Moist and Fluffy Castella Cake

Castella cake is a classic Japanese sponge cake, celebrated for its soft, moist texture and delicate sweetness, enriched with honey and often baked in a water bath.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This cake delivers an incredibly tender crumb and subtle, honeyed flavor without relying on chemical leaveners—instead, it uses whipped egg whites for lift. Its elegant simplicity and moist result make it ideal for afternoon tea or a light dessert.

ingredients

(Tip: You can find the complete list of ingredients and their measurements in the recipe card below.)

• 5 large eggs

• 150 g (¾ cup) granulated sugar

• 100 g (¾ cup) bread flour

• 2 Tbsp honey

• 2 Tbsp warm water

• 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

directions

1. Preheat oven to 150 °C (300 °F). Line an 8×20 cm (or 9×5 in) loaf pan with parchment paper.

2. Separate eggs at room temperature.

3. Whip whites (with a pinch of salt if desired) to soft peaks; gradually add sugar until medium-soft peaks form reddit.com+15sugarpursuit.com+15homecookingadventure.com+15justonecookbook.commastersofkitchen.com+1bakingheritage.com+1bakingheritage.com+1mastersofkitchen.com+1homecookingadventure.com.

4. In another bowl, beat yolks with honey, warm water, sugar, and vanilla until pale and ribbon-like (~5 min) .

5. Sift bread flour over the yolk mixture and gently fold until just combined.

6. Fold ⅓ of the meringue into yolks to lighten, then gently fold in remaining meringue until mostly uniform facebook.com+15sugarpursuit.com+15indyassa.com+15.

7. Tap the pan to release large air bubbles. Place it inside a larger pan and pour in hot water to create a 1 cm-deep water bath reddit.com+3homecookingadventure.com+3sugarpursuit.com+3.

8. Bake for 45–60 minutes at 150 °C, until golden and a skewer comes out clean facebook.com+9homecookingadventure.com+9reddit.com+9.

9. Remove, drop the pan from ~8 cm to settle the crumb and prevent shrinkage .

10. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a rack to cool completely before slicing .

Servings and timing

Based on similar recipes:

• Yield: ~8–12 slices (1 loaf)

• Prep time: ~20 min

• Bake time: 45–60 min

• Total time: 65–80 min

• Rest time: for best texture, wrap and refrigerate 12–24 h before slicing reddit.com+15sudachirecipes.com+15indyassa.com+15en.wikipedia.org+5homecookingadventure.com+5sugarpursuit.com+5

storage/reheating

• Room temperature: up to 5 days in an airtight container pickledplum.com+1mastersofkitchen.com+1

• Refrigerate: up to 10 days pickledplum.com

• Freeze: up to 1 month, wrapped airtight; thaw in fridge, then bring to room temperature before serving

Variations

• Taiwanese Castella: Bake in water bath at 150 °C for 60 min to create a jiggly, soufflé-like texture pickledplum.com+15homecookingadventure.com+15reddit.com+15.

• Flavored: Infuse milk with matcha, Earl Grey, or vanilla before mixing for additional aroma sugarpursuit.com.

• Chocolate Castella: Replace ~10–15% of flour with cocoa powder for a rich twist sugarpursuit.com.

FAQs

How do you know when Castella is done baking?

Insert a wooden skewer or toothpick—if it emerges clean, the cake is fully baked sugarpursuit.com+4pickledplum.com+4epicurious.com+4.

Why use a water bath?

It ensures gentle, even baking that prevents cracking and drying out homecookingadventure.com+15homecookingadventure.com+15tiffycooks.com+15.

Can I skip the resting period?

You can slice it earlier, but a 12–24 hour rest allows honey to absorb and improves moistness sudachirecipes.com+1pickledplum.com+1.

Why fold gently?

Gentle folding preserves the air in the whites, creating the fluffy texture characteristic of Castella mastersofkitchen.com+11sugarpursuit.com+11reddit.com+11.

Can I use cake flour instead of bread flour?

Yes—cake flour is acceptable, though bread flour yields a slightly firmer, more elastic crumb homecookingadventure.com.

What pan should I use?

Use a light-colored, straight-sided loaf or square pan lined with parchment paper sugarpursuit.com+5justonecookbook.com+5homecookingadventure.com+5.

Does oven rack position matter?

Yes—set on the lower rack for even heat around the pan .

Can I flavor it differently?

Try folding in citrus zest, infusing milk with tea, or adding matcha for unique variations .

Why drop the pan after baking?

Dropping eliminates large air pockets and prevents the cake from shrinking too much .

How should I cut Castella?

Use a sharp knife, slicing into 2 cm (¾ in) thick pieces; wiping the blade helps maintain clean cuts sudachirecipes.com.

Conclusion

This Castella cake recipe brings authentic Japanese sweetness and a tender, moist crumb into your home with minimal fuss. Its water bath bake, gentle folding, and optional rest time ensure a beautifully risen, delicate sponge. Enjoy on its own, with tea, or explore variations like matcha and chocolate to make it your own.

[tasty-recipe id=”19436″]