Name: Mochi Cake, Any Way You Want It
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 70 minutes, plus cooling
Yield: One 9"-diameter cake, one 8x8" square cake, or 14 standard cupcakes
Ingredients: 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter or virgin coconut oil, melted, plus more for pan; 1½ cups (300 g) sugar, plus more for pan; 1 (13.5-oz.) can unsweetened coconut milk or 1⅔ cups half-and-half; 2 large eggs; 2 tsp. vanilla extract; 1 tsp. kosher salt; 2 cups (254 g) glutinous sweet rice flour, preferably Koda Farms Blue Star Mochiko; 3 Tbsp. powdered flavoring of choice (such as unsweetened cocoa powder, pandan leaf powder, or malted milk powder) or 1 Tbsp. matcha powder plus 2 Tbsp. glutinous sweet rice flour or 3 Tbsp. glutinous sweet rice flour; 1 tsp. ground spice of choice (such as cinnamon, cardamom, or turmeric); 1 tsp. baking powder; ¼–⅓ cup unsweetened shredded coconut or sesame seeds

Coconut turmeric mochi cake with a quarter cut out

Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell

Gooey-bouncy on the inside and crispy-chewy on the outside, mochi cake has a texture we just can’t get enough of. Made from glutinous sweet rice flour, it’s naturally gluten-free. Based on Hawaiian butter mochi, this highly adaptable version can even be made dairy-free by using coconut oil and coconut milk. You can mix and match flavors and spices, though make sure to add an additional three tablespoons rice flour if you don’t want to add a powdered flavoring. Bake in a round cake pan for elegant wedges, a baking pan for gooey squares, or a muffin pan for more crispy-chewy edges.

Recipe information

Total Time
70 minutes, plus cooling
Yield
One 9"-diameter cake, one 8x8" square cake, or 14 standard cupcakes

Ingredients

6 Tbsp. unsalted butter or virgin coconut oil, melted, plus more for pan

1½ cups (300 g) sugar, plus more for pan

1 (13.5-oz.) can unsweetened coconut milk or 1⅔ cups half-and-half

2 large eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. kosher salt

2 cups (254 g) glutinous sweet rice flour, preferably Koda Farms Blue Star Mochiko

3 Tbsp. powdered flavoring of choice (such as unsweetened cocoa powder, pandan leaf powder, or malted milk powder) or 1 Tbsp. matcha powder plus 2 Tbsp. glutinous sweet rice flour or 3 Tbsp. glutinous sweet rice flour

1 tsp. ground spice of choice (such as cinnamon, cardamom, or turmeric)

1 tsp. baking powder

¼–⅓ cup unsweetened shredded coconut or sesame seeds

Preparation

Step 1
Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter a 9"-diameter cake pan or an 8x8" baking pan or 14 cups of two standard 12-cup muffin pans. (If you only have 1 muffin pan, you can bake the extra batter in a small loaf pan or mini muffin pan, or just discard it.) Generously coat pan with sugar, tapping out excess (about ¼ cup should do it).
Step 2
Place 1½ cups (300 g) sugar and 6 Tbsp. butter in a large bowl. If using coconut milk, heat in a small saucepan over medium, whisking constantly, until no clumps remain, then whisk into sugar mixture. If using half-and-half, whisk directly into sugar mixture. Add eggs, vanilla, and salt and whisk to combine.
Step 3
Whisk rice flour, powdered flavoring of choice (or 3 Tbsp. more rice flour), spice of choice, and baking powder in a medium bowl to combine, then whisk into egg mixture. Scrape batter into prepared pan and sprinkle with coconut or sesame seeds.
Step 4
Bake until top begins to crack and cake springs back when gently pressed, 55–65 minutes for cake and 45–55 minutes for cupcakes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cake cool in pan 10 minutes. Run a knife around perimeter of cake, place a plate over pan, and invert cake onto plate. Hold wire rack over cake and invert cake onto rack (simply turn cupcakes out onto rack and turn over). Let cool completely.
Step 5
Do ahead: Cake can be baked 5 days ahead. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature.