Castella Cake

Ingredients:

• 4 medium eggs, at room temperature
• 110g sugar
• 2-3 tablespoons honey
• 100g strong flour

Preparation:

1. In a metal bowl, break the eggs, add the sugar and beat with an electric mixer over boiling water at high speed for 6 minutes. The volume of beaten eggs will increase by approximately 4 times.
2. Add the honey to the egg mixture and beat on medium speed for about 30 seconds.
3. Sift 1/3 of the flour into the mixture, then beat lightly on medium speed, then add another 1/3 of the flour and beat. Add the last third of the flour and beat until combined, about 1 minute. Do not overmix or the cake will fall or become flat.
4. Place parchment paper in a mold and pour the batter into the mold. Using a skewer, draw a zigzag line to remove any large air bubbles from the dough. This way the cake will have a uniform texture.
5. Bake at 180°C in a preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes until the top is nicely brown. Then quickly cover with absorbent paper, lower the temperature to 170°C and continue cooking. It takes about 55 minutes in total. Try a skewer, when it comes out clean, the cake is done.
6. When the cake is cooked, remove it from the pan and immediately cover the surface with plastic wrap.
7. Invert the cake onto a flat plate and, while it is hot, put it in a plastic bag and let it sit for 12 hours so that the cake has a soft texture.
8. Before serving, cut the sides of the cake. Serve with tea or coffee and a dollop of Chantilly cream for added decadence.