orange castella cake

Before you pounce on the recipe for this mouth-watering castella cake, here’s a quick historical detour (it’s interesting, we promise!): although the modern castella was developed in Japan, the cake actually has Portuguese origins. Along with foreign items including guns, tobacco and pumpkins, Portuguese merchants brought a taste for Pão de Castela (bread from Castile) to 16th-century Japan. The locals liked it so much, they refined the treat and added castella to the list of wagashi – traditional confections served with green tea. Both airy and slightly chewy in texture, a slice of orange castella goes down nicely with tea or coffee on the side. To give it a go, pop over to Eat Cho Food’s recipe over here.