Dairy-Free Castella Cake

Today I will be sharing a Dairy-Free Castella Cake recipe with you! A super soft, fluffy, moist sponge cake that is totally addictive. Great for dessert.

What is a Taiwanese castella cake? It is a jiggly moist sponge cake is very popular in Asia specifically in Taiwan, Japan and Korea. A must try for any cake lover.

My fluffy Taiwanese castella cake is dairy-free and just as delicious! I also wanted to make this version more accessible so this is a castella cake with all purpose flour not cake flour. A flour that many people have in their pantry.

This is honestly the best Taiwanese castella cake I've ever made and I'm thrilled to share it with you!

Castella cake origin

This sponge cake has become very popular recently especially in Asia. It was actually given to the Japanese first as a gift from Portuguese merchants in the 16th century. The name originates from Portuguese Pão de Castela, meaning “bread from Castile”. (Source: Just One Cookbook). It was then brought to Taiwan where it became widely popular, hence why it's often called a Taiwanese Castella Cake.

Castella cake texture

You'll see certain Asian bakeries carry this fluffy delight and it's such a hit. The texture of this unlike any other. It's very soft, jiggly when you nudge it and so moist you can hear it if you open the cake apart. The taste of castella cake is egg-like and it's not overly sweet but sweet enough that you don't need to add icing to this unless you want to.

It's one of those cakes where one piece is honestly not enough and you will keep eating away at it until you ask, "Where did half my cake go?"

There are many flavours of this Taiwanese castella sponge cake online but I thought I'd share the classic version but make it dairy-free. Especially for those with a lactose intolerance or are avoiding dairy. There is no difference in the taste from the one with milk and this one.

I also share a Chocolate Castella Cake if you click here. It's really lovely and has chocolate chips in it. So check it out!

Other recipes you may like!

CHOCOLATE CASTELLA CAKE
BANANA CHOCOLATE BREAD
CHOCOLATE COFFEE MUG CAKE
DOUBLE CHOCOLATE AVOCADO BANANA MUFFINS
FLUFFY CHOCOLATE BANANA MUFFINS
CARROT BANANA BREAD
CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI OAT BREAD

For this recipe

You will need the following castella cake ingredients:

• 8 eggs, yolks and whites separated into two bowls
• 105 g All Purpose Flour
• 15 g Corn Starch
• 95 g Avocado Oil or Vegetable Oil
• 90 g Oat Milk
• 85 g White Granulated Sugar

Required: Kitchen Scale, cooking thermometer, electric whisk, 20 cm Square Seamless Baking Pan*, larger baking pan to hold the square one, mixing bowls.

*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 Taiwanese castella cake

Line your 20 cm square baking pan with parchment paper in a tall manner.

Separate your egg yolks from the whites into two bowls. Place the egg whites in a larger mixing bowl for later. The egg yolks can be placed in a smaller bowl.

In another large mixing bowl, sift together all purpose flour and corn starch. Whisk until well combined.

Heat your avocado oil in the microwave for 80 seconds until it's 90 degrees C using a thermometer to measure the temperature.

Then immediately pour the hot oil into the flour mixture and mix well.

Add in half the portion of your milk into the flour mixture and mix until combined.

Then mix in your eggs into the batter. Followed by the rest of your milk.

The batter should be viscose and a bit runny. Set the batter aside.

Preheat your oven at 300 degrees F.

Using an electric whisk, whisk your egg whites and add your white sugar to it in three portions. The meringue should reach a soft peak, not a stiff peak or this will cause large cracks in your cake. If you under whisk, you cake will have dents. In order to tell if it's a soft peak, stir your meringue with the whisk and lift it up. If it forms a wiggly tail at the end of your whisk that doesn't fall, your meringue is ready.

Gently whisk a large dollop of the meringue into the yellow batter until combined. Then add another dollop and whisk again. Then pour the rest of your meringue and gently whisk until it's just combined. Switch to a spatula to mix and fold the batter, scraping the base of the bowl to ensure it's thoroughly mixed properly.

Pour the batter into your lined baking pan. Tap the pan on a table to release any bubbles and smooth out the top with a spatula.

Place the square pan with your cake batter into a larger baking dish filled with 70 degrees C hot water.

Bake the cake for 85 minutes until you poke it with a toothpick and it comes out clean.

Remove the parchment paper and slice the cake while hot. This cake can be served warm or cold.

Notes for my castella cake recipe:

• You may see some dents or cracks in your cake but the cake is still delicious!
• It is normal to see the castella cake deflate after it is removed from the oven.
• If you notice that the castella cake not rising, then the meringue was not whisked enough. But that's okay, it's all about taste and your cake will still be yummy just not as fluffy.

Give it a try!

Well I hope you give my Dairy-Free 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 Taiwanese castella cake recipe, 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 easy Taiwanese castella cake recipe, I would greatly appreciate it 🙂 Thanks so much!

Take care,
Christie

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