Taiwanese Castella Cake
A moist, delicate, soft, and sweet cake.
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Estimated Time
- Preparing 20 min
- Cooking 1 hr 30 min
Nutritions / Serving
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Energy141 kCal
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Carbs13 g
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Protein3 g
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Fat8 g
Serves 6.
Ingredients
- Cake Flour 50 g
- Egg 3 pc
- Granulated Sugar 40 g
- Cooking Oil 40 g
- Whole Milk 50 g
Prepare a 6-inch fixed-bottom round cake pan. Cut baking paper to fit and line the bottom and sides of the pan.
Preheat the oven to 140°C (285°F).
Separate the egg whites and yolks, placing the egg whites into a clean, oil-free mixing bowl.
Heat the oil to 70–80°C, then pour it into the pastry flour. Stir until smooth and well combined.
Add the egg yolks and milk to the mixture, stirring until fully blended.
Whip the egg whites at medium speed using an electric mixer. Once large, dense bubbles form, begin adding sugar in three parts. After each addition, whip for 30 seconds to 1 minute before adding the next portion. After the final sugar addition, switch to low speed and continue beating until the meringue becomes glossy and forms firm peaks. When lifting the whisk, the meringue should hold a stiff base with a slightly curved tip.
Take 1/3 of the meringue and fold it into the egg yolk mixture using a spatula. Once fully combined, pour it back into the remaining meringue and continue folding until smooth and well incorporated.
Pour the batter into the cake pan. Place the cake pan inside a larger, deep baking tray and add hot water to the tray, filling it to at least 2 cm in depth (water bath method).
Bake for 90 minutes.
After baking, tap the cake pan firmly on the table a few times to release steam. Immediately remove the cake from the pan, peel off the side baking paper, and let it cool on a wire rack. It can also be enjoyed warm—both ways are delicious!
Discussion
Do not use a springform pan wrapped in foil. No matter how many layers of foil you wrap, water will still seep in, making the cake bottom soggy due to condensation.
I use a 6-inch round cake pan with a height of 7 cm. The cake will rise to about 6 cm after baking. If the pan is too shallow, the cake sides won’t expand properly, leading to cracks. To prevent this, you can extend the height of the baking paper.
The eggs I use weigh 55–60g each. The size of the eggs affects the liquid ratio and the final whipped meringue volume, which influences the cake’s height and baking time. Adjust as needed based on results—no need to match exact egg sizes.
If the oil temperature is too high, the starch in the flour will over-gelatinize, and the proteins will fully denature, preventing the formation of gluten structure, leading to cake collapse.
Mixing flour with oil first allows stirring in circular motions without forming excessive gluten.
Medium-low speed whipping creates a glossy, fine-textured, and stable meringue, ideal for long, low-temperature water bath baking. Adding an acidic ingredient like lemon juice can further stabilize the meringue and prevent over-whipping, though it is optional.
Using a hot water bath ensures even heating at the start of baking, eliminating the need to adjust oven temperature midway.
Oven temperature is only a reference. Factors like egg size, batter temperature, actual oven heat distribution, and pan material/color all affect baking time. Adjust as needed based on results.
Higher temperatures shorten baking time, while lower temperatures require longer baking. Both can produce a fine, moist crumb. However, excessive heat can dry and darken the surface too soon, leading to an undercooked interior and shrinkage after baking. Lower temperatures require longer baking with a final temperature increase for browning.