The Best Castella Recipe (Moist and Gooey Kasutera Sponge Cake)

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Let’s make moist and gooey Castella with the cardboard box wrapped with aluminum foil!

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Castella (Moist and Gooey Kasutera Cake)
Votes: 122
Rating: 4.32
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Course Dessert
Cuisine Japanese
Cook Time 90 minutes
Cooling time not included in cook time.
Servings
Cake (19x19x8cm/7.5"x7.5"x3.2")
Translator Get Francis Mug
Course Dessert
Cuisine Japanese
Cook Time 90 minutes
Cooling time not included in cook time.
Servings
Cake (19x19x8cm/7.5"x7.5"x3.2")
Translator Get Francis Mug
Votes: 122
Rating: 4.32
You:
Please leave a 5 star rating if you like the recipe! 🙂
Add to Meal Plan
Add to Meal Plan:
This recipe has been added to your Meal Plan
Ingredients
* 1 tablespoon (tbsp) = 15 ml, 1 teaspoon (tsp) = 5 ml
* The ingredients contain Amazon affiliate links.
Instructions
  1. Place the Kraft paper or bakery paper in the cardboard box wrapped with aluminum foil and distribute the coarse demerara sugar or coffee sugar crystals.
    Place the Kraft paper or bakery paper in the cardboard box wrapped with aluminum foil and distribute the coarse demerara sugar or coffee sugar crystals.
  2. Lightly beat the eggs in a bowl with a hand mixer at a low speed. Add the sugar and mix.
    Lightly beat the eggs in a bowl with a hand mixer at a low speed. Add the sugar and mix.
  3. Float the bowl in hot water and gradually heat the egg. When it begins to slightly warm up, remove the bowl and continue mixing. Turn off the burner and heat a glass of water.
    Float the bowl in hot water and gradually heat the egg. When it begins to slightly warm up, remove the bowl and continue mixing. Turn off the burner and heat a glass of water.
  4. Beat the egg at high speed for about 8 minutes until the color turns white, and it reaches a soft peak stage. When you lift the mixer, the rippling pattern should remain on the surface as you see here.
    Beat the egg at high speed for about 8 minutes until the color turns white, and it reaches a soft peak stage. When you lift the mixer, the rippling pattern should remain on the surface as you see here.
  5. Dilute the honey with the heated water. Add it to the beaten egg and mix with the hand mixer for 1 more minute at high speed. Switch to low speed and mix for about another minute until it has a fine, glossy texture.
    Dilute the honey with the heated water. Add it to the beaten egg and mix with the hand mixer for 1 more minute at high speed. Switch to low speed and mix for about another minute until it has a fine, glossy texture.
  6. Distribute the bread flour onto the egg mixture. At medium speed, whip the mixture for about 2 minutes until it has a smooth texture again.
    Distribute the bread flour onto the egg mixture. At medium speed, whip the mixture for about 2 minutes until it has a smooth texture again.
  7. Drop the bowl a few times to break any air bubbles. Then, pour the batter into the square mold. Slash the batter with a spatula to remove any air bubbles.
    Drop the bowl a few times to break any air bubbles. Then, pour the batter into the square mold. Slash the batter with a spatula to remove any air bubbles.
  8. Place the batter into a preheated conventional oven. For the first 15 minutes, bake at 170°C (340°F). Then, reduce the heat to 160°C (320°F) and bake it for about 50 more minutes. The baking temperature and time depend on the type of your oven, so adjust them accordingly.
    Place the batter into a preheated conventional oven. For the first 15 minutes, bake at 170°C (340°F). Then, reduce the heat to 160°C (320°F) and bake it for about 50 more minutes. The baking temperature and time depend on the type of your oven, so adjust them accordingly.
  9. Pierce the castella with a bamboo stick. If the stick is slightly moist, it is ready. When the stick is dry and clean, the castella has lost its moist texture. The moist texture is essential for delicious castella so avoid over-baking.
    Pierce the castella with a bamboo stick. If the stick is slightly moist, it is ready. When the stick is dry and clean, the castella has lost its moist texture. The moist texture is essential for delicious castella so avoid over-baking.
  10. Remove the mold and drop it on the counter a few times to prevent the castella from shrinking. Place a tray covered with plastic wrap on top. Then, flip it over.
    Remove the mold and drop it on the counter a few times to prevent the castella from shrinking. Place a tray covered with plastic wrap on top. Then, flip it over.
  11. Before placing the tray onto the castella, we recommend making a cut along the corners of the Kraft paper and folding the edges outward. This will help avoid damaging the surface of the castella. Now, remove the mold.
    Before placing the tray onto the castella, we recommend making a cut along the corners of the Kraft paper and folding the edges outward. This will help avoid damaging the surface of the castella. Now, remove the mold.
  12. Wrap it with 2 layers of plastic wrap crosswise, completely covering the castella. Let it sit to cool and then store the castella in the fridge for one whole day. This will make it moist and even more delicious.
    Wrap it with 2 layers of plastic wrap crosswise, completely covering the castella. Let it sit to cool and then store the castella in the fridge for one whole day. This will make it moist and even more delicious.
  13. Let’s serve the castella. Carefully remove the Kraft paper and slice off the edges. For each cut, wipe the knife with a dampened towel to help make a clean cut.
    Let’s serve the castella. Carefully remove the Kraft paper and slice off the edges. For each cut, wipe the knife with a dampened towel to help make a clean cut.
  14. Cut the castella in half. Then, slice it into 3cm (1.2") pieces. Arrange the pieces onto a plate.
    Cut the castella in half. Then, slice it into 3cm (1.2") pieces. Arrange the pieces onto a plate.
  15. We will show you how to make the homemade mold for castella. This is the Kraft paper with 4 slits.
    We will show you how to make the homemade mold for castella. This is the Kraft paper with 4 slits.
  16. The cardboard box is wrapped with aluminum foil.
    The cardboard box is wrapped with aluminum foil.
  17. To wrap the box, carefully cover it with a long strip of aluminum foil.
    To wrap the box, carefully cover it with a long strip of aluminum foil.
  18. Then, cover it with another aluminum strip crosswise. If you don’t have a square cake pan, try making it as shown.
    Then, cover it with another aluminum strip crosswise. If you don’t have a square cake pan, try making it as shown.
Recipe Notes

All-purpose flour or cake flour can be also used but we recommend using bread flour to help create a moist and kind of gooey texture.
You can keep the castella in the fridge for 1 week or store it in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Castella goes great with green tea, coffee or black tea and it is a perfect gift for special occasions.

Cooking with Dog

Cooking with Dog is a YouTube cooking show featured by a canine host Francis and a mysterious Japanese Chef whose real name is not disclosed.
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christine

I just wanted to say thank you, I’ve had this recipe on my “to do” list ever since you first posted it on YouTube a decade ago and I finally had the perfect occasion to make Castella. It came out perfect (I had a feeling my oven would cook it faster than your recommended time so I baked 15+40 minutes instead. The top was the most gorgeous golden brown colour and tomorrow I will know for sure if it’s gooey inside but the skewer felt moist so it’s very promising (it’s resting in the fridge now). Thank you again, I appreciate how much I can rely on your recipe to give great results every single time I use them. I recommend your channel/website all the time when people want to make authentic Japanese cuisine. ^_^

Melissa

Amazing recipe! Turns out perfect every time!
My oven is a little too hot so I started checking my castella after 25 min total cooking time.
I ran out of white flour so I substituted it with 120g wheat flour! Also delicious!
Super moist and not too sweet! Thank you!

Fantastic

Do I need to bake it longer and at a higher temperature with a silicone form?

Stefanie

hi, my oven is a convection (fan) oven, may i know if i should reduce the cooking time or change the temperature? thank you so much!

Bartosz

Did it multiple times in my pretty old electric oven and even on the first try it turned out great.

Baked it at my parents place with their much newer premium oven and the cake got burnt after 35 minutes, had to quit baking it… It came completely dry and crusty.
Any ideas? The temperatures were correct at the very least… Perhaps newer ovens circulate air and remove moisture?