True real
Nagasaki Castella does not contain any added oil, which makes Ong's
recipe unique. There are also several other techniques in traditional Castella
that I don't use here: sprinkling the batter with coarse sugar that settles at
the bottom and makes a dark, sweet bottom crust, taking out the cake halfway
through baking and disturbing it to destroy the air bubbles and make the cake
dense, and baking in a covered container to steam the cake. You will also notice
there is a slight fall in the cake, which creates a raised rim of crust. This
didn't bother me, but if you don't like the effect, you can cool the cake
upside-down: just be careful to do so on a greased surface so you won't lose any
of the precious crust.
Ingredients:
- 88g (1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons) all-purpose flour
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
- pinch of salt
- 126g (1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons) granulated sugar
- 42g (1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons) honey
- 22g (1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons) canola or other neutral oil
Preheat the oven to 175°C. Spray an 8-inch round pan with baking spray and
line the bottom and sides with parchment. Don't spray the parchment after
lining. Sift the flour onto a sheet of wax paper or a bowl and set aside. In a
heatproof bowl, add the eggs, egg yolk, salt, sugar, and honey. Place this over
a saucepan of simmering water and beat on medium speed with a hand mixer for 10
minutes. Take off the heat and beat on high speed for at least 6 more minutes
using a hand mixer. The batter will be cool, pale and form very thick ribbons
that take a very long time to sink completely into the surface of the
batter.
Gently fold in the flour into the batter in 3 additions. Take about 1/2 cup
of the batter and whisk it into the oil until completely homogeneous, then
drizzle it back into the batter, folding continuously as you add it.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes, then turn the
heat down to 150°C and continue baking for 18-25 more minutes, or until a
toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few very fine crumbs. Cool
the cake completely. Unmold to a serving platter.