Amigurumi Castella Cake — Amigurumi Sweets by Ichikawa Miyuki (Crochet Book)

Castella cake amigurumi, pattern from Amigurumi Sweets by Ichikawa Miyuki. (IG)

Sometime at the end of May or early June, I made these castella cake amigurumi as a way to challenge myself with reading crochet diagrams. These were made using the Castella Cake pattern from the amigurumi book Amigurumi Sweets by Ichikawa Miyuki. I found a copy of the English translated edition from my local Kinokuniya while browsing for crochet books when I started this hobby. Kino also carries the original Japanese publication, but why make things unnecessarily harder, heh...

The book is visually beautiful. And I confess that was one of the two major reasons I bought the book. The 2nd being... it's food!!! Anyway, I digressed.... First, as beautiful and good as this book is, I think this book is not for an amigurumi beginner, especially if one started learning with written patterns (as I did). In fact, since I've achieved maybe around intermediate level now, and am no longer a beginner at crochet, I would add that the book is still not easy to follow. It requires a fair bit of brain work to work out the crochet diagram and the instructions.

Although the original Japanese book was translated into English, the English edition does not translate to the standard US/UK crochet pattern format that we are used to here. (By "here", I mean outside of Japan). Japanese crochet books seem to have a different way of setting out the pattern instructions, and it is very different from what we're used to with the US/UK way. As such, it takes some adjustment to read and understand that format. More on this another time.....

Amigurumi Sweets by Ichikawa Miyuki (English translated version). (IG)

After I bought the book (largely on impulse), I was initially overwhelmed by the crochet diagrams and instructions, so I set it aside with the thought that I probably would never make anything from it, and contented myself with the justification that I didn't waste spend money because I could feast my eyes on the beautiful works in the lovely photographs, and that maybe the patterns would be used one day, some day.

But in the end, I did pull it off the shelf and I did make something from it. Guess I wasn't satisfied with just looking and lying to myself. I really, really wanted to make something from it. I wanted to challenge myself. Also, I was initially inspired to have another go at this book during the Amigurumi Bake-off this year. Week 3 of the event was the bunny roll cake by Anne of Crafty Gibbon (posted here), and and it reminded me of the roll cake pattern in Amigurumi Sweets. So afterwards, I made the leap to try. That said, Ichikawa-san's roll cake was still a little too big a leap at that time (in April/May), so I looked through the book for something simpler to start. And that's how I ended up with making the castella cake.

Castella Cakes from Amigurumi Sweets by Ichikawa Miyuki (English translated version). (IG)

The castella cake pattern is one of the simpler patterns in this book. It comprises of only single crochets, with no increases or decreases. The main body is worked in rounds, and the top and bottom in turned rows.  There are other simpler patterns in the book, like the chocolate and truffle rings, lollipop magnets hotcake charm straps..... Anyway, it took a bit of time to understand the crochet diagram and what needed to be done for the castella cake. All the learning experiences I've picked up since my first amigurumi (Tira the Little Cat! posted here) really came in handy too.

Personally, I think it would be easier to learn how to read and use a crochet diagram by starting off with something easy and simple, like this onigiri amigurumi by Tsukeeno (pattern here on Ravelry). The first time I crocheted something using a crochet diagram was Tsukeeno's onigiri (posted here on IG). I found the diagram easy and straight-forward. It also helped that she included written instructions in her pattern. The added benefit was also learning how I could turn a circle into a triangle!

Well, I did level-up after making this castella, and attempted the roll cake later! In fact, I've attempted 3 roll cake patterns thus far—the one by Anne of Crafty Gibbon, one by Ronique (here, in Japanese, also a crochet diagram), and finally the one in Ichikawa-san's Amigurumi Sweets. But these are in a separate post on another occasion.

Making this castella amigurumi brought to mind some fun memories of a Japan trip with besties in May 2017 (posted here). One of the best castella cakes I've eaten is Fukusaya's castella cake. The 3 of us bought an entire cake at one of their Tokyo branches, and took it up with us to our Fuji Five Lakes onsen ryokan trip.

Fukusaya Nagasaki Castella, May 2017 (posted here).

Fukusaya is an established bakery that first opened in Nagasaki in 1624. In fact, castella is a popular specialty of Nagasaki. The predecessor of the castella was introduced to Japan by Portuguese merchants trading in Nagasaki during the 16th century. As mentioned in my 2017 Nagasaki post, the trade with Europeans began with the Portuguese sometime in 1543, during the Sengoku era (known as the Nanban trade). The castella is similar to the Portuguese sponge cake, the Pão-de-Ló, though the name castella (kasuteraカステラ in Japanese) comes from the Portuguese Pão de Castela, i.e. bread from Castile.

Did you know that the castella is not the only Western food import to Japan that has become part of traditional or standard Japanese cuisine? As mentioned elsewhere, tempura was also introduced by the Portuguese in the course of 16th century Nanban trade. Can you imagine Japanese cuisine without tempura, tonkatsu, ebi-fry, nikujaga, omu-rice, Hamburg steak, Japanese curry, beef, among other things? Food is truly borderless.

Castella cake amigurumi, pattern from Amigurumi Sweets by Ichikawa Miyuki. (IG)

Materials/Tools used:

• Pattern: Castella Cake from Amigurumi Sweets: Crochet Fancy Pastries and Desserts by Ichikawa Miyuki, translated from the original Japanese edition.
• Yarn: Scheepjes Catona No.179 Topaz, No.522 Primrose
• 3mm crochet hook
• Polyester fiberfill
• Tapestry canvas