Soft Rice Cooker Castella Cake
Easy Castella Cake Made in a Rice Cooker (No Oven Needed!)
A fluffy and moist Castella cake made easily in your rice cooker, perfect even if you don’t have an oven! This homemade treat is delightful with a glass of warm milk. Be sure to grease the inside of your rice cooker well with butter or oil. Lightly warming the milk and melted butter before adding them to the batter will yield even better results.
Main Ingredients- 7 Egg Yolks
- 60g Sugar
- 1g Salt
- 30g Honey
- A splash of Vanilla Extract (optional)
- 130g Cake Flour
- 25g Unsalted Butter (melted)
- 15g Vegetable Oil
- 40g Milk (slightly warmed)
Meringue Ingredients- 5 Egg Whites
- 80g Sugar
- 5 Egg Whites
- 80g Sugar
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks until smooth. It’s important to whisk them thoroughly to avoid any lumps.
Step 2
Add 60g of sugar and 1g of salt to the whisked egg yolks. Mix for about 3 minutes until the sugar dissolves and the mixture turns a light ivory color. Be careful not to overmix.
Step 3
Stir in 30g of honey and a splash of vanilla extract. Vanilla extract enhances the cake’s aroma and flavor.
Step 4
Sift the 130g of cake flour into the batter 2-3 times. Gently fold it in until just combined, being careful not to overmix. Overmixing can develop gluten and make the cake tough.
Step 5
Pour in the 40g of slightly warmed milk and mix until the flour is no longer visible and the batter is smooth. Ensure all ingredients are evenly incorporated.
Step 6
Add 15g of vegetable oil and 25g of melted unsalted butter. Mix until the batter is smooth and glossy. Make sure the melted butter isn’t too hot when adding.
Step 7
In a separate, clean bowl, whip the 5 egg whites. As they start to foam, gradually add 80g of sugar in 2-3 additions. Continue whipping until you achieve a stiff meringue with glossy peaks – the peaks should hold their shape with a slight curl at the tip.
Step 8
Gently fold about half of the meringue into the egg yolk batter using a spatula. Use a light, cutting motion to avoid deflating the meringue. This helps to lighten the batter initially.
Step 9
Add the remaining meringue to the bowl. Fold it in quickly and lightly until no streaks of egg yolk mixture are visible. Be very careful not to overmix, as this will cause the meringue to collapse and reduce the cake’s volume.
Step 10
Grease the inside of your rice cooker pot thoroughly with butter or oil. Pour the batter into the prepared pot and smooth the top. Insert a skewer or chopstick down to the bottom of the batter and make a few circular motions to release any large air bubbles. You can also tap the cooker gently on the counter 2-3 times to help pop bubbles.
Step 11
Select the ‘Steam’ or ‘Cake’ setting on your rice cooker (this varies by model) and bake for 40 minutes. To check for doneness, insert a skewer into the center; it should come out clean. Once baked, carefully remove the cake from the cooker and let it cool completely on a wire rack.
