Castella Chocolate Cake (Japanese-Style)
🧁 Ingredients:
For a 7″ x 3″ loaf pan (or similar size):
- 5 large eggs (room temperature)
- 120 g (1/2 cup + 1 tbsp) granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp honey
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) whole milk (warm)
- 100 g (3/4 cup) bread flour (sifted)
- 20 g (2 tbsp) unsweetened cocoa powder (sifted)
- 30 g (2 tbsp) unsalted butter (melted)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
👩🍳 Instructions:
1. Prepare the Pan:
- Line your loaf pan with parchment paper (bottom and sides).
- Preheat oven to 160°C (320°F).
2. Warm the Wet Ingredients:
- Mix honey with warm milk and stir until dissolved. Set aside.
- Melt butter and let it cool slightly.
3. Make the Egg Foam:
- Beat the eggs with sugar using a hand mixer or stand mixer on high speed for 6–8 minutes, until pale, thick, and tripled in volume (ribbon stage).
- Add vanilla extract (if using).
4. Add Dry Ingredients:
- Sift together the bread flour and cocoa powder.
- Gently fold into the egg mixture in batches with a spatula or whisk. Be careful not to deflate the batter.
5. Add Wet Mixture:
- Mix the melted butter into the honey-milk mixture.
- Take a small amount of the cake batter and mix it into the butter-milk mixture to lighten it.
- Gently fold that back into the rest of the batter.
6. Bake the Cake:
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Tap gently to release air bubbles.
- Bake at 160°C (320°F) for 45–50 minutes or until the top is set and a skewer comes out clean.
7. Cool & Rest:
- When done, remove from oven and tap the pan lightly to prevent shrinkage.
- Immediately invert onto a sheet of parchment paper and wrap the cake.
- Let it rest overnight (wrapped) for the best flavor and texture.
