Castella (Japanese Sponge Cake)

This recipe is really simple to make.

I got some fresh eggs from my friend. She has 4 chickens at home, so she can get 4 eggs everyday!!
Mmmmm.... what shall I make with eggs...

OK, I decided to make Castella!

Castella is a popular Japanese sponge cake made of sugar, flour, eggs, and starch syrup, but I used honey instead of syrup. Honey makes better taste.
This cake brought from Portugal to Japan by missionaries in the 16th century. That time we, Japanese didn't use to have milk and butter. I think Castella is the first cake in Japan!

It is simple ingredients, but it is not just a sponge cake. Sweet, fluffy, but moist...Color is so nice. Brown outside, Golden inside. \
The main ingredients are eggs and sugar and flour, so I can taste fresh eggs!!

POINT
Use fresh eggs,  that makes different taste.
Use high grade flour and sift it. That makes it elasticity.
Sugar makes it caramelize Brown and Golden. You can smell it from the oven!
Honey makes it moist sponge, and extra flavor.
Let it mature after bake, 3 days later is the best time to serve if you can WAIT!!

Castella (20cm x 20cm square)

5 Eggs

150g Sugar

150g High grade flour (sifted)
30g Honey
30g Milk

1. Put baking paper on the 20cm x 20cm square tin.  Reheat the oven at 170C.
Combine honey and milk in a small bowl, heat it up at medium power for 1 minutes. Mix well.

2. In a large bowl, beat eggs with sugar. Then whip them with a electronic mixer at high speed for 6 minutes or till whiten. Add mixture of honey and milk, combine well.

3. Add 1/2 of sifted flour, mix with spatula gently well.  Add left all of flour, and mix as well.
4. Pour it into the cake tin,  smooth the top with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon.
Drop the cake tin from 5cm high to let air out 3 or 4 times.

5. Bake it at 170C, once the top gets brown, cover with tin foil, heat down at 150C, then bake it another 50 minutes.
Poke the middle of the cake with thin stick, check it baked or not.

6. Wrap it up with plastic wrap as soon as finish to bake. Let it mature at least 1 day. (I think 3 day is the best)
7. Cut it half and cut the edge off, then make it slice, go for it!!!