Japanese Castella Sponge Cake

Our Japan trip got me hooked on the Castella, a Japanese sponge tea cake, of Portuguese origin. I found a terrific Castella cake recipe in the “Bake Me a Cake” cookbook of Manila-based author, Ginny Roces De Guzman. The author said it’s called “kasutera” (drop the ‘u’ when you say it). Ginny explained in the cookbook how to bake the cake by “foaming the egg yolks over hot water hastens the melting of the sugar and aerates the yolks, which makes the cake rise without any baking powder.” It’s one of the easiest cakes I’ve baked. What makes this elegant, delicate Castella so interesting, is that after baking, you make the cake moist by covering the cake in plastic. What a terrific idea, without grease or butter.This Castella cake recipe was inspired by the “Bake Me A Cake” cookbook by Ginny Roces de Guzman (Sketchbooks Inc., Manila, Philippines). Serves four to six.

Prep Time30

Cook Time35

Total Time1 5

Course: Dessert, Snacks

Cuisine: Asian, Japanese

Keyword: Japanese Castella Sponge Cake

Servings: people

Calories: 435kcal

Author: Asian in America

Equipment

Loaf Pan : 8 inches x 3 inches

Ingredients

5 whole egg yolks
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup warm milk
1/4 cup honey for cake batter
3/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
5 whole egg whites
1/4 cup granulated sugar for the egg whites
2 Tablespoons honey for cake topping
1 Tablespoons warm water to mix with honey

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Line the bottom of a loaf pan, measuring 8 inches x 3 inches, with a height of 4 inches with parchment paper.
Combine the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl, that is placed atop another bowl filled with hot water. Using a hand held mixer, beat the egg yolks until very thick, about 5 minutes.
Combine the hot milk and 1/4 cup honey in another bowl. Lower the speed of the mixer and slowly add the milk and honey to the egg yolk mixture.
Sift the flour over the egg yolk mixture and fold in thoroughly.
Beat the egg whites in a clean bowl on medium speed until the bubbles are fine and the whisk forms a pattern. Add the sugar gradually and continue to beat until thick and glossy.
Fold about one third of the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture to lighten it. Fold in the remaining egg whites gently but thoroughly.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake at 350 F for 35 minutes. The center of the cake should spring back when lightly touched. Remove the cake from the oven.
Brush the top of the cake immediately with honey thinned with warm water.
While still warm, remove the cake carefully from the pan and put it inside a large plastic bag until it cools. The trapped heat in the bag will cause a little condensation to form which will keep the cake moist.
Slice the cake evenly to serve. Serve the Castella slices unadorned, as is the tradition, with a cup of tea.
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS: Many thanks for the following whose photos I used in this blog post -- 1) The President Elpidio Quirino Foundation for the Quirino clan photo at the Hibiya Park Monument; 2) Pauline Quirino Varanal - for our family of 4 photo; 3) Tim Quirino - for the photo of Constante Quirino at the Kyoto temple ; 4) All food and Japan photos by Elizabeth Ann Quirino.

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