Fluffy Kabocha Squash Castella in the Microwave

Ingredients

• If you do not have kabocha squash, you can leave it out. Castella is normally made without squash, but I happened to have some at home and added it.
• Cut the squash into large chunks, microwave for about 5 minutes until tender, and mash it. To make it smooth without lumps, I blended it in a mixer with the amount of milk listed above.
• Sift the flour twice. Separate the 6 eggs into whites and yolks, and prepare the 2 extra egg yolks.
• If you do not have dark brown sugar, white sugar works just as well.

Steps

1. 

   First, whip the egg whites with a whisk. Add half of the sugar in 2 to 3 additions as you whip.

   The remaining half of the sugar will be added when mixing the yolks.

   Without an electric mixer, making bread is always tough work.

   I whipped vigorously in one direction at high speed for about 10 minutes.

   It is ready when it clings firmly to the whisk without falling off.

2. 

   Take the 8 egg yolks and stir in the remaining half of the sugar to dissolve it.

   If you add it all at once, it will not dissolve well, so whisk it in across 2 or 3 additions.

   I was distracted and dumped it all in at once, so I had a hard time dissolving it.

3. 

   Now mix the ingredients together. Add the kabocha squash and milk mixture to the whipped whites,

   and fold gently with a spatula as if lifting from the bottom. Once partially combined...

4. 

   Add the egg yolks and mix.

   Add the salt, cooking oil, and mirin.

5. 

   Add the flour and mix again.

   Once the batter is smoothly blended with no visible flour...

   

   It turns out like this. It makes quite a large amount.

6. 

   Since I have neither an oven nor baking tools, I prepared an airtight food container lined smoothly with parchment paper without any wrinkles. The container must be microwave-safe.

7. 

   I was lazy and cooked all the batter at once, and it took over 10 minutes.

   Microwave it in two batches instead. It cooks thoroughly to the center in about 4-5 minutes, but trying to cut corners almost ruined my ingredients.

8. 

   I was worried it would not cook through, but it turned out well. Transfer to a plate, peel off the parchment paper on top, and let it cool.

   Baking in an oven gives the paper-lined exterior a lovely browned look that makes it even more appetizing, but since we cannot do that, we have to make do with this.

9. 

   I sliced it thinly and spread whipped cream inside. The breads I made previously were too sweet, but this one is not overly sweet. Adding the squash gives it a truly pretty color.

   

   If you have a round mold, you can frost it with store-bought whipped cream and garnish with fruit to turn it into quite a nice cake.

   A paper cup of whipped cream cost 500 won. About 3 cups should be plenty.

Ppunwife's tips

• If you add the sugar all at once, it will not dissolve easily. Whisk it in across 2 or 3 additions.
• Cook the batter in the microwave in two batches. It cooks thoroughly to the center in about 4-5 minutes.

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