Japanese castella cake is a simple and fluffy cake that you can make with 4 ingredients! Let's learn how to make it.
This traditional sponge cake is light and flavorful, and it's hard to resist! The perfect treat for any occasion.
All you need are 4 ingredients: eggs, flour, honey, and sugar. It's such a simple dessert!
Learn how to make this Japanese fluffy cake and get the best result!
- This recipe is for you if:
- You love Japanese cake.
- You are looking for Japaese castella cake recipe.
- You want to make Japanese sponge cake.
All right, let me show you how to make it. If you want to check the recipe, please jump to the recipe card below. Let's get started!
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About this recipe
- Only 5 ingredients
- Fluffy Japanese cake
- The baking time is 40 minutes
- Glutenfree adaptable
Castella is a Simple Sponge Cake
Castella cake is a type of wagashi (traditional sweet) and popular Japanese sponge cake that people have enjoyed for centuries.
The basic ingredients are eggs, sugar, honey, and flour.
It's a delicious cake with a dark brown top, a moist yet fluffy texture, and mild sweetness.
History
Castella cake has a long history and goes back to the 16th century (the Edo period in Japan).
The origin of castella comes from foreign exchanges with Portugal.
Portuguese merchants first arrived at Nagasaki Port (south Japan) during the Age of Discovery. They brought some bread from the kingdom of Castilla in Spain, and Japanese people started calling them Castella cake.
After that, Nagasaki castella spread nationwide, becoming Japan's classic dessert that many people enjoy and adore!
📋 Ingredients
Here are the ingredients (amounts are in the recipe card below).
- Eggs: 3 eggs. Keep eggs at room temperature for a couple of hours before making the cake. Room-temperature eggs are whipped better than cold eggs.
- Sugar: I use cane sugar in this recipe, but you can use any sugar, like brown sugar. Kurozato (Japanese black sugar), which has a deep flavor, is also good.
- Wheat flour: You can use all-purpose flour, cake flour, bread flour, or rice flour (gluten-free).
- Honey
- Water
Equipment
I use this spare pan Cake pan 15x15 cm/6x6 inches for making castella cake.
You can use a loaf pan, any similar size cake pan, or an oven dish. When the cake pan size differs, you must adjust the baking time accordingly.
🔪Instructions
I will show you how to make it. Watch the Matcha Castella cake recipe video, as the steps are the same.
Set oven temperature to 180C/356F. Place parchment paper on a cake pan.
- Put eggs and sugar in a large bowl, place it over a tray with a hot water bath (or a double boiler), and whip a hand mixer on high speed for 3 to 4 minutes or until the egg mixture reaches soft peaks.
- Add honey and water and whip on low speed until combined.
- Add flour and stir with a spatula until it becomes a smooth batter.
- Pour the cake batter into the cake pan, tap the pan a few times to break the air bubbles, and bake for 15 minutes at 180C/356F.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes at 160C/320F.
- Wrap the cake with plastic wrap and leave for half a day (It will be more moist and tasty)
Now it's ready to serve. Mmm, these castella are surely looking tasty! Cut it and dive into this jiggly sponge cake! I hope you will enjoy the sweet aroma and savor every bite!
Storage
Slice the cake, put them in a container, and store them in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
You can also freeze them. Wrap each piece in plastic wrap and keep them for one month in the freezer. When you're ready to eat, heat it in the microwave oven, and it'll be as fluffy as ever.
Variations
These variations sound delicious and are sure to add some unique flavors to your Castella cake. Enjoy!
- Matcha Castella: Add 2 teaspoon matcha powder (green tea)
- Chocolate Castella: Add 1 tablespoon Cacao powder
- Strawberry Castella: Add 1 tablespoon strawberry puree
- Sweet Potato Castella: Add 1 tablespoon Japanese sweet potato puree
You can also add a little vanilla extract for extra flavor.
Thank you for stopping by
The fluffy and moist texture is a must-try if you love Japanese sponge cake. I hope you love the recipe!
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog♡ If you’ve tried this recipe (or any other recipe on the blog), please give it a star rating below!
Also, feel free to leave comments if you have any questions. I love hearing from you!
More dessert recipes you might like
- Matcha castella cake
- Vegan matcha pound cake
- Rice flour pancakes
- Vegan banana cake
- Flourless oatmeal cookies
Watch How To Make It
How to make it is the same as matcha castella (without matcha powder), so please check out this video for instructions.
📖 Recipe
Japanese Castella Cake
Print Pin RateIngredients
- 3 Eggs
- 70 g Sugar, 120ml
- 2 ½ tablespoon Honey, 30g
- 2 tablespoon Water, 30g
- 100 g All-purpose flour, 190ml
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat oven at 180C/356F. Place parchment paper on a square cake pan.
- Whip eggs: Put eggs and sugar in a large bowl, place it over a tray with hot water (or a double boiler), and whip using hand mixer on high speed for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the mixture is thick.
- Add honey: Mix honey and water in a small bowl, add it to the large bowl and whip on low speed until combined.
- Add flour: Sift the all-purpose flour and stir with a spatula until combined.
- Bake at 180C/356F: Pour the batter into the cake pan, tap the pan a few times to break the air bubbles, and bake for 15 minutes at 180C/356F.
- Bake at 160C/320F: Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes at 160C/320F.
- Wrap: Let the cake cool, remove the parchment paper, wrap it in plastic wrap, turn it upside down and leave it for at least half a day before cutting.
Video
Notes
- Equipment: Cake pan 15x15 cm/6x6 inches (or loaf pan), hand mixer (or stand mixer)
- Storage: It will last for 3 to 4 days in the fridge and one month in the freezer.
- Substitute: You can substitute all-purpose flour with rice flour.
- Step 4: It is easier to mix by adding it split twice instead of adding it all at once.
- Step 5: If the surface color is not brown enough, please extend the baking time until browned.
- Step 7: You can eat it right away, but it will be more moist and tasty by leaving it for a half day.
- How to make it is the same as matcha castella (without matcha powder), so please check out this video for instructions.
Caroline
I believe there is an error in your recipe. 200 grams of flour? I had closer to bread dough. Then I looked at video for match castella. That listed 100 grams of flour. Also, have you tested for alternative flours?
JURI
Hi Caroline, I'm sorry about the error>< I just fixed it to 100g. This recipe works well with rice flour too!