Castella

This is a japanese sponge cake brought by portuguese merchents in the 16th century.  I originally was put off from making this after seeing it on the cookingwithdog youtube channel because it just looked like a basic cake to me.  I decided to give it a shot after I found out I needed to make a desert for a lunch and I honestly loved it.  I literally ate the entire thing in a few hours.  It doesn't taste like an american cake.  It has a moist, soft, but chewy texture.  It really is lovely and you really should try making it.  Oh, and it only needs 4 ingredients!!!

ingredients:
makes 8 large slices

1.  6 large eggs
2.  6 oz granulated sugar
3.  3 TBL honey
4.  3 TBL water
5.  5.3 oz king arthur BREAD FLOUR
note: - USE BREAD FLOUR.  Do not substitute in AP flour or another type.  The bread flour is essential in getting a chewy texture.  King arthur is always the best brand of course.
6.  1 TBL turbinado sugar or demerara sugar
note: - This sugar is optional, BUT I added it and it added a crunch to the cake that was VERY good and interesting.  I would not make this without it.
7.  1/4 tsp table salt - I added this just because I always like to add salt to sweet foods
8.  8" x 8" square cake pan
9.  Electric hand mixer
note: - You can whisk by hand but dear god your arms are gonna be sore.  You can use a stand mixer as well, but you will have to heat up the eggs at one point over a double broiler, so you will have to figure out how to do that.

recipe:
1.  Heat oven to 340 degrees fahrenheit and adjust rack to UPPER MIDDLE RACK (this is important. Do not bake lower than this as the bottom will then bake too fast and get hard and dry.) 
2.  Line bottom of cake pan with parchment, then lightly spray the bottom and sides with oil.
3.  Sprinkle a generous 1 TBL of turbinado sugar all along the bottom of the cake pan.
4.  Place exactly 3 TBL of honey, exactly 3 TBL of water, and salt into a small cup and set aside.
5.  Set up a double broiler:  Heat a small pot, big/small enough to accommodate the bowl you will be mixing the eggs in, with 2 cups of water over medium high heat for 5 min.
6.  Add 6 eggs to a very large bowl and mix on low speed with hand mixer for 30 seconds.
7.  Add in sugar and mix on low speed until dissolved.
8.  Place the bowl over the pot with steaming water and mix on low speed for 2-4 minutes until the egg mixture becomes warm to the touch.
9.  Take off heat, turn off the stove, then place the entire cup with the 3 TBL of water, honey, and salt into the pot with the steamed water to heat up the cup.
10.  Off heat, mix the eggs on high speed for 6-10 minutes, until the eggs are pale, thick, glossy, and falls into a thick ribbon when the mixer is lifted above the eggs. 
11.  Mix the honey, water, and salt mixture in the cup until fully dissolved.
12.  Add the honey, water, salt to the eggs and mix on high speed for 30 seconds.
13.  Add in the bread flour in 4 batches, mixing for 10 seconds in between each batch.
14.  Pour the batter into the cake pan.
note: - There was too much batter for my cake pan, so I filled it just until there was around a 1/2" gap between the top of the batter and the top edge of the cake pan.
15.  Drop the pan a few times to remove any air bubbles, then using a rubber spatula, and starting from either the left or right side of the cake pan, make a vertical length cut through the batter.  Move 1 inch to the side and make another vertical length cut through the batter.  Repeat this cutting until you reach the other end of the cake pan.
16.  Repeat step 15, except start at the top of the cake pan and make horizontal cuts through the batter and work your way down.
note: - The cutting is to remove air bubbles from the batter.
17.  Smooth and even out the top of the batter, then place into the oven on the UPPER MIDDLE rack.
18.  Bake for 15 minutes, lower the heat to 320, then bake for another 10-20 minutes, until the top is golden brown.
19.  After 10 minutes, stick in a toothpick or bamboo stick into the middle of the cake.  It should come out with crumbs attached.  If its too sticky and wet, bake for another 4 minutes and check.  If it comes out completely dry, you have over baked it.
20.  When its done, take out and let it cool for 5 minutes.

note: - According to the japanese, this cake should then be covered tightly in plastic wrap while still hot, with the top side facing down, and placed in the fridge for 12 hours.  This apparently traps in the moisture and creates a better texture.

If covering with plastic wrap, do not take it off until the cake is completely cool.  If it is still warm, the steam will cause the plastic to stick to the cake and will peel off the top layer of the cake.

21.  When ready to serve, use a serrated knife, wiping it down with a moist towel after every cut, to very gently cut off the brown sides of the cake so only the top and bottom is brown and the sides are a beautiful soft yellow.  You CAN eat the browned sides of course but I completely agree with cutting them off as they are too dry and rough. 
22.  Gently slice cake into 1" pieces, wiping down the serrated knife with a moist towel after every cut.
23.  Cover the slices with plastic wrap, then let them come to room temperature for an hour before eating.
note: - You can keep it in the fridge for 1 week or in the freezer for 1 month.