Japanese Sponge Cake Food

CASTELLA - JAPANESE SPONGE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (160 C). Use parchment to line the bottom of a 10-inch tube pan, preferably with a removable bottom or 2 (8 x 4-inch) loaf pans. Grease the parchment. In a large bowl, whisk 1 cup sugar, honey, vanilla, lemon extract, and salt into egg yolks. Place bowl in a large pan of hot water. With an electric mixer, beat about 5 minutes on medium-high speed until pale yellow and doubled in volume. Gently fold in sifted flour.
• Wash beaters. In a large bowl, beat egg whites in electric mixer on a low speed 1 minute, increasing speed to medium-high. When foamy, sprinkle in 1 tablespoon sugar and cream of tartar. Beat until stiff but not dry. With a spatula, fold the egg whites in thirds. Pour batter into pan. Tap gently on the counter to remove air bubbles.
• Bake on middle rack of oven 35 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. When done, cake sides will pull away from pan slightly; top will be flat and feel spongy when pressed with finger. Cool 20 minutes. Run a small knife between edge of cake and pan. Remove from pan carefully. Pull off parchment and cool completey. Serve or store airtight.

JAPANESE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment. Place a 3 1/2-inch-wide strip of parchment around the inside of the pan so that it comes up about 1 inch higher than the edge; set aside.
• Heat the cream cheese, milk and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
• Whisk together the vanilla, egg yolks and lemon juice in a large bowl until smooth. Pour the cooled milk mixture into the yolk mixture and whisk until smooth and combined. Whisk in the flour and cornstarch until combined; set aside.
• Beat the egg whites, cream of tartar and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Slowly add the granulated sugar and continue beating on medium speed until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes longer.
• Gently fold the egg white mixture into the yolk mixture in 3 batches, making sure not to overmix (you want the whites to stay as fluffy as possible). As soon as the white streaks disappear from the batter, pour it into the prepared pan.
• Place the cake pan inside of a larger pan and pour enough hot water into the larger pan so that it comes 1 inch up the sides of the cake pan. Bake for 30 minutes, then reduce the oven to 250 degrees F and continue baking until the cake is doubled in size, golden brown on top and around the edges and jiggly in the center but set, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
• Let the cake cool for 10 minutes. Carefully invert the cake onto your dominant hand (right onto your palm--this is the most gentle way to handle it), then invert it back onto a cake stand or plate so that the top is facing up. Sprinkle the entire top with confectioners' sugar and serve while still warm.

JAPANESE SPONGE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F Grease and line a 7-inch (18 cm) round cake pan with parchment paper.
• Whisk eggs very well in a bowl. Place bowl in a larger bowl partially filled with warm water to make a warm water bath. Continue to whisk eggs. Add sugar a little at a time, whisking all the while.
• When the egg mixture is a light yellow color, sift the flour and add it to the eggs along with the baking soda (if using) and mix in lightly.
• Warm the milk in the microwave; add butter and stir until melted. Add milk mixture and vanilla (if using) to egg mixture and stir in gently.
• Pour batter into prepared pan and bake at 350° F for 25-35 minutes (cake should be springy in center when gently pressed with fingers).
• Remove cake from pan and cool on wire rack.
• When cake is cool, slice in half horizontally to make 2 layers.
• In a large bowl, whip cream and sugar together until fairly stiff. Divide whipped cream into two portions; set one half aside.
• To remaining half of whipped cream, add chopped fruit as desired. Spread fruited whipped cream over the bottom half of the cake. Top with upper half, and spread whipped cream over top, and sides of cake if desired (or leave them uncovered if preferred). Garnish top with additional fresh fruit and serve.

KASUTERA (CASTELLA), THE JAPANESE TRADITIONAL HONEY CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a cake pan with parchment paper. Butter the paper and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon superfine sugar.
• Bring a saucepan of water to a boil; pour into a large bowl.
• Whisk 1/4 cup honey and milk together in a bowl until smooth.
• Beat eggs with an electric mixer in a bowl placed over the hot water. Gradually add 1 1/3 cup superfine sugar; beat until smooth and mixture is warm. Remove bowl of egg mixture from the bowl of hot water and cool to room temperature, about 5 minutes. Return bowl of egg mixture to the hot water and continue beating. Repeat this process a few times until batter is foamy and thick.
• Pour milk mixture into egg mixture and mix well using a spatula; stir in sifted flour until batter is mixed. Pour batter into the prepared cake pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Spread the remaining 1 tablespoon honey over the top of cake. Serve slices with sweet bean paste and ice cream, if desired.

COTTON CHEESECAKE / JAPANESE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Line the bottom and side of the springform pan with parchment paper. Wrap the springform pan with several sheets of foil, sealing it completely.
• Fill a large baking pan halfway with water. Place it in the oven on the lowest rack. Preheat the oven to 315 F (157 C).
• Separate the eggs and place the egg whites into a mixing bowl and the yolks into a measuring cup.
• Beat the egg whites on Low speed for 30 seconds. Increase the speed to Medium Low and beat for another 30 seconds or until foamy. Add the cream of tartar. Increase the speed to Medium High and beat until the egg whites just start to thicken. Add 1/4 cup sugar gradually. Continue beating until the egg whites reach the soft peaks stage (approximately 3 minutes using a stand mixer).
• In a separate bowl, add the cream cheese and milk. Mix on Low speed until creamy and smooth (approximately 2-3 minutes). Add the butter, remaining 1/4 cup sugar and lemon juice and beat for 1 minute. Add the flour and corn starch and mix for another minute. Finally add the egg yolks and mix for 1 more minute. Strain the batter using a sieve.
• Add 1/3 of the egg whites and gently fold into the batter until mostly incorporated. Add another 1/3 and gently fold. Add the remaining 1/3 and gently fold.
• Pour the batter into the lined springform pan. Spread the batter evenly into the pan and smooth out the top using a spatula. Holding the side of the pan, gently lift and drop the pan on the counter about 6 times to remove any big air bubbles.
• Place the springform pan into the water bath and bake the cake for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Check the cake for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake. (It should come out clean.) Bake the cake for an additional 10-15 minutes to brown the top.
• Turn off the oven and open the oven door slightly (about 2-3 inches) and let the Cotton Cheesecake cool in the oven for 1 hour.
• Remove the Cotton Cheesecake from the pan. Place on a plate and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
• Serve with fresh fruit, fruit puree, chocolate sauce, whipped cream, etc.
• Cover and refrigerate any remaining portions. Enjoy the Cotton Cheesecake within the week.

JAPANESE SPONGE CAKE (KASUTERA)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Beat eggs until frothy; gradually add in confectioners' sugar and honey; beat until mixture leaves ribbons (12 minutes).
• Sift baking powder and flour together; sift into bowl.
• Gently fold in dry ingredients until just combined.
• Carefully pour into greased cake tin.
• Bake for 30 minutes.
• You can also steam this cake for a traditional cake that is springy and light.

JAPANESE CAKE

Steps:

• Step 1: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch-square cake pan with parchment paper. (Smearing a little butter or shortening in the pan first will help the paper stick.) Top paper with a sprinkling of sugar.
• Step 2: Place the eggs in a bowl of warm water (about 100 degrees) until warm, about 10 minutes; drain. Heat a large pot of water to a boil; turn off the heat. Mix 1/2 cup milk and 1/4 cup honey in a small bowl; set aside.
• Step 3: Break 8 eggs into the mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Place over the steaming pot of water; mix with a hand mixer, adding 1 1/2 cups sugar slowly, 5 minutes. Move the bowl to the stand mixer; beat with the whisk attachment at medium speed, or level 3, 5 minutes. Reduce speed one level; beat, 5 minutes. Reduce speed to lowest setting, beat, 5 minutes. (You want to end beating at the lowest speed so that the batter has small bubbles. The batter is ready when it is thick enough to form soft peaks.) Slowly add the milk and honey mixture. Whisking by hand, add 1 2/3 cups flour 1 tablespoon at a time.
• Step 4: Pour the batter into the pan up to the top. (Any leftover batter may be baked alongside in lined cupcake or muffin tins; bake these for 20 to 25 minutes.) Bake until a skewer stuck in the middle comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Meanwhile, mix together the remaining 1 tablespoon honey and a little hot water, to make a glaze. As soon as the cake is out of the oven, brush the top with the glaze.
• Step 5: Let the cake sit in the pan until cool enough to handle but still warm. Lift out of the pan, paper and all; place in a zip-close bag. Seal; refrigerate several hours. (This step will help keep the cake moist.)
• Step 6: Cut off the sides of the cake with a very sharp knife to expose the yellow interior. Cut the cake into small, neat slices. Count on one or two slices of cake per person.

JAPANESE STRAWBERRY SPONGE CAKE (STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE)

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 180°C/356°F.
• Coat the inside of an 18cm/7" cake tin (note 6) with butter, dust with flour, then shake off the excess flour.
• Put the egg yolks in a bowl, add ⅔ of the sugar and beat the egg yolks until they become whitish and thick. Draw a ribbon with the whisk and if the ribbon disappears slowly (see the Video), it is ready.
• In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites. When the small bubbles form and the volume of the egg white doubles, add the remaining sugar in 2-3 batches and beat further to make meringue.
• When the meringue becomes firm and it can form a peak when you lift the whisk (see the step-by-step photo and video in the post), it is ready.
• Put the flour through the sifter and add to the beaten egg yolk. Fold the batter with a spatula.
• Transfer ⅓ of the meringue to the batter and mix with a whisk until the batter becomes smooth.
• Add the remaining meringue to the batter in 2-3 batches and fold.
• Pour the melted butter into the batter and fold several times. It's OK even if the butter is not completely mixed.
• Pour the batter into the cake tin. Drop the tin onto the work bench to settle the batter in the tin.
• Cook in the oven at 180°C/356°F for 25 minutes. Insert a thin bamboo skewer in the centre of the cake to see if the skewer comes out dry. If the skewer is a bit wet, cook further 5 minutes.
• Take the tin out of the oven and drop the tin onto the workbench a couple of times to detach the cake from the tin. Remove the cake from the tin and place it on a rack, upside down (bottom side up). Let it cool completely.
• If making syrup, put the Syrup ingredients in a small saucepan and bring it to a boil. When the sugar is dissolved, turn the heat off. Let it cool.
• Whip the cream until soft peaks form. Wipe the strawberries with a wet kitchen paper, remove the stems and halve 10 strawberries.
• Leave the sponge cake upside down as is and slice it horizontally in half (note 7), remove the top half and place it next to the bottom half of the cake, cut side up.
• Using a brush, coat the cut surface of the two sponge cakes with the syrup gently.
• Drop about 3 heaped tablespoons of the whipped cream on the bottom half of the sliced cake and spread it to cover the entire surface. Fill the surface with the halved strawberries, without a gap as much as possible.
• Drop about 4 heaped tablespoons of the whipped cream on and spread it to cover the strawberries and the round edge.
• Place the top half of the cake on it, syrup side down. Gently press down, making sure the top and bottom cakes are aligned. Fill the gap around the strawberry filling on the side with whipped cream.
• (Optional) thinly coat the top and the side of the cake with whipped cream. It is OK not to completely cover the sponge. Leave the cake in the fridge for 10 minutes (note 8).
• Using a cake spatula or a long flat spatula, fully cover the top and the side of the cake with the remaining whipped cream, leaving some (about minimum of 4-5 tablespoons) for piping.
• Put the remaining cream in a piping bag with a round nozzle. Squeeze out the cream to make a mound of cream in 8 positions around the edge of the surface. Place a strawberry on each mound.