Source

View original recipe

From Irasshai · by iRASSHAi

Ingredients

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7 Ingredients

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Instructions

1
Preheat oven to 160°C (static heat). Butter and line a baking tin with baking paper. Ideally, use a rectangular mold with high sides, which is typical for castella cake. The baking paper should protrude from the tin to aid handling once the cake is baked.
2
In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar in a bain-marie until the mixture reaches around 40°C and becomes frothy.
3
Take the dough out of the bain-marie and continue whisking (ideally with an electric mixer) until you obtain a light, thick, pale texture (like a sponge cake).
4
Mix the honey with the water and warm milk to liquefy it, then gently add to the dough.
5
Sift and add the flour in two or three additions, mixing gently with a spatula so as not to break the lightness of the dough and avoid lumps.
6
Pour into mold and tap lightly to remove air bubbles.
7
Castella cake is traditionally baked in a bain-marie in the oven. This ensures gentle, even cooking and prevents a dark crust from forming on top. To do this, place your mold in a larger dish and pour hot water over it to a height of about 2 cm before placing in the oven.
8
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is golden and the cake comes out dry to the tip of the knife.
9
Unmold, wrap in cling-film and leave to rest for a few hours (or even overnight) for the texture to become even softer.

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Tips & Notes

Pro tips

Whip eggs and sugar until pale and tripled in volume (5–8 minutes); under-beating collapses the crumb and produces a dense cake.
Fold flour in three additions using a gentle hand; overmixing deflates aeration and toughens the structure.
Bake in a parchment-lined loaf or square pan; Castella rises tall and is prone to browning on edges, so monitor the oven in the final 5 minutes.
Cool completely in the pan before turning out; the cake is delicate while warm and crumbles easily if inverted too soon.

Substitutions

Honey → light agave syrup or glucose syrup (maintains sweetness and moisture; cane sugar alone will dry it out)
Wheat flour → cake flour (for even lighter texture; use 90g to account for lower protein)
Milk → water or warm broth (minor flavor shift; maintains hydration)

Storage & make-ahead

Store wrapped at room temperature up to 3 days or refrigerated up to 1 week. Castella does not freeze well due to its delicate crumb structure.

Common Questions

Why does Castella cake have no butter?

Castella relies on whipped eggs to create lift and structure; butter is unnecessary and would compromise its distinctively light, airy texture.

Can I scale this Castella recipe?

Yes. Keep the egg-to-sugar and egg-to-flour ratios constant (roughly 1 egg : 30g sugar : 25g flour). Adjust baking time by 5–10 minutes per pan size.

How do I know when Castella is done baking?

A skewer inserted in the center should come out clean. The top should spring back gently when touched, and the cake should pull slightly from the pan edges.

What is the best way to store Castella cake?

Wrap cooled cake tightly in parchment or foil and store at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to 1 week. It does not freeze well due to its delicate crumb.