Pandan Castella Cake Recipe (Soft Taiwanese Sponge Cake)

Pandan Castella Cake is a light, fluffy Taiwanese sponge cake flavored with homemade pandan extract. Its soft, jiggly crumb and caramelized golden top make it one of the most irresistible Asian cakes to bake at home.

Pandan Castella Cake is a soft, fluffy Taiwanese sponge cake with a moist, jiggly crumb and a beautifully caramelized top. Made with homemade pandan extract, this version has a naturally fragrant aroma and a delicate emerald-green color that makes it just as stunning as it is delicious.

If you enjoy light, airy cakes, you might also love my Pandan Chiffon Cake, Chocolate Chiffon Cake, Cheese Chiffon Cake, Pumpkin Chiffon Cake, or bite-sized Mini Sponge Cakes. Each has its own unique texture and flavor, but they’re all wonderfully soft and perfect with a cup of tea or coffee.

Recipe Ingredients

Ingredients to Note

Cake flour – You can use all-purpose flour if you want, but cake flour is better because it contains less gluten. It can produce a softer, more jiggly cake.

Oil / butter – Oil or butter is the ingredient to make the cake moist. In Taiwan, the bakers use oil for castella cake. In this recipe, although I use melted butter with no oil, it still creates a jiggly, soft, fluffy texture.

Pandan extract – I use my own homemade pandan extract. 1-2 tablespoon is enough to get the fresh green color for the cake.

Substitutions & Variations

To subtitute lemon juice, you can use cream of tartar, lime juice or white vinegar. The meringue needs a little bit of acidity to make it stabil.

Get creative with flavors—try taro, coffee, strawberry, or matcha green tea variations of this recipe!

How to Make Pandan Castella Cake

STEP 1. Line the baking pan with parchment paper, at the bottom and the sides. Prepare a bigger pan to accommodate the pan with the cake batter. In a bowl, put in the egg yolks, add milk, pandan extract, and flour (Image 1). Whisk well. Pour in melted butter (Image 2). Whisk until the butter blends in the batter (Image 3). In another bowl, beat the egg white with low speed first (Image 4).

STEP 2. Add the sugar in three parts while still mixing the egg white (Image 5). Pour in lemon juice. Turn the speed up. Beat until it reaches soft peak. You can see the meringue creates a hook (Image 6). Take some of the meringue, put into the egg yolk batter (Image 7). Whisk until it blends (Image 8).

STEP 3. Transfer it back to the meringue bowl and whisk well (Image 9). The batter should be thick and pale (Image 10). Pour into the lined baking pan (Image 11). Use a bamboo skewer to let the air bubbles out by stirring it gently (Image 12).

STEP 4. Pour hot water in the bigger baking pan (Image 13). Bake 150°C or 302°F for 60-70 minutes or until the cake is golden brown on the top and a toothpick inserted comes out clean (Image 14). After it is done, remove the cake from the oven, let it cool for a moment, take it out from the pan by lifting the baking paper. Peel the paper carefully and cut the cake (Images 15, 16).

Serving Suggestions

Pandan Castella Cake is delicious on its own with a cup of tea or coffee, but it’s also wonderful as part of an Asian-inspired dessert spread when entertaining family and friends.

For a refreshing finish to your meal, serve it with one of these chilled desserts:

• Peach Gum Dessert for a light, subtly sweet treat.
• Pulut Hitam if you’re craving a warm, creamy black glutinous rice dessert.
• Mango Sago Dessert for a fruity, tropical pairing that’s especially refreshing on warm days.

To drink, pair this soft sponge cake with:

• Pineapple Mint Soda for a bright, refreshing contrast.
• Lychee Soda if you enjoy floral fruit flavors.
• Lemon Ginger Drink for a lightly tangy drink that balances the cake’s gentle sweetness.

Pandan Castella Cake FAQs

Storage

Keep this cake in a closed contaiKeep it wrapped at room temp for 2 days or refrigerated (3-5 days). Reheat slices in the microwave for 10 seconds to restore softness.ner in the chiller for 3-4 days.