Description
Japanese Hojicha Castella is a fluffy, lightly roasted tea-flavored sponge cake, known for its jiggly texture and rich, earthy aroma!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 cup cake flour
- 1 1/2 tablespoon hojicha
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup milk whole, 2% or skim
- 8 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar or lemon juice
- 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup granulated white sugar
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C) and prepare a 8 x 8 x 3″ pan with parchment paper, ensuring there is at least 1 inch of overhang.
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In a large bowl, sift in the cake flour, hojicha and salt.
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In a small bowl or mug, add the milk and butter and microwave until the butter is melted. Try not to overheat the mixture.
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Pour the butter milk mixture into the large bowl and whisk well.
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Separate the egg whites (place in another clean large mixing bowl) and egg yolks. Add egg yolks into the batter, whisking until just combined. Then add the vanilla extract and mix to combine.
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To make the meringue, add the cream of tartar or lemon juice to the egg whites in the 2nd large mixing bowl and beat on low until foamy. Slowly pour in 1/3 of the sugar into the bowl while beating on medium speed. Repeat with the remaining 2 batches of sugar until the meringue has reached soft peaks (check by lifting the whisk upside down, the tip of the meringue should flop over). You will now have two bowls: meringue and cake batter.
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Add 1/3 of the meringue into the cake batter bowl and fold in using a spatula to combine (think scooping a “J” motion while scraping the bottom of the bowl while rotation the bowl at the same time). Repeat two more times with the remaining meringue and fold until the batter is one colour.
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Pour the batter into your cake pan and tap the pan on the counter a few times to remove any bubbles. Use a toothpick to pop any large bubbles.
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Place the cake pan in a larger baking sheet and pour in the hot water – not boiling, into the baking sheet covering about 1-1.5″ of the cake pan.
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Bake the cake on the lower 1/3 rack in the oven, for 65-70 minute or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
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Leave the cake in the pan for 5 minutes before removing. Peel the parchment paper, cut while hot and serve!
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Cake
- Cuisine: Japanese