Loaf Pan Castella Cake

Loaf Pan Castella Cake

INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED

If you use cake flour:

  • 45g vegetable oil
  • 60g cake flour
  • 50ml milk
  • 4 egg yolks (4 eggs)
  • 4 egg white (4 eggs)
  • 1 whole egg
  • 50g granulated sugar
  • 5g lemon juice
  • 5g vanilla extract more or less.

Notes: By cake flour, I mean low protein flour, which normally contains 7-9% protein (Mine is around 8%). Not self-rising flour.

If you use all-purpose flour:

  • 45g vegetable oil
  • 48g all-purpose flour
  • 12g cornstarch
  • 50ml milk
  • 4 egg yolks (4 eggs)
  • 4 egg white (4 eggs)
  • 1 whole egg
  • 50g granulated sugar
  • 5g lemon juice
  • 5g vanilla extract more or less.

 

HOW TO MAKE LOAF PAN CASTELLA CAKE

1. Preheat the oven to 145℃(293℉). Separate 4 eggs. Keep the egg white bowl cool in the fridge.

2. Heat the vegetable oil to 158℉(70℃). Pour the oil into a dry and clean bowl.

Notes:

  • The best way to tell the temperature is to use a thermometer.
  • If you do not have a thermometer, heat the oil over medium/low heat about 30 seconds. Do not overheat the oil.
  • When you can see some tiny bubbles on the bottom of the pan, it means the oil is ready.
  • Keep the heat low to avoid overheating the oil. If the oil is overheated, you will find the batter thicker than it should be after you add in the oil.
  • If you accidentally over heat the oil a little bit, just set aside and wait until it cool down.

3. If you use cake flour: In a clean bowl, add the cake flour into the heated oil, mix well. Add in milk, mix until smooth. Add in egg yolks and 1 whole egg and mix well. Set aside. 

If you use all-purpose flour: Mix well all-purpose flour and cornstarch, add all the flour into the oil, mix well. Add in milk, mix until smooth. Add in egg yolks and 1 whole egg and mix well. Set aside. 

Notes:

  • You can sift all the dry ingredients to gain a fine texture.
  • Mix ingredients in until just combined. Do not over mix them. When mix in dry ingredients, mix until you can see no dry bits left. Use a spatula to scrape the bottom a little to see if there is any dry ingredients left in the bottom of the bowl.
  • You can add the vanilla extract in to the batter; or you can move it to next step and add it into the egg white.

4. Add lemon juice, granulated sugar and vanilla extract into the egg white, use a hand mixer to beat until it forms soft peaks.

Notes:

  • This recipe contains eggs. If you don’t like the smell of eggs, lemon juice and vanilla extract can help reduce the egg smell. The granulated sugar is to help whip up the egg white.
  • Use a hand mixer to beat egg white on medium-high speed, until soft peaks form. This process should take several minutes. The right meringue texture should be shiny and smooth. And you will find it quite thick and feel resistance inside the whipped egg white when you move the mixer around.
  • Soft peaks:

5. Take a scoop of whipped egg white to fold into the batter until just combined. Pour all the batter into the whipped egg white. Gently fold the whipped egg white into the batter until just combined.

Notes:

  • Gently fold the whipped egg white in. Not whisking nor stirring. Use a spatula to gently “cut” in the whipped egg white until just combined.
  • Do not stir in the egg white and do not over mix them. Or you may deflate the egg white, and then the cake will shrink.
  • Gently fold the first scoop of whipped egg white into the batter until just combined. Do not overmix them. The right texture should be like:

The final batter texture:

6. Line the loaf pan (mine is 27*14*6 cm) with parchment paper and pour all the batter into the pan. Smooth the surface. Give the pan a tap or two.

7. Pour some hot water (about 1-2 cm high) into the baking sheet and place the loaf pan into the baking sheet. Send into the oven to bake for 65-70 minutes.

Notes:

  • Water bath. Pour water (about 1-2 cm high) into a baking tray. Hot water.
  • Wrap the loaf pan with tinfoil before place it onto the baking tray, if the loaf pan has a removable bottom. This way can avoid water getting into the pan.
  • A better way to avoid water getting into the pan, given the pan has a removable bottom, is to place a cooling rack/wire rack onto the baking tray, and then place the loaf pan onto the cooking rack. So the pan will not touch the water and the bottom of the cake will not easily get wet.
  • Use a toothpick to dip into the cake, if the toothpick comes out clean, it means the cake is fully cooked. If not, extend the baking time.
  • The cake will grow while baking, so it is important to leave some space for the cake to grow.
  • About how much water should you add into the baking sheet: It takes about 1 hour or so to bake this cake. Just make sure the water will not run out before the cake is fully baked.

8. Once the cake is fully cooked, take it out of the oven, take the cake out of the loaf pan and let it cool down on the cooking rack. Or the cake may get too moist.

Steps:

  1. Preheat the oven to 145(293). Separate 4 eggs. Keep the egg white bowl cool in the fridge.
  2. Heat the vegetable oil to 158℉(70℃). Pour the oil into a dry and clean bowl.
  3. In a clean bowl, add the cake flour into the heated oil, mix well. Add in milk, mix until smooth. Add in egg yolks and 1 whole egg and mix well. Set aside.
  4. Add lemon juice, granulated sugar and vanilla extract into the egg white, use a hand mixer to beat until it forms soft peaks.
  5. Take a scoop of whipped egg white to fold into the batter until just combined. Pour all the batter into the whipped egg white. Gently fold the whipped egg white into the batter until just combined.
  6. Line the loaf pan (mine is 27*14*6 cm) with parchment paper and pour all the batter into the pan. Smooth the surface. Give the pan a tap or two.
  7. Pour some hot water (about 1-2 cm high) into the baking sheet and place the loaf pan into the baking sheet. Send into the oven to bake for 65-70 minutes.
  8. Once the cake is fully cooked, take it out of the oven, take the cake out of the loaf pan and let it cool down on the cooking rack. Or the cake may get too moist.
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