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    Home » Recipes » Dessert

    Chocolate Castella Cake

    Last Modified: March 15, 2021 - Published by: christieathome

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Chocolate Castella Cake. The fluffiest sponge cake with a very delicious moist texture to it. This popular Taiwanese cake is great for dessert and is free of dairy.

    Lately I've been obsessed with castella cakes because they taste like total heaven in your mouth. I've made both the vanilla version and the chocolate version and both are so incredibly good.

    chocolate castella cake

    If you've never tried a castella cake, it may be tricky to find in North America so that's why I suggest making one at home.

    When it comes to baking the castella cake (if you don't add chocolate chips), the top of the cake should be smooth and free of dents or cracks. The texture should be very fluffy and very moist. So much that when you tear the cake open with your hands, you can hear how moist it is. The cake will also jiggle if you nudge it because it is so airy.

    chocolate castella cake

    Since we are adding chocolate chips, you may experience dents or cracks at the top but that's okay because your chocolate chip castella cake will still be very delicious! However if you follow my instructions to a tee, it should come out crack free. Please keep in mind the cake will deflate after being out of the oven.

    Chocolate Castella Cake

    This cake does take some time and effort to make as there is the requirement of measuring the temperature for your ingredients and whisking your meringue until it's just right. But please don't be intimidated by this, I'll be sharing step by step visuals to help you with the process. And this cake is TOTALLY worth the time and effort because this is the best Taiwanese chocolate castella cake I've ever made and I'm very excited to share it with you!

    chocolate castella cake

    I can't take full credit for this recipe, it was adapted from Molala's YouTube Channel and I made it dairy-free and adjusted the amount of chocolate, as well as the cooking time.

    chocolate castella cake

    What is a chocolate castella cake?

    It's a cake that was brought to the Japanese first by the Portuguese merchants in the 16th century. The name originates from Portuguese Pão de Castela, meaning "bread from Castile". Hence the name "Castella Cake". Then the cake became more popular in Taiwan and that's why it's often called the Taiwanese Castella Cake.

    As mentioned above, the cake is very soft, spongy, jiggly and super moist. The cake is made with only 95 grams of flour and consists mainly of egg yolk and white. Thanks to the egg meringue, that's how it gets it's delightful texture.

    Important Notes about this recipe

    • It's important to use a kitchen scale to measure these ingredients for the best turnout. I've shared a kitchen scale that you can purchase online. They're not too expensive and they're a great investment as a kitchen tool
    • Measuring the temperature where specified is also important. This cake is reliant on that to ensure that extra fluffy spongey texture
    • When whisking your meringue, you only want to whisk until you reach soft peak. A stiff peak, will cause breaks in your cake (which is still fine and it's totally delicious but just not aesthetically pleasing). In order to tell when your meringue has reached a soft peak: stir the meringue with a whisk, then lift it up and then if there is a tail and it wiggles as you move it, you're ready. If it's a stiff peak, you will see cracks in your cake. But don't worry it's still delicious!
    wiggly tail of meringue of Chocolate Castella Cake

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    FLUFFY CHOCOLATE BANANA MUFFINS
    CHOCOLATE CREPES

    For this recipe

    You will need the following ingredients for my Taiwan chocolate castella cake recipe:

    • 95 grams avocado oil or vegetable oil
    • 8 eggs, yolks separated from whites
    • 90 grams all purpose flour
    • 15 grams cornstarch
    • 25 grams hot chocolate powder or Organic Traditions' mint hot chocolate powder
    • 10 grams cocoa powder
    • 100 grams oat milk
    • 40 grams dairy-free chocolate chips
    • 110 grams white granulated sugar

    Required: kitchen scale, electric mixer, mixing bowls, 20 cm wide seamless square baking dish*, larger baking dish to hold the smaller one, sifter and thermometer

    *If you don't own a seamless baking pan but you own one with seams or a removable base, just cover the base of your pan with foil to prevent water from seeping into it as the cake bakes in a bath

    How to make chocolate castella cake

    First, line your 20 cm seamless square baking dish with parchment paper. Line it tall so that when you pour your batter it won't spill out.

    line baking pan with parchment paper for Chocolate Castella Cake

    Secondly into a mixing bowl, sift your all purpose flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder and hot chocolate powder. It is really important to remove any clumps or large granules. Whisk until well combined.

    sift dry ingredients well for Chocolate Castella Cake

    Then separate your egg yolks from the whites into two bowls.

    separate egg yolks from whites for Chocolate Castella Cake

    Microwave your avocado oil for 80 seconds until it's 90 degrees C hot. Quickly pour the hot oil into the flour mixture and whisk well.

    measure temperature of oil
    add oil to batter

    Whisk in about 20 grams of your chocolate chips only, reserving the remaining to top your cake with. Allow the chips to completely melt.

    add chocolate chips

    Once they have melted, whisk in half of your oat milk.

    add oat milk

    Then whisk in your egg yolks until completely mixed

    agg egg yolks

    and whisk in the remaining amount of oat milk. Set aside.

    add oat milk

    To your egg whites, add ⅓ of the white sugar. We will be adding the sugar in three portions - this is also important. Beat egg whites until you reach a soft peak, not a stiff peak.

    Note: When you stir the egg whites with your whisk and lift it up, it should create a wiggly tail. If the meringue is too stiff, this will cause cracks in your cake.

    wiggly tail
    meringue

    Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F.

    To your chocolate batter, mix in ⅓ of the meringue to loosen it. Whisk gently in order not to lose the fluffiness. Add the meringue in three portions. Using a spatula at the end to fold the mixture scraping the bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is properly mixed.

    add meringue to batter
    batter
    batter

    Pour your cake batter into the lined 20 cm square baking dish. Even out the top with a spatula. To break up the air bubbles, gently tap the square pan on the table a few times.

    Then in your larger baking dish, pour hot water that is 70 degrees C warm into the tray, just enough to fill the tray about ⅓ of the way. Place the square dish with your cake batter into this large pan.

    add water to larger pan

    Place into the oven to bake for 10 minutes.

    bake chocolate castella cake

    At the ten minute mark, remove from oven to add in your remaining chocolate chips. If you add it in early, the chips will sink to the bottom.

    add chocolate chips

    Bake for 75 minutes until the top of the cake is solid but bounces back if you touch it. Poke a toothpick to check if the cake is fully cooked.

    chocolate castella cake

    Once cooked, remove the cake from the pan. Peel away the parchment paper while hot.

    peel away parchment paper

    Slice while hot and enjoy warm or at room temperature.

    About Organic Traditions

    I've partnered with Organic Traditions to bring you this Taiwan chocolate castella cake. I'm using their Holiday Limited Edition Mint Hot Chocolate Powder for this recipe. I love their products as they always keep nutrition in mind when creating them. In fact, this hot chocolate is made with organic coconut milk powder and magnesium rich organic raw cacao powder!

    Their Mint Hot Chocolate Powder is delicious when you just add some warm milk to water to it. If you also sign up for their newsletter you can get 20% off their products online.

    Check Organic Traditions online!

    organic traditions

    Give it a try!

    Well I hope you give my dairy-free chocolate castella cake recipe a try! It always excites me when you guys make my recipes and I hope this is one you try.

    Thanks for visiting my blog! If you enjoyed this double chocolate castella cakerecipe, please share it with your family and friends or on social media! Take a picture if you've made my recipe and tag me on Instagram @christieathome in your feed or stories so I can share your creation in my stories with credits to you!

    Made this recipe and loved it?

    If you could leave a star rating for my jiggly chocolate castella cake, I would greatly appreciate it 🙂 Thanks so much!

    Take care,
    Christie

    Chocolate Castella Cake (Dairy-free)

    christieathome
    Chocolate Castella Cake. The fluffiest sponge cake with a very delicious moist texture to it. This popular Taiwanese cake is great for dessert and is free of dairy.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Prep Time 30 mins
    Cook Time 1 hr 25 mins
    Total Time 1 hr 55 mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine asian, Japanese, Taiwanese
    Servings 9 pieces of cake
    Calories per serving 188 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 95 grams vegetable oil
    • 8 eggs yolks separated from whites
    • 90 grams all purpose flour
    • 15 grams cornstarch
    • 25 grams hot chocolate powder
    • 10 grams cocoa powder
    • 100 grams oat milk
    • 40 grams dairy-free chocolate chips
    • 110 grams white granulated sugar

    Instructions
     

    • First, line your 20 cm seamless square baking dish with parchment paper. Line it tall so that when you pour your batter it won't spill out.
      chocolate castella cake
    • Secondly into a mixing bowl, sift your all purpose flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder and hot chocolate powder. It is really important to remove any clumps or large granules. Whisk until well combined.
      chocolate castella cake
    • Then separate your egg yolks from the whites into two bowls.
      chocolate castella cake
    • Microwave your oil for 80 seconds until it's 90 degrees C hot. Quickly pour the hot oil into the flour mixture and whisk well.
      chocolate castella cake
    • Whisk in about 20 grams of your chocolate chips only, reserving the remaining to top your cake with. Allow the chips to completely melt.
      chocolate castella cake
    • Once they have melted, whisk in half of your oat milk.
      chocolate castella cake
    • Then whisk in your egg yolks until completely mixed
      chocolate castella cake
    • Whisk in the remaining amount of oat milk. Set aside.
      chocolate castella cake
    • To your egg whites, add ⅓ of the white sugar. We will be adding the sugar in three portions - this is also important. Beat egg whites until you reach a soft peak, not a stiff peak.
      chocolate castella cake
    • Note: When you stir the egg whites with your whisk and lift it up, it should create a wiggly tail. If the meringue is too stiff, this will cause cracks in your cake.
      chocolate castella cake
    • Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F.
    • To your chocolate batter, mix in ⅓ of the meringue to loosen it. Whisk gently in order not to lose the fluffiness. Add the meringue in three portions. Using a spatula at the end to fold the mixture scraping the bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is properly mixed.
      chocolate castella cake
    • Pour your cake batter into the lined 20 cm square baking dish. Even out the top with a spatula. To break up the air bubbles, gently tap the square pan on the table a few times.
      chocolate castella cake
    • Then in your larger baking dish, pour hot water that is 70 degrees C warm into the tray, just enough to fill the tray about ⅓ of the way enough to make your square pan float. Place the square dish with your cake batter into this large pan.
      add water to larger pan
    • Place into the oven to bake for 10 minutes.
      bake chocolate castella cake
    • At the ten minute mark, remove from oven to add in your remaining chocolate chips. If you add it in early, the chips will sink to the bottom.
      chocolate castella cake
    • Bake for 75 minutes until the top of the cake is solid but bounces back if you touch it. Poke a toothpick to check if the cake is fully cooked.
      chocolate castella cake
    • Once cooked, remove the cake from the pan. Peel away the parchment paper while hot.
      peel away parchment paper
    • Slice while hot and enjoy warm or at room temperature.
    Enjoyed my recipe?Please leave a 5 star review (be kind)! Tag me on social media @christieathome as I'd love to see your creations!
    Copyright PolicyPlease do not copy and paste my recipes or use my photos in your own site/blog or social media. If you use my recipe for adaptation, please provide a link back to my recipe and re-write in your own words. Thank you.

    Suggested Equipment & Products

    Kitchen Scale
    Cooking thermometer
    Hand Mixer
    20 cm Square Seamless Baking Pan*If you don't own a seamless baking pan but you own one with seams or a removable base, just cover the base of your pan with foil to prevent water from seeping into it as the cake bakes in a bath
    Deep baking pan 9 x 13 inches
    Parchment paper
    Nutrition
    Calories: 188kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 145mg | Sodium: 85mg | Potassium: 87mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 235IU | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 2mg
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine asian, Japanese, Taiwanese
    Keyword amazing chocolate castella cake, castella cake recipe, chocolate castella cake recipe, chocolate chip castella cake, double chocolate castella cake recipe, homebake double chocolate castella cake, how to make chocolate castella cake, recipe for chocolate castella cake, taiwan chocolate castella cake recipe, the castella cake

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Heidi | The Frugal Girls

      November 13, 2020 at 12:42 am

      5 stars
      Light, fluffy and oh so heavenly... this is so good!! Love that you've made it with real cocoa powder. 😋

      Reply
    2. Never Ending Journeys

      November 16, 2020 at 11:40 am

      5 stars
      I've never heard of Castella Cakes before, but it sounds so incredibly delicious! I love the use of hot chocolate powder, too!

      Reply

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    Christie

    Christie is an Asian Recipe Blogger sharing delicious recipes that you can make at home! Her goal is to make Asian cooking approachable and less intimidating. With a social media following of over 500k, she has been featured on Buzz Feed Tasty, Food52, The Kitchn and more! Christie's recipes have been made over and over again by her loyal readers.

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