Castella (Nagasaki honey sponge)
Contains egg (no meat or fish)
カステラ · kasutera
A tall, fine-crumbed, bouncy sponge sweetened with sugar and honey, with a dark caramelised top and base. Rising comes only from well-whisked eggs.
Castella (Nagasaki honey sponge) is a Japanese cake, ready in about 2 hours 15 minutes and made with egg and honey. It serves 10 and is rated intermediate to cook.
No licensed photograph of this dish yet.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Rest
- 1 h
- Total
- 2 h 15 min
- Serves
- 10
- Level
- Intermediate
- Calories
- 150
Plus, ideally, wrapping and resting overnight before slicing.
Method
Step 1
Line an 18 cm square tin (or a 900 g loaf tin (opens in a new tab)) with baking paper standing 3–4 cm above the rim. Heat the oven (opens in a new tab) to 170 °C. Stir the honey (opens in a new tab) with the warm water and milk (opens in a new tab).
Step 2
Set the bowl of eggs (opens in a new tab) and sugar (opens in a new tab) over hot water and whisk until just warm to the touch (about 40 °C). Then whisk at high speed 8–10 minutes until pale, tripled and thick enough that a ribbon sits on the surface for several seconds. Finish 2 minutes on low to even out the bubbles.
- 12 min
- Stand mixer (opens in a new tab)
- Hand mixer (opens in a new tab)
- Mixing bowl (opens in a new tab)
How it looks · Photo: Kampus Production on Pexels Step 3
Whisk in the honey (opens in a new tab) mixture on low. Sift the flour over in three additions, folding gently but thoroughly with a whisk or spatula until no streaks remain.
Step 4
Pour into the tin, run a skewer (opens in a new tab) through the batter in a zigzag to pop large bubbles and tap the tin twice on the counter.
Step 5
Bake 10 minutes at 170 °C, then reduce to 150 °C and bake 40–45 minutes more, until deep brown on top and a skewer (opens in a new tab) comes out clean.
- 50 min
- 150°C · after 10 minutes at 170 °C
- Oven (opens in a new tab)
Step 6
While hot, lift the cake out, peel off the side paper, and set it top-down on cling film; wrap tightly and leave upside down to cool. Rest overnight if possible, then trim the sides and slice.
- 5 min
About this dish
- Origin
- Nagasaki, Japan · Well documentedDeveloped in Nagasaki from sponge cakes introduced by Portuguese traders; the name is thought to come from Castile.Also popular in TaiwanMore food from Japan
- Dish
- Snack · Dessert · Cakes · Desserts
- Cooking method
- Oven-baked, Whipped
- Taste
- sweet, mild, rich
- Diet
- Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No nut ingredientsWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
All labels
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-sodium · DASH-style - Good for
- Make-ahead
- Cook more with
- Egg · Honey · Sugar · Milk · Bread flour
- Techniques
- Baking · Reduction · Emulsification
Allergens
- Contains: Milkfrom milk
- Contains: Eggsfrom egg
- Contains: Wheatfrom bread flour
- Contains: Glutenfrom bread flour
Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.
Nutrition
150 kcal per serving
Calculated1 serving ≈ 56 g · recipe makes 10
Where the energy comes from
- Protein 12%
- Carbohydrate 72%
- Fat 16%
| Nutrient | Per serving | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 150 kcal | 268 kcal |
| Protein | 4.6 g | 8.3 g |
| Carbohydrate | 27.2 g | 48.7 g |
| Net carbohydrate | 27 g | 48.1 g |
| Sugars | 18.5 g | 33 g |
| Added sugars | 18.3 g | 32.6 g |
| Fibre | 0.3 g | 0.5 g |
| Fat | 2.6 g | 4.7 g |
| Saturated fat | 0.8 g | 1.5 g |
| Trans fat | — | — |
| Cholesterol | 93 mg | 166 mg |
| Sodium | 37 mg | 66 mg |
| Salt equivalent | 0.1 g | 0.2 g |
Vitamins & minerals per serving
- Potassium
- 51 mg
- Calcium
- 18 mg
- Iron
- 1 mg
- Magnesium
- 6 mg
- Vitamin A (RAE)
- 41 µg
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.5 µg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.2 µg
- Folate (DFE)
- 46 µg
How these numbers were made
- Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
- “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
- Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.
Good to know
Tips
- Wrapping the warm cake traps steam and gives castella its moist, dense-yet-springy texture and flat top.
Common mistakes
- Under-whisked eggs give a short, heavy cake.
- Opening the oven early makes the cake sink.
Serve with
- Serve in neat rectangles with green tea.
Storage
- Wrapped at room temperature for 4–5 days; freeze slices up to 1 month.
Variations
- Matcha castella: Replace 10 g flour with matcha powder.
History
Portuguese merchants and missionaries reached Nagasaki in the 16th century, and castella developed there from the sponge cakes they introduced.
Confidence: Commonly attributed
Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated
Recipe DNA
How this dish is built
Baker’s notes
Customise in Bread & BakeryTimeline and readiness cues
Mix and knead · about 25 min
Whisk eggs and sugar until pale and thick enough to leave a ribbon trail for 3 seconds.
Rest · about 12 h
Covered so it doesn't dry out; relaxed dough rolls and shapes without springing back.
Bake · about 50 min at 160 °C
Springs back when lightly pressed and is just shrinking from the tin sides.
Cool · about 1 h
Cool on a rack before slicing — the crumb is still setting; cutting hot bread makes it gummy.
- Start to finish: about 14 h 15 min. Times are a guide — warmth changes everything; follow the cues.
If something goes wrong
Gummy or wet crumb
Likely causes
- Under-baked
- Sliced while hot
- Hydration too high for the flour
What to do
- Bake to 93–96 °C inside (cakes: clean skewer)
- Cool completely on a rack before slicing
- Reduce water by 3–5% or use a stronger flour
Collapsed or sunken middle
Likely causes
- Oven door opened too early
- Too much leavening or sugar
- Under-baked centre
- Over-proofed yeast dough
What to do
- Don't open the oven for the first two-thirds of baking
- Measure leaveners exactly with spoons, levelled
- Test the centre before removing
- Proof less
Pale crust
Likely causes
- Oven too cool
- Too little sugar or no milk/egg for browning
- Over-fermented (yeast ate the sugars)
What to do
- Check the oven with a thermometer
- Brush with egg wash or milk
- Shorten the fermentation
Burnt bottom
Likely causes
- Tray too close to the heat
- Dark tray absorbs more heat
- Too much sugar in the dough
What to do
- Bake on the middle shelf
- Double up trays or use a light-coloured one
- Lower the temperature 10–15 °C and bake a little longer
Cracked or domed top
Likely causes
- Oven too hot (crust sets before the centre rises)
- Too much leavening
- Overmixed batter
What to do
- Lower the oven 10–15 °C
- Use the exact leavening amount
- Fold just until combined
Big holes or tunnels
Likely causes
- Overmixed batter (cakes, muffins)
- Air trapped while shaping bread
- Uneven proof
What to do
- Mix quick breads only until no dry flour shows
- Degas gently and shape tightly
- Proof covered in an even, warm place
Dry or crumbly
Likely causes
- Too much flour (scooped, not weighed)
- Over-baked
- Too little fat or sugar
What to do
- Weigh flour, or spoon it into the cup and level
- Check 5 minutes early
- Don't cut fat or sugar by more than a quarter without another moisture source
Reviews & corrections
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