Castella Cake recipe

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 160°C (static heat). Butter and line a baking tin with baking paper. Ideally, use a rectangular mold with high sides, which is typical for castella cake. The baking paper should protrude from the tin to aid handling once the cake is baked.

2. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar in a bain-marie until the mixture reaches around 40°C and becomes frothy.

3. Take the dough out of the bain-marie and continue whisking (ideally with an electric mixer) until you obtain a light, thick, pale texture (like a sponge cake).

4. Mix the honey with the water and warm milk to liquefy it, then gently add to the dough.

5. Sift and add the flour in two or three additions, mixing gently with a spatula so as not to break the lightness of the dough and avoid lumps.

6. Pour into mold and tap lightly to remove air bubbles.

7. Castella cake is traditionally baked in a bain-marie in the oven. This ensures gentle, even cooking and prevents a dark crust from forming on top. To do this, place your mold in a larger dish and pour hot water over it to a height of about 2 cm before placing in the oven.

8. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is golden and the cake comes out dry to the tip of the knife.

9. Unmold, wrap in cling-film and leave to rest for a few hours (or even overnight) for the texture to become even softer.