Let’s bake the Castella loaf cake

First things first, this is no ordinary cake. When you learn how to make the Castella loaf cake, you are going to also introduced to a new flavour and texture palette. I love the classic Japanese cheesecake because of how light and airy it is. This cake is is originally a Taiwanese dessert and deserves all the praise! It is incredibly light, very airy and has a very subtle taste. I ate about two slices in a few minutes without even noticing because it’s somewhere in between sweet and neutral in flavour. It definitely is not an overpowering cake.

This recipe requires very minimal ingredients. The key to getting the cake so light and airy is in the folding process. When you fold a dense ingredient into a lighter one, you need to be gentle and very slight with your hand movements. If you fold too quickly or with a heavy hand the air will be deflated and your cake will not rise as much nor will it have the light texture. I explain more about this Castella cake in the blog post so read on to find out how to make the Castella Loaf Cake from scratch.

Bon Apetit,

Zorah

How to achieve a light and fluffy cake:

Folding process:

When you fold the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture, make sure to do so carefully and gently. This can be the tedious part of the recipe but it is crucial to attain the correct texture and rise. I like to add my egg whites in 2-3 parts, that way it doesn’t seem like I’m missing some parts or over folding either.

Water bath:

Much like when you make a cheesecake, this recipe also requires a water bath. I like to boil my water beforehand. I then place it into a bigger enough container/tray to fit my loaf tin. The water does need to be hot/boiling already before adding the loaf tin with the batter inside.

Do not open the oven:

It might seem like your cake is done but this may not be the case. If the oven is opened before the 45 minutes mark, it will stop the rising process. Make sure the oven is preheated correctly. Thereafter the cake will cook and rise. It may crack on the top but this is normal and does not affect the texture at all.

How to store my cake correctly:

I like to put my cake, once cooled, into an airtight container. I leave it on the counter top and do not refrigerate it. It should keep for up to 5 days.