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    Home » Recipes » Dessert » Dairy-Free Castella Cake

    Dairy-Free Castella Cake

    Last Modified: March 15, 2021 - Published by: christieathome - Comments: 9 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    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.

    Dairy-Free Castella Cake

    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!

    Dairy-Free Castella Cake

    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.

    Dairy-Free 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.

    line baking sheet with parchment paper for Dairy-Free Castella Cake

    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.

    separate egg yolks from whites for Dairy-Free Castella Cake

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

    sift flour and cornstarch for Dairy-Free Castella Cake

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

    heat oil for Dairy-Free Castella Cake

    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.

    mix oil flour, milk

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

    mix in eggs

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

    batter for Dairy-Free Castella Cake

    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.

    egg meringue for Dairy-Free Castella Cake

    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.

    egg meringue
    batter with meringue
    meringue
    batter for Dairy-Free Castella Cake

    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.

    Dairy-Free Castella Cake in pan

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

    square pan in larger pan

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

    bake Dairy-Free Castella Cake

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

    Dairy-Free Castella Cake

    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

    *This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I also earn from qualifying purchases through additional affiliate programs

    Dairy-Free Castella Cake

    Dairy-Free Castella Cake

    christieathome
    Dairy-Free Castella Cake. A super soft, fluffy, moist sponge cake that is totally addictive. Great for dessert. Very popular in Asia specifically in Taiwan, Japan and Korea. A must try for any cake lover.
    5 from 8 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, korean, Taiwanese
    Servings 9 square pieces
    Calories per serving 240 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 8 eggs yolks and whites separated into two bowls
    • 105 g All Purpose Flour
    • 15 g cornstarch
    • 95 g Avocado Oil or Vegetable Oil
    • 90 g Oat Milk
    • 85 g white granulated sugar

    Instructions
     

    • Line your 20 cm square baking pan with parchment paper in a tall manner.
      chocolate castella cake
    • 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.
      chocolate castella cake
    • In another large mixing bowl, sift together all purpose flour and corn starch. Whisk until well combined.
      Dairy-Free Castella Cake
    • Heat your avocado oil in the microwave for 80 seconds until it's 90 degrees C using a thermometer to measure the temperature.
      chocolate castella cake
    • 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.
      Dairy-Free Castella Cake
    • Then mix in your egg yolks into the batter. Followed by the rest of your milk.
      Dairy-Free Castella Cake
    • The batter should be viscose and a bit runny. Set the batter aside.
      Dairy-Free Castella Cake
    • 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.
      chocolate castella cake
    • 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.
      chocolate castella cake
    • Gently whisk a large dollop of the meringue into the yellow batter until combined. Then add another dollop and whisk again.
      Dairy-Free Castella Cake
    • Then pour the rest of your meringue and gently whisk until it's just combined.
      Dairy-Free Castella Cake
    • Switch to a spatula to mix and fold the batter, scraping the base of the bowl to ensure it's thoroughly mixed properly.
      Dairy-Free Castella Cake
    • 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.
      Dairy-Free Castella Cake
    • Place the square pan with your cake batter into a larger baking dish filled with 70 degrees C hot water.
      Dairy-Free Castella Cake
    • Bake the cake for 85 minutes until you poke it with a toothpick and it comes out clean.
      Dairy-Free Castella Cake
    • Remove the parchment paper and slice the cake while hot. This cake can be served warm or cold.
      Dairy-Free Castella Cake

    Notes

    • 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.
    This recipe was adapted from Molala's YouTube Channel.
    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
    8 x 8 square baking dish
    Deep baking pan 9 x 13 inches
    Nutrition
    Calories: 240kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 145mg | Sodium: 61mg | Potassium: 72mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 232IU | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 1mg
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine asian, Japanese, korean, Taiwanese
    Keyword best taiwanese castella cake recipe, castella cake all purpose flour, castella cake recipe, castella cake taiwan, easy taiwanese castella cake recipe, fluffy taiwanese castella cake, how to make taiwanese castella cake, taiwan castella sponge cake recipe, taiwanese castella cake recipe, taiwanese castella cake recipe english, taiwanese castella sponge cake, the best taiwanese castella cake, what is a taiwanese castella cake

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Katerina | Once a Foodie

      November 22, 2020 at 5:38 am

      5 stars
      Wowee, this looks so fluffy and delicious, Christie! How have I never heard of this cake before? Definitely a must try - bookmarking right now. Thank you!

      Reply
    2. Dennis Yannakos

      November 23, 2020 at 1:57 am

      5 stars
      It looks so fluffy and bouncy. This cake is never a bad idea for breakfast or snack for my family <3
      Best Kitchen Utensils

      Reply
    3. Never Ending Journeys

      November 23, 2020 at 12:11 pm

      5 stars
      What an incredibly delicious treat! I have never heard of castella cakes before, but it looks and sounds simply irresistible!

      Reply
    4. Heidi | The Frugal Girls

      November 23, 2020 at 4:15 pm

      5 stars
      Your castella cake really does look beautiful!! It's such a fabulous light dessert for almost any occasion!

      Reply
    5. Rosemary

      November 25, 2020 at 4:01 pm

      5 stars
      This is so fluffy I am so impressed!

      Reply
    6. Taili

      May 02, 2021 at 9:03 pm

      5 stars
      I know it says dairy free but I am having a hard time finding oat milk at I able to use regular milk?

      Reply
      • christieathome

        May 03, 2021 at 4:20 pm

        Absolutely! You can definitely use regular milk.

        Reply
    7. Van

      July 29, 2021 at 11:43 pm

      Hi! How can the recipe be adjusted for an 8 inch round pan?

      Reply
      • christieathome

        July 30, 2021 at 2:26 pm

        Hi there, if you have a 9 inch round pan, that can be substituted for this recipe. Unfortunately since I haven't tested the recipe in a 8 inch round pan, I'm unable to share an adjusted version without knowing the results. Sorry I can't be of more help!

        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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