Castella Cake (Japanese Confectionery Cake) 

At SAGE, we focus on great food and food for thought. We teach communities where their food comes from, whether it’s supplied by a local farm or inspired by another country. Our Pacific Thyme station highlights the culinary traditions of East Asia.

This traditional Japanese cake has a hint of honey and a spongelike texture. It needs to cool in the fridge before you eat it, but it’s worth the wait!

Ingredients:

For cake:
1 cup + 2 tablespoons bread flour
2 1/2 tablespoons warm water
1/3 cup honey
6 shell eggs
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

For topping:
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 tablespoon warm water 

Preparation:
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 320⁰F. Coat a baking pan with pan spray and line it with parchment paper.
Step 2: In a bowl, sift the bread flour twice. Set the bowl aside.
Step 3: In a separate bowl, add 2 1/2 tablespoons of warm water to 1/3 cup of honey and whisk gently, until the mixture has a syrupy texture. Set the bowl aside.
Step 4: In a mixing bowl, crack the eggs and whisk them on high speed. Once the eggs are mixed thoroughly (3 to 4 minutes), reduce the speed to medium and gradually add the sugar.
Step 5: Once the egg-and-sugar mixture becomes paler in color and triples in volume, reduce the speed to low and gradually add the honey mixture. Try to keep a steady stream of liquid in the center of the mixer.
Step 6: Keeping the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour in thirds. Be careful not to overmix. Between each addition of flour, wait 15 seconds to make sure everything is mixed, then add the next third.
Step 7: Scrape down the bowl, folding in any excess flour, then pour the batter into the baking pan. The batter should fill about 80% of the pan.
Step 8: Use a skewer to draw lines in the center of the batter to let air bubbles out.
Step 9: Level the batter by lifting the pan about 2 inches off your counter and dropping it straight down. Do that roughly 4 to 5 times to make sure all bubbles are out.
Step 10: Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a skewer inserted comes out clean and the touch of the top is spongy.
Step 11: Mix 1 tablespoon of honey with 1/2 tablespoon of warm water. Brush the mixture onto the top and edges of the cake while it’s hot to absorb the moisture.
Step 12: Place plastic wrap on your counter. Run a spatula around the edges of the cake to loosen it from the pan, then immediately flip the cake, brushed side face down, onto the plastic wrap.
Step 13: Carefully take the parchment paper off and tightly wrap the cake in plastic to lock in the moisture during the cooling process.
Step 14: Put the cake in your refrigerator while it’s warm, and store it for at least 12 hours.
Step 15: Using kitchen-safe scissors, carefully cut off the plastic wrap. On a cutting board, cut the cake into 1-inch-thick slices when ready to serve.