7 things you need to do when you come visit Japan
If you are considering or already decided upon visiting Japan, here is a list of what you should not miss out on when you come and visit.
Castella Roll Cake (カステラ)
Castella is a delicious Japanese dessert that combines the soft, fluffy texture of a Taiwanese-style cake. This treat is particularly special because it merges different textures and tastes, making it a satisfying dessert for various occasions.
The cake itself is made by whipping egg whites into a meringue, which gives the cake its light, airy structure. While the conventional Castella stops here, our recipe below is a roll cake which has whip cream inside the inner core which makes it a little bit sweeter and indulgent. The Castella itself is somewhat reserved in terms of sweetness so the addition of the whip cream won’t make the dessert overwhelmingly sweet. Overall, its just a classy dessert and absolutely delicious so make sure to give it a try!
Table of Contents
A little bit about Castella (カステラ)
Castella is best enjoyed as an afternoon treat with a cup of tea or coffee. Its light and airy texture makes it a wonderful complement to a warm beverage, to relax with the subtle sweetness of the dessert coupled with the somewhat bitterness of tea or coffee. Its also an excellent dessert for celebrations or gatherings as the dessert will look presentable and its balanced flavors would most likely be appreciated by everyone, including those that are of sweet tooth.
List of Ingredients you will need
(Serving for 4 people)
For the Castella Cake itself:
- ・Milk: 40ml
- ・Egg whites: 3
- ・Egg yolks: 3
- ・White sesame oil: 30g
- ・Cake flour: 40g
- ・Honey: 1 tablespoon
- ・Cocoa powder: 8g
- ・Granulated sugar: 40g
For whipped cream:
- ・Heavy cream: 200g
- ・Granulated sugar: 10g
- ・Honey: 1 tablespoon
For custard cream:
- ・Milk: 150g
- ・Cake flour: 15g
- ・Granulated sugar: 50g
- ・Egg yolks: 2
Additional ingredients you may also consider:
- ・Bananas: as much as you wish
- ・Chocolate: 50g
・Fresh cream: 100cc
Recipe
- 1. Separate the eggs into yolks and whites. Place the egg whites in the refrigerator. Warm the milk and sesame oil in a double boiler. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- 2. Add the warmed milk and sesame oil to the egg yolks and mix. Add honey and mix again. Sift in the cake flour and cocoa powder, then mix thoroughly.
- 3. To make the meringue, whip the egg whites and gradually add the granulated sugar, whipping until stiff peaks form.
- 4. Gently fold the meringue into the egg yolk batter.
- 5. Pour the batter into a mold and bake at 180°C for about 13 minutes. Allow it to cool slightly.
- 6.Prepare the custard cream: Warm the milk. Mix the egg yolks with cake flour and granulated sugar.
- 7. When the milk reaches about 50°C, pour 1/3 into the egg yolk mixture and stir. Pour the mixture back into the remaining milk in the pot and continue to heat while stirring continuously.
- 8. Keep mixing until the custard thickens and smooths out. Once ready, remove from heat.
- 9. Line a container with plastic wrap, pour in the custard cream, cover with another layer of plastic wrap, and refrigerate.
- 10. Make the whipped cream and refrigerate.
- 11. Melt the chocolate and place it in a piping bag.
- 12. Assemble the cake with the soft inner side facing outward.
- 13. Spread the custard cream, place the bananas on top, drizzle the melted chocolate, and then add the whipped cream before rolling the cake.
FYI, the Castella will be good even without the whip cream and the custard but if you tend to prefer sweeter, would be best with it. (You can also pair it with Vanilla Ice Cream instead, which will work just as well).
Other recommended recipes
If this is the kind of dish you like, we have compiled some a list of dishes that you might also like for your next cooking session below.
Yakisoba (焼きそば)
Yakisoba is a dish made of noodles cooked on a hot plate mixed together with flavored with cabbage, bean sprout, pork, seafood and etc, which is then flavored with Japanese Bulldog sauce.
Tempura (天ぷら)
Tempura is a common Japanese cuisine that often consists of meat, fish, and vegetables that have been battered and deep-fried. As it is cooked in light batter, it is not too oily and the crusty coating and light salting brings out the real flavors of the ingredients being cooked.
Tonkatsu (とんかつ)
Tonkatsu (とんかつ) is a Japanese deep-fried pork cutlet. The outer coating is made extra fluffy, yet crunchy by using Panko (bread crumbs) to coat the meat, which is then fried in oil.
Castella Roll Cake
Castella is a delicious Japanese dessert that combines the soft, fluffy texture of a Taiwanese-style cake. This treat is particularly special because it merges different textures and tastes, making it a satisfying dessert for various occasions.
Cook Time
1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time
1 hour 30 minutes
Ingredients
- For the Castella Cake itself:
- ・Milk: 40ml
- ・Egg whites: 3
- ・Egg yolks: 3
- ・White sesame oil: 30g
- ・Cake flour: 40g
- ・Honey: 1 tablespoon
- ・Cocoa powder: 8g
- ・Granulated sugar: 40g
- For whipped cream:
- ・Heavy cream: 200g
- ・Granulated sugar: 10g
- ・Honey: 1 tablespoon
- For custard cream:
- ・Milk: 150g
- ・Cake flour: 15g
- ・Granulated sugar: 50g
- ・Egg yolks: 2
- Additional ingredients you may also consider:
- ・Bananas: as much as you wish
- ・Chocolate: 50g
- ・Fresh cream: 100cc
Instructions
- 1. Separate the eggs into yolks and whites. Place the egg whites in the refrigerator. Warm the milk and sesame oil in a double boiler. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- 2. Add the warmed milk and sesame oil to the egg yolks and mix. Add honey and mix again. Sift in the cake flour and cocoa powder, then mix thoroughly.
- 3. To make the meringue, whip the egg whites and gradually add the granulated sugar, whipping until stiff peaks form.
- 4. Gently fold the meringue into the egg yolk batter.
- 5. Pour the batter into a mold and bake at 180°C for about 13 minutes. Allow it to cool slightly.
- 6.Prepare the custard cream: Warm the milk. Mix the egg yolks with cake flour and granulated sugar.
- 7. When the milk reaches about 50°C, pour 1/3 into the egg yolk mixture and stir. Pour the mixture back into the remaining milk in the pot and continue to heat while stirring continuously.
- 8. Keep mixing until the custard thickens and smooths out. Once ready, remove from heat.
- 9. Line a container with plastic wrap, pour in the custard cream, cover with another layer of plastic wrap, and refrigerate.
- 10. Make the whipped cream and refrigerate.
- 11. Melt the chocolate and place it in a piping bag.
- 12. Assemble the cake with the soft inner side facing outward.
- 13. Spread the custard cream, place the bananas on top, drizzle the melted chocolate, and then add the whipped cream before rolling the cake.
FYI, the Castella will be good even without the whip cream and the custard but if you tend to prefer sweeter, would be best with it. (You can also pair it with Vanilla Ice Cream instead, which will work just as well).
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