-
Prep time
45 minutes
-
Cook time
1 hour 15 minutes
-
makes
one 7-inch square cake
Author Notes
I love castella cakes. I’ve made them a handful of times, written about them for multiple publications, and am still obsessed. As yet, no other cake can match castella cake in terms of softness and fluffiness; Its pillow-soft texture gets me every time!
Now you might have had plain castella cakes before, where its eggy, creamy, vanilla-scented flavor comes through. Or if you’re a castella connoisseur, a matcha or coffee version might have tickled your fancy. But this time around, I made a castella cake that I’ve yet to see done anywhere else — a swirly, marbled, castella cake with the flavors of matcha and chocolate blended into one!
The method for making this is pretty similar to my trusty castella cake recipe that I’ve used countless times in the past. But the key addition this time around, is that before folding in the whipped egg whites into the cake batter — it’s what gives the cake its signature fluffy volume — I split the batter in two, flavored them separately with cocoa powder and matcha (plus cornstarch to get the right batter consistency), then only added in the fluffy egg whites. The two batters then go into the cake tin in alternate fashion, with large splotches of matcha-green and chocolate-brown, that’s then swirled with a skewer for a marbly top. It’s then baked in a water bath for just over an hour, transforming it into a super light, amply airy cake, with two marbled flavors in one!
I’ve never eaten clouds before, but I imagine this is what they would taste like if the heavens sprinkled a bit of chocolate and matcha on them. ☁️ —Jun
Continue After Advertisement
Ingredients
-
½ cups
(120ml) whole milk
-
⅓ cups
(80g) unsalted butter, melted
-
⅔ cups
(80g) all-purpose flour
-
6
eggs yolks
-
1 teaspoon
(5ml) vanilla extract
-
2 tablespoons
(15g) cocoa powder
-
2 tablespoons
(20g) cornstarch
-
1 teaspoon
(2g) matcha powder
-
6
egg whites
-
½ cups
(100g) granulated sugar
-
½ teaspoons
(2g) salt
-
½ teaspoons
(2ml) lemon juice
Directions
-
In a bowl, whisk together the milk, butter, all-purpose flour, and egg yolks until smooth.
-
Divide the batter equally into two separate bowls. To the first bowl, sift in the cocoa powder and whisk it until smooth. In a separate small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and matcha powder, pour this onto a sieve and sift it into the second bowl of batter, then whisk it until smooth.
-
Heat the oven to 320°F (160°C). Grease a 3-inch-deep 7- or 8-inch square cake tin (or a cake tin of similar volume) with cooking spray or oil, and line all four sides with parchment paper, with at least 1 inch of overhang on each side. (The greased sides will help the parchment paper stick to the cake tin.) Then, bring about 2 quarts of water to a boil in a pot or a kettle.
-
Make the meringue by combining egg whites, sugar, salt, and lemon juice in a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using a hand mixer (or the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment), beat the egg whites on high speed for 2-3 minutes, until stiff peaks form. Divide the meringue in two, and gently fold them into the chocolate and matcha batter, making sure not to overmix the batter and deflate the meringue.
-
Get two ladles or big spoons, and use them to scoop the chocolate and matcha batters into the baking tin, alternating between the two to make large splotches of brown and green batter in the cake tin. (I alternate between the batters 3-4 times in total for the best marbling effect.) Lightly tap the tin on the countertop a few times to get rid of any large air bubbles. Then, use a skewer to gently mix the batters together in long, flowing strokes throughout the baking tin, creating a marbled effect on top.
-
Place the cake tin into a baking dish larger than the cake tin, with around 1 inch of gap between the two. (You can also use another cake tin.) Place the cake tin and baking dish into the oven, then fill the baking dish with boiling water until about 2 inches up the sides of the cake tin. Bake for 70 to 80 minutes, or until a cake tester poked through the center of the cake comes out clean.
-
When done, immediately remove the cake from the tin, pulling it out by the parchment overhang. Peel off the parchment paper and place the cake on a wire rack to cool down to room temperature. The cake is best eaten immediately, but it can be kept for up to 3 days at room temperature stored in an airtight container.
See what other Food52ers are saying.