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Authentic Kasutera Recipe Alternate Text Nagasaki, Japan

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We strongly advise you to read the cooking tips before jumping to the recipe though

Introduction & history

This Japanese sponge cake is made with just flour, eggs, sugar, and a sugary syrup, such as honey, which also flavors the sponge. Today, castella can have a myriad of different flavors, such as matcha, chocolate, and brown sugar, but in Taiwan and some other South Asian countries like Singapore, a cheese castella cake is very popular. To prepare, eggs are first whisked with sugar to a ribbon stage, and the honey is stirred in next, followed by flour which is gently folded in. The prepared batter is poured into, traditionally, a wooden frame, and baked up to 50 minutes. If baked to perfection, kasutera should be moist, light, and with a very fine texture. There are two main preparation methods, the traditional one where eggs are beaten in a double boiler and the one where eggs are not beaten in a double boiler. There is also a third, less common, method where yolks and egg whites are first whisked separately and then combined. Most recipes today also include additional ingredients ... Read more

Cooking tips

  • equipment

    Traditionally, kasutera is baked in a wooden frame, which transfers the heat slowly, resulting in a soft and smooth cake. Because a standard baking pan will not do, make one yourself. Make a cardboard box of desired proportions and line the insides and the outsides with aluminum foil. For making baby and suzu castella cakes, you will need a takoyaki griddle or a cake pop maker.
  • method

    The eggs should be whisked for a long time, up to 15 minutes, until at ribbon stage. If you're whisking the eggs in a double broiler, do not let them get warmer than lukewarm. Remove them from the heat if necessary, then return back to the heat once cooled enough. To make sure the cake does not deflate, stir the batter, once poured into a pan, with a stick to release any excess air, and also once ... Read more
  • variations

    Typically kasutera is flavored with honey, but other flavorings can also be used such as cocoa, matcha, brown sugar, mirin, and rice wine.
  • storage

    To store, wrap each piece of cake in plastic, and it will keep fresh for 3-4 days at room temperature. If kept in the refrigerator the storage time is 5-7 days, while frozen kasutera will keep for about a month.

Recipe variations

Kasutera

PREP 20min

COOK 50min

READY IN 1h 10min

4.7

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This recipe captures the essence of the traditional kasutera while elevating it with a hint of honey. The meticulous preparation process, involving a unique technique of warming the batter and careful incorporation of ingredients, ensures a fluffy and moist cake. It was adapted from the reputable blog Just Hungry by Makiko Itoh, a Tokyo-native food & travel writer who runs the popular Japanese food blogs JustHungry.com and JustBento.com and writes a monthly food column for The Japan Times. Additionally, she is the author of the best-selling Just Bento Cookbook and its sequel, The Just Bento Cookbook 2. To make the cake, you will need a 30cm (12") long X 10cm (4") wide baking pan, an electric mixer, a pastry brush, parchment paper, a sealable plastic bag, a plastic bowl, and a pot big enough it can hold water and the plastic bowl.

Ingredients

24 Servings

8 large (55g) eggs

300g sugar, plus a little extra sugar for sprinkling

200g all-purpose or bread flour

100ml milk

4 tbsp honey, plus one tbsp for the top

Preparation

Step 1/8

Set the oven to preheat to 170°C, or 150°C if using a convection oven.

Step 2/8

First, coat the bottom and the sides of a baking pan (30cm long X 10cm wide) with butter or shortening, then line it with baking paper, so that a portion of the paper is hanging over the sides of the pan. Sprinkle the bottom of the pan with sugar.

Step 3/8

Bring a pot of water to a boil, then remove from the heat.

Step 4/8

Whisk milk and honey together (heat in the microwave shortly if unable to mix), and double sift the flour.

Step 5/8

Position a bowl over a pan with hot water, then add the eggs and the sugar to the bowl. Whisk with an electric mixer set at the lowest speed until lukewarm to touch. Take the bowl off the pan with water, and continue whisking. If at any moment the mixture turns cold, place the bowl back on the pan with hot water and whisk until lukewarm. The batter is done when it is so thick that when you draw the whisk up, soft peaks are formed.

Step 6/8

Next, whisk in the milk and honey mixture, then add flour tablespoon by tablespoon, whisking all the time until incorporated.

Step 7/8

When the cake is cool enough to handle, put the cake (with the baking paper on) into a plastic bag and seal. Refrigerate for a few hours.

Step 8/8

When ready to serve, first, slice off the edges of the cake, then cut into neat slices.

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