Castella (Japanese honey sponge cake)
A tall, golden, moist sponge with a honeyed crust, brought to Japan by Portuguese traders and loved ever since.
- Time1 hr 30
- LevelMedium
- Costabout £0.32 a head
- Oven160°C (140°C fan)
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Heat the oven to 160°C (140°C fan). Grease a 20 by 10 cm loaf tin and line it with baking paper that comes 5 cm above the rim.
- 2
Warm the honey and milk together in a small pan until just runny. Set aside to cool slightly.
- 3
Put the eggs and sugar in a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Whisk with an electric whisk for 3 minutes until the sugar dissolves and the eggs feel warm.
3 min - 4
Take the bowl off the heat and whisk for 8 to 10 minutes on high until pale, thick and tripled in volume. A ribbon trailed on the top should stay visible for 10 seconds.
10 min - 5
Fold in the warm honey and milk. Sift the flour over in two goes and fold gently with a spatula until no streaks remain. Do not knock out the air.
- 6
Pour into the tin from a low height. Tap the tin firmly on the worktop 3 times and pop any large bubbles with a skewer.
- 7
Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until deep golden and a skewer comes out clean. Cover with foil after 20 minutes if the top is browning too fast.
45 min - 8
Lift out with the paper, wrap the whole cake in cling film while hot and leave it upside down for 30 minutes. Chill overnight if you can, then slice. The flavour is best the next day.
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.