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Dairy-Free Castella Cake

Dairy-Free Castella Cake

Christie Lai
Dairy-Free Castella Cake. A super soft, fluffy, moist sponge cake that is totally addictive. Great for dessert.
5 from 9 votes
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 55 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine Asian, Japanese, Korean, Taiwanese
Servings 9 square pieces
Calories per serving 240 kcal

Ingredients
  

Instructions
 

  • Line your 20cm square baking pan with parchment paper with tall edges that sit a couple inches above the pan.
  • 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 vegetable oil in the microwave for 80 seconds until it's 90 degrees C using a thermometer to measure the temperature. If you don't have a microwave, heat the oil in a small pot until it reaches the same 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 egg yolks 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.
  • Beat egg whites with an electric hand mixer 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.
  • Fill a larger baking pan filled with 70 degrees C hot water and then place the cake pan into the larger one.
  • Bake the cake for 85 minutes until you poke it with a toothpick and it comes out clean.
  • Remove the cake from the pan and remove the parchment paper and slice the cake while hot. This cake can be served warm or cold.

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.
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!
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