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Easy Castella Cake Recipe: Soft, Honey-Sweet Japanese Sponge Cake

Easy Castella Cake

A classic Japanese-style honey sponge cake with a golden top and springy, slightly chewy crumb. Resting the wrapped cake before slicing gives it the best moisture and texture.
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 3 minutes
Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients
  

Main Ingredients
  • 6 eggs Large eggs, preferably room temperature
  • 200 g Granulated sugar
  • 200 g Bread flour, sifted
  • 2 tablespoons, about 40 g Honey
  • 2 tablespoons Hot water

Method
 

Step-by-Step
  1. Line an 8-inch/20-cm square pan with parchment, leaving the paper higher than the sides so the baked cake can be lifted out. Preheat the oven to 160°C/320°F.
  2. Stir the honey and hot water together in a small bowl until completely smooth and fluid. Set the mixture aside while you prepare the egg foam.
  3. Place the eggs and sugar in a large heatproof bowl and set it over warm water. Whisk until slightly warm, then beat with an electric mixer on high for about 5–7 minutes, until very pale, thick, and ribbon-like.
  4. Add the diluted honey and mix on low speed just until incorporated. Avoid prolonged mixing because the egg foam is the cake's main source of lift.
  5. Add the sifted bread flour in two or three additions, folding gently or mixing on low speed only until no dry flour remains. Stop as soon as the batter looks uniform to prevent knocking out the trapped air.
  6. Pour the batter into the lined pan and tap the pan lightly on the counter to release large air bubbles. Smooth the surface only if necessary, since excessive handling can reduce the cake's volume.
  7. Bake at 160°C/320°F for approximately 45–55 minutes, until the top is deeply golden and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the cake from the pan while it is still warm.
  8. Wrap the warm cake tightly in plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container. Cool completely, then refrigerate if desired; trim the sides before cutting and serving.

Notes

Beat the eggs and sugar until genuinely thick and ribbon-like, sift the flour, and fold gently. Resting the wrapped cake for several hours, preferably overnight, improves moisture and makes slicing cleaner.