Kasutera, also known as castella, is a traditional Japanese sponge cakewhich has a completely different history and structure than the typical European one. The dough came to Japan in the 16th century with Portuguese missionaries who brought the recipe for “Pão de Castella” – bread from Castile. The Japanese adapted the recipe to local ingredients and tastes, creating delicate sponge cake with an exceptionally fine, moist and elastic structure.
Today, kasutera is one of the most recognizable Japanese cakes, often sold in elegant boxes as a gift. Nowadays, there are also variants with matcha, cocoa or brown sugar.
Ingredients:
- 120 g of powdered sugar,
- 100 g rapeseed oil,
- 100 g of milk,
- 100 g of cake flour,
- 8 eggs, size L or XL,
- a tablespoon of corn starch,
- a teaspoon of vanilla extract,
- a teaspoon of lemon juice,
- a pinch of salt.
How to do it:
Separate the whites from the yolks.
Pour the oil into a pot and heat it very briefly until it is warm but not hot. Add flour and potato starch. Mix everything with a whisk until everything is smooth and uniform.
Pour the milk into the flour mixture and mix gently. The mixture will begin to thicken. Stop mixing when approximately 2/3 of the mixture turns into a thick roux. Pour everything into a bowl.
Add the egg yolks, salt and vanilla extract to the flour and milk mixture. Mix gently with a whisk until the mixture is smooth and has the consistency of thin cream. Set aside.
Beat the egg whites in a large bowl with lemon juice until soft foam is obtained. Add the sugar in three batches, slowly increasing the mixer speed. Beat until stiff peaks form.
Pour 1/3 of the meringue into the yolk mixture and then gently mix everything with a spatula. Add the remaining protein foam and mix again.
Pour the mixture into a 22 cm diameter cake tin lined with baking paper. Place the cake tin in the second baking tin and fill the outer tray with warm water.
Put everything in the oven preheated to 170 degrees Celsius on the lower shelf. Bake the cake for approx. 30 minutes. Once baked, remove the cake from the tin and leave to cool on a rack for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
You can serve the Japanese sponge cake on its own or with your favorite cream or jam.
Source: Terazgotuje.pl
