Fluffy Castella Sponge Cake

 

Here’s a soft and fluffy Castella sponge cake recipe — a classic Japanese honey sponge that’s moist, bouncy, and slightly sweet. 🍯🍰

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🟡 Ingredients:

• 6 large eggs (room temperature)
• 180 g (¾ cup + 2 tbsp) sugar
• 80 ml (⅓ cup) warm milk
• 3 tbsp honey
• 120 g (1 cup) cake flour (sifted)
• 2 tbsp neutral oil (vegetable or canola)

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🟡 Instructions:

1. Prepare the pan

   • Line a rectangular loaf pan (8x8 inch or similar) with parchment paper.
   • Preheat oven to 160°C (320°F).

2. Beat the eggs

   • In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs with sugar using a hand or stand mixer on high speed until pale, thick, and tripled in volume (about 7–8 minutes).

3. Add honey & milk

   • Mix honey with warm milk.
   • Slowly add this mixture to the eggs while whisking on low speed.

4. Fold in flour

   • Sift in the cake flour gradually.
   • Gently fold with a spatula to keep the batter airy.

5. Add oil

   • Stir in the neutral oil, folding carefully until smooth.

6. Bake in a water bath

   • Pour batter into the prepared pan.
   • Place the pan inside a larger pan filled with hot water (about 1 inch deep).
   • Bake for 50–60 minutes, until golden and springy.

7. Cool & rest

   • Remove from oven, carefully lift out of pan, and peel off parchment.
   • Wrap the cake in plastic wrap while still warm (this keeps it moist).
   • Let it rest at room temperature for at least 8 hours before slicing.

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🟡 Tips for Success:

• Use cake flour for extra softness.
• Don’t overmix after adding flour, or the cake will be dense.
• Resting overnight gives the cake its signature moist texture.

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Would you like me to give you a version with cocoa (chocolate Castella) too, or keep it classic?