Castella / Kasutera, Japanese Old Fashioned Sponge Cake for Oyatsu

Unlike the other recipes, I found Kasutera in one of my favourite website, just try and taste, quite different with kasutera recipes in other sites. In JTT site, the Kasutera Recipe using Cake/All Purpose Flour and Cooking Oil, also orange/lemon juice and orange/lemon zest. In other sites, the ingredients for Kasutera are free of Oil/Butter, and always recommend Bread Flour, or at least All Purpose Flour. I think I should do more research for this recipe.

After I read some recipes, I decided to try the Kasutera Recipe from Justhungry.com, by Makiko Itoh. I found it really detail. So I did try (half recipe), and the result come out quite great, really close to the traditional kasutera, according to my husband !! The technique I did was not perfect. I have to practice more!! Sorry Makiko San, my result come out not as good as yours.. :( Also I think, after this, I still have to try each recipe from those other sites. I myself, never try the original castella from Japan.... I hope, someday...

Ingredients for full recipe
8 large (55 grams) eggs
300 grams sugar
4 tablespoon honey
100 cc warm milk => mix with honey
200 grams Bread Flour (double sifted)

How To Make
Prepare the pan (baking sheet around), break eggs in a mixing bowl, beat using waterbath method, add sugar in the process to ribbon stage. Heat oven at 150C. Add Mixture of honey and milk to the egg batter, beat till combine. Add flour 1 tablespoon at a time, mix with spatula, place in the pan. Bake for around 50 minutes. Place in plastic wrap and store in chiller for around 12 hours. Cut to slices and enjoy :)

Picture of Kasutera, first attempt :

I hope, next attempt will be better !!


Oh by the way, about Oyatsu, I read that it's a kind of japanese style tea time at around 3 in the afternoon. :) and I love Kasutera for tea time. The honey give it a very special taste !!

Other links I use as reference for this recipe are as the following :

Japanese Cooking 101 : Kasutera, Old Fashioned Japanese Sponge Cake

Japanese Cooking 101 : Japanese Sponge Cake 

Ochikeron's Create Eat Happy : Kasutera

Just One Cookbook : Castella

Cooking with The Dog : Kasutera