Japanese Cotton Sponge Cake Recipe

Name: Japanese Cotton Sponge Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Ingredients: 6 egg white; 75 g sugar; 90 g Vegetable oil; 6 egg yolks; 135 ml milk – whole milk is preferred; 105 g cake flour; black sugar - optional

Japanese Cotton Sponge Cake is super fluffy, soft, and airy with a bouncy texture! I believe this is very similar to chiffon cake which will melt in your mouth! Yes, it’s this soft.

I originally wanted to bake castella cakes (カステラ) but then hubby said he wanted something softer. And because I already have all the ingredients at home, I don’t see why I will say no to this delicious cake!

I added some black sugar to the top to enhance the flavour! However, you don’t have to add black sugar, this is as good as it gets, already!

This is a cake that you definitely will indulge in with more than one piece!

What do you need for this Japanese Cotton Sponge Cake Recipe?

Jump to Recipe

Egg white
Egg yolk
white sugar
cake flour
black sugar – optional
vegetable oil
milk – I prefer whole milk

Pro tips for making Japanese Cotton Sponge Cake?

Make sure no egg yolk gets in the egg white or they will not whip properly.
Make sure egg white is whipped until stiff peak.
sift flour at least once
Water bath when baking to make sure there’s enough moisture in the cake to avoid the cake from cracking

How to bake Japanese Cotton Sponge Cake in a water bath?

Water Bath is simply a pan of hot water that protects your delicate cake while it’s baking in the oven, so it is like steaming and baking the cake together.

The water helps to distribute heat around the cake pan. This method leads to a beautifully smooth top for sponges. It prevents the cake from rapidly expanding which leads to the disappointing cracking of cake tops.

What you need to do is wrap around your cake baking tray with foil, then put it on another large baking pan., and pour hot water into the large baking pan.

How to make Japanese Cotton Sponge Cake?

Mix together Egg yolks, vegetable oil, and milk, then sift in cake flour.

Then In a large mixing bowl, use a mixer to whip the egg white with sugar, until stiff peaks. Combine egg white mixture with yolk mixture.

Line a baking tray with parchment paper, sprinkle a layer of black sugar on the tray., pour in the batter, drop it a few times on the countertop to release air bubbles, then use the water bath method to bake the cake in the oven for 25 minutes.

Transfer the cake to a cool rack, peel off the parchment paper, cover it with cling wrap and let it cool completely.

Cut the edges of the cake, slice, and enjoy.