Best Mochi Recipes

MOCHI CAKE, ANY WAY YOU WANT IT

Steps:

• 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).
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Do ahead: Cake can be baked 5 days ahead. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature.

SWEET MOCHI WITH RED BEAN FILLING

Steps:

• Make the filling: Rinse the beans and transfer to a large pot. Cover the beans with water and bring to a boil; drain. Cover the beans again with water and this time simmer until they are completely tender, about an hour to an hour and a half, adding more water if necessary to keep the beans submerged. Drain.
• Purée the drained beans in a food processor or blender to make a smooth paste. If the beans are too dry to catch the blades, add a few tablespoons of water. Return the bean purée to the same pot and stir in the sugar and salt. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until most of the water has evaporated and the purée is very thick, 10 to 15 minutes. Spread bean paste in a wide, shallow container and refrigerate until firm and cool.
• Meanwhile, make the mochi dough: Line a sheet pan with a piece of parchment paper and spread a generous heap of potato starch in a large circle; set aside. In a bowl, whisk together the mochiko flour and 1 1/3 cup/300 milliliters water until smooth. Pour mixture through a mesh strainer into a saucepan, using the whisk to help push it through if necessary. Add the sugar and mix well. Switch to a heatproof spatula and cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens and comes together as one big, smooth, shiny mass that can hold its shape, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Using a starch-dusted knife, cut the dough into 20 even pieces. (If eating plain, or as an ice cream topping, cut into 40 to 50 smaller pieces.) One at a time, use a rolling pin to roll a piece of mochi dough into a thick, flat disk about 2 inches by 2 inches. Use potato starch liberally to keep the dough from sticking to your work surface, the rolling pin or your fingers. Roll a scant tablespoon of bean paste between your hands to form a ball and place it in the center of the rolled-out dough piece. Use your fingers to evenly stretch the mochi dough up and around the filling without squishing it, pinching the dough shut at the top to seal it, and then gently rolling the mochi between your hands to form a rounded shape. Set on the parchment-lined baking sheet with the seam on the bottom. Eat the filled mochi the day they're made, or cover and store in the refrigerator for 1 day.

MOCHI

Steps:

• In a bowl (I use a souffle-size bowl, around 2 cups) stir together the rice flour and sugar.
• While mixing with a spoon or small stiff spatula, pour in the boiling water.
• Stir in clockwise direction until the lumps disappear, and the batter is slightly elasticky, about 2 minutes (note: it will become difficult to stir, but try your best anyway!).
• Cover the container with plastic wrap, and microwave on HIGH for 2-4 minutes, depending on your microwave.
• Meanwhile, grease a ziploc bag well.
• Invert the bag (oil side out), and remove the mochi from the bowl into the bag (you can let it cool a bit before you do this, but the more you cool it, the harder the bowl will become to clean =/). Don't burn yourself!
• While the mochi is still warm, start kneading. To knead: Stretch and flatten the dough inside the bag with the palm of your hand, then pick up the bag at one corner, shake it so that it rolls into a ball again, then repeat. You can also knead it by placing the mochi into a greased bowl, and knead it as you would a normal dough. Knead for about 7~10 minutes, or to the consistency (chewiness) you want.
• To prepare the coating: Process the peanuts in a blender or food processor, and spread the powder out in a plate. Do not add sugar to the coating! Because the sugar will dissolve with the moisture in the mochi, making it super sticky.
• Pull off a teaspoonful-sized mochi ball with your hand, and coat in peanut powder. Alternatively, if you prepared it inside a bag, cut off a 1/4" corner, and squeeze from the bag. Separate the balls with greased scissors, or with chopsticks =P.
• Enjoy!
• Variations: Instead of using a coating, you could also wrap sweet red bean paste inside the mochi for daifukus =).

BUTTER MOCHI CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch Bundt pan or a 9x13 inch baking pan.
• In a large bowl, mix together the butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla and milk. Stir in the rice flour and baking powder. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Drop red bean paste by scant teaspoonfuls onto the top of the cake. If spoonfuls are too big, the filling will sink to the bottom.
• Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cake springs back when lightly touched. If using a Bundt pan, invert the cake onto a serving plate. Cake must be completely cooled before unmolding from Bundt pan, or it will be too soft to hold its shape. Serve small slices of this very rich cake at room temperature or slightly warmed.

CHI CHI DANGO MOCHI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch pan. Whisk together the rice flour, sugar and baking powder; set aside.
• In a medium bowl, mix together the water, vanilla, coconut milk and red food coloring. Blend in the rice flour mixture. Pour into the prepared pan.
• Cover the pan with foil and bake for 1 hour. Allow to cool completely.
• Turn the pan of mochi out onto a clean surface that has been dusted with potato starch. Cut into bite size pieces using a plastic knife. The mochi does not stick as much to plastic knives.

BUTTER MOCHI

Steps:

• Make the mochi: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 9-by-13-inch cake pan, then line the bottom and sides with parchment paper.
• Whisk the mochiko, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Prepare the batter in a stand mixer or in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer or whisk: Whisk the eggs and sugar until pale yellow and thick. Continue whisking while pouring in the coconut milk, then the butter and vanilla. Continue whisking while gradually adding the mochiko mixture. Whisk until the batter is completely smooth. Pour into the prepared pan, then tap it against the counter to get rid of any air bubbles.
• Bake until golden brown and crackly, 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 1/2 hours. When you press the center, it should bounce back but not indent at all. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Use the parchment paper to slide the cooled mochi out of the pan.
• The mochi is delicious plain, but you can add a glaze if you'd like: Mix the confectioners' sugar with 2 tablespoons passion fruit pulp until smooth. It should be thick but drippy. If needed, add another 1 to 2 tablespoons pulp. If you'd like to create an ombré or sunset effect, scrape some into another bowl or multiple bowls and tint with food coloring. Spread the glaze evenly over the mochi, in stripes if you'd like, and let stand until set.
• Cut the mochi into squares or bars. Serve immediately, or keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

BUTTER MOCHI

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Whisk the rice flour, sugar, and baking powder together in a mixing bowl.
• Beat the eggs, coconut extract, and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl until the eggs are smooth. Whisk in the milk, coconut milk, and melted butter until incorporated. Stir in the flour mixture a little at a time until no lumps remain; scrape into the prepared baking dish, and smooth the top.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the mochi is golden brown, about 1 hour. Cool to room temperature before cutting into 24 pieces to serve.

THE BEST BUTTER MOCHI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch pan.
• Mix mochiko, sugar, baking powder, and cinnamon together in a large bowl.
• Whisk eggs and vanilla extract together in a small bowl.
• Mix eggs into the mochiko mixture. Pour in coconut milk and evaporated milk; mix well. Fold in melted butter until batter is smooth.
• Pour batter into the greased pan. Tap pan on a flat work surface to settle the batter.
• Bake in the preheated oven until top is golden brown, about 50 minutes. Let cool before slicing, about 30 minutes.

ONO BUTTER MOCHI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla and milk. In a separate larger bowl, stir together the rice flour, sugar, and baking powder. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and stir to blend. Mix in melted butter and coconut. Pour into the prepared pan.
• Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven. Cool completely, then cut into squares to serve.

BUTTER MOCHI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with butter or oil.
• In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla, and milk. In another larger bowl, whisk together the mochiko, sugar, baking powder, and kosher salt. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and, with a wooden spoon stir until well combined. Add the melted butter and coconut milk and mix until fully incorporated. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and rap the pan on the counter a couple of times to bring any air bubbles up to the surface. Evenly sprinkle the shredded coconut on top of the mixture, a handful at a time, being careful not to jiggle the pan too much, as you want the coconut to stay on the top. Then sprinkle on a few pinches of flaky salt, if desired.Bake until the mochi is set and golden brown on top, about 1 hour. Set the pan on a wire rack and let cool completely before slicing into rectangles using a plastic knife to minimize sticking; I cut four columns and five rows to make twenty 2 1⁄4 by 2 1⁄2-inchpieces. If the knife seems to be sticking, rub it with a little unsalted butter or neutral oil. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

MATCHA MOCHI DOUGHNUTS

Steps:

• For the starter: Mix the rice flour and milk in a small microwave-safe bowl until smooth. Microwave for 20 seconds and stir (the mixture will be very thick). Microwave for 10 seconds, then stir. The mixture should now be very sticky (it will pull like a rubber band when stretched upwards with a spoon) and have gone from white to translucent. If not, microwave for 10 seconds more. Set aside to cool slightly.
• For the doughnuts: Combine the rice flour, granulated sugar, matcha powder, baking powder and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer. Mix with the paddle attachment on low just to combine. Whisk together the milk, butter, vanilla and egg in a spouted measuring cup. Add to the mixer bowl and beat on medium to combine. Scrape in all of the starter and mix until the dough comes together. Mix on high speed until very smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. (The dough will not clean the sides of the bowl and be slightly sticky to the touch.)
• Dust your work surface with rice flour and empty the dough onto the counter. Knead until soft and smooth (almost like Play-Doh). Cut 12 (4-by-4-inch) squares of parchment. Roll the dough to a scant 1/2 inch and cut as many circles as you can with a 1 1/4-inch ring cutter. Reroll to cut more circles. Group 6 dough rounds on a piece of parchment in the shape of a circle, with the pieces touching and a hole in the middle. Pat gently to seal the pieces together. Repeat with the remaining circles to get about 12 doughnuts.
• Meanwhile, heat about 2 inches of oil in a large Dutch oven to 340 degrees F.
• To fry, slide the doughnuts, still on the paper, into the hot oil in batches of 4. Let fry about 30 seconds, then remove the papers and discard. Continue to fry until cooked, 5 to 6 minutes total per batch. Let cool completely before glazing.
• For the glaze: Whisk the confectioners' sugar and matcha in a small bowl to combine. Whisk in the lemon juice, vanilla and 3 tablespoons of the milk to make a smooth, thick glaze. (Gradually add 1 tablespoon more milk if needed.) If the glaze is still too thick (it should run leisurely from a spoon), add more milk a teaspoon at a time to reach the desired consistency.
• Dip the top of each doughnut in the glaze and then into the sprinkles if using. Place on a baking rack to dry and harden.

GREEN TEA MOCHI ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Remove and discard the top half of a cardboard egg carton. Line 10 of the cups in the bottom half of the egg carton with plastic wrap.
• Scoop ice cream into 10 prepared egg carton cups. Cover scoops with plastic wrap and freeze until very firm, at least 2 hours.
• Stir rice flour, water, and salt together in a microwave-safe bowl; add sugar and stir until completely smooth. Whisk green tea powder into rice flour mixture.
• Cover the rice flour mixture bowl with plastic wrap; microwave for 2 minutes. Stir rice flour mixture, re-cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and microwave until mochi dough is thick and sticky, about 1 1/2 minutes more.
• Lightly dust a work surface with cornstarch. Turn mochi dough out on prepared work surface. Roll dough into a 1/8-inch thick rectangle; cut dough into 10 equal squares.
• Remove ice cream balls from plastic wrap. Place 1 ice cream ball in the center of 1 mochi dough square. Gather mochi dough together to cover the ice cream ball completely, pinch the edges together at the base, and cut off any excess dough. Repeat with remaining ice cream and dough squares.
• Tightly cover each mochi ball in plastic wrap and place in egg carton, seam-side down. Freeze until firm, about 2 hours.

CHOCOLATE BUTTER MOCHI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan.
• Sift mochiko, sugar, cocoa powder, and baking soda together in a bowl.
• Place butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave until melted, about 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips until smooth and creamy.
• Beat coconut milk, evaporated milk, and eggs together in a bowl. Add vanilla extract. Add chocolate-butter mixture and stir until incorporated. Add to the flour mixture slowly, whisking by hand until well incorporated and no lumps remain. Pour into the prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until set, about 55 minutes.
• Cool completely before cutting, about 1 hour. Cut with a plastic knife; mochi sticks to metal.

CHOCOLATE BIRTHDAY CAKE BUTTER MOCHI

Steps:

• Make the butter mochi: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with butter.
• In a microwave-safe large bowl, melt the 12 tablespoons butter and chocolate chips by microwaving on high in 30-second increments, stirring and repeating as needed, until just melted.
• Add the granulated sugar to the melted chocolate and stir until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla and milks.
• In a large bowl, stir together the mochiko, baking powder and cocoa powder until evenly distributed. Fold the liquid chocolate mixture into the dry ingredients, stirring until thoroughly mixed. When the batter is totally smooth, pour it into the prepared baking pan.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let cool slightly.
• As the cake cools, make the frosting: In a bowl with an electric mixer, whip together the peanut butter and Demerara sugar until the mixture has the texture of frosting.
• While the cake is still slightly warm, spread the frosting evenly over the top. Let cool to room temperature. Just before serving, sprinkle with Pop Rocks, if using, and shower sprinkles over the top, then cut into squares and serve.

PURPLE YAM AND COCONUT MOCHI (UBE BIBINGKA)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a 9x9-inch baking pan with banana leaves or parchment paper and coat with cooking spray.
• Whisk rice flours, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl, then stir in the water and coconut milk. Add ube spread and ube extract. Fold in macapuno and 1 tablespoon muscovado. Pour into the prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until top starts to crack and leaves turn brown, about 35 minutes. Brush top with 1 tablespoon butter, then bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 20 minutes more.
• Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in 1/4 cup muscovado sugar; cook, stirring, until it starts to boil. Remove from heat and pour over warm mochi, covering evenly. Sprinkle with toasted coconut. Let cool, at least 30 minutes.
• Use banana leaves to lift mochi out of the pan. Cut into 25 small squares; cut squares diagonally into triangles.

MICROWAVE MOCHI

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, mix together the mochiko, 1 cup of sugar, and water until well blended. Mix in the 2 drops of vinegar to soften. Pour into a microwave-safe dish, and loosely cover with plastic. Microwave for 8 to 10 minutes on HIGH. Remove, and let cool until cool enough to handle.
• In a small bowl, combine the potato starch, 1/4 cup sugar, and salt. Turn the mochi out onto the plastic, and cut into pieces using a plastic or wooden knife. Metal knives tend to stick too much. Roll the pieces in the potato starch mixture.

ICE CREAM MOCHI

Steps:

• Line cupcake liners in a mini muffin pan. With a cookie dough scoop, scoop out ice cream onto the liners. Keep in freezer until solid, about 1 hour.
• In a large microwave-safe mixing bowl, sift glutinous rice flour, rice flour, and sugar together. Add water and whisk mixture until well incorporated.
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap leaving a small opening uncovered. Heat the mixture on high in the microwave for 1 1/2 minute.
• Take it out and stir with a wet silicone spatula. Cover the bowl and heat on high for another 1 minute. Again, stir with a wet spatula and heat mixture for a final 30 seconds or until the mixture is cooked through. It'll be slightly translucent when the flour is cooked.
• Wrap the mochi dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate until completely cooled.
• Dust the surface of a parchment paper with potato starch and place the cooled mochi dough on top and dust off with more potato starch. With a rolling pin, roll the mochi dough until it's about 3/8-inch thick.
• Cut mochi dough with a large round cookie cutter, dust off excess starch. Place each mochi dough on a small piece of plastic wrap and repeat with the remaining cut-out dough.
• Place a scoop of prepared ice cream onto a mochi dough round, wrap the ice cream and seal the edges. Wrap each with the plastic wrap and place back into the muffin pan and chill in the freezer for 30 minutes, or until ready to serve. Enjoy!

RASPBERRY-MOCHI BUTTER CAKE WITH MATCHA GLAZE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of a 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper and grease the sides and bottom of the pan with butter.
• Prepare the cake: In a large bowl, whisk together the rice flour, granulated sugar and baking powder. In a medium bowl, whisk together 3/4 cup coconut milk with the evaporated milk, eggs, vanilla and the 1/4 cup melted butter. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk thoroughly until combined.
• Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Add half the raspberries to the cake batter one raspberry at a time, 1 inch apart, pushing each berry into the batter to fully submerge.
• Bake the cake until it's fully golden brown on top, the center is firm and no longer jiggly, and a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack. After the cake has cooled slightly, about 10 minutes, run a knife around the inside edge of the pan. Continue to let cool in the pan.
• Prepare the matcha glaze: Add the confectioners' sugar, coconut milk and matcha powder to a medium bowl. Whisk until smooth; set aside.
• Once the cake has fully cooled, carefully invert it onto a cake platter or serving plate. Spoon the matcha glaze on top just until the top of the cake is coated. (You'll have some glaze leftover.) Using the back of the spoon and working in 1-inch increments, swipe the matcha glaze from the top of the cake gradually over the edge of the cake, so it drips decoratively down the sides. (You can add more glaze as needed, or serve any additional glaze with the cake.)
• Carefully place the remaining raspberries in a decorative pile in the center of the cake. Lightly dust raspberries with confectioners' sugar and serve immediately. Store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

OZONI (MOCHI SOUP)

Steps:

• Make the chicken stock: Rinse the chicken parts. In a pot, bring the chicken, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 2 quarts water to a simmer over medium-high heat. Continue to cook at a low simmer for 30 minutes, reducing the heat as needed to prevent a full boil (which would cloud the broth).
• Strain the broth and discard the chicken or reserve the meat for another use. Add the mirin to the broth and set aside.
• Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add the satoimo and blanch until the skin is soft enough to slip off easily, about 3 minutes. Drain the satoimo, then use a spoon to scrape off the skin. Slice the satoimo into ¼-inch-thick rounds, then transfer them to a small saucepan. Add enough of the chicken broth to cover. Bring to a boil over high, then reduce the heat to simmer until soft, about 15 minutes.
• In lacquerware soup bowls or other small bowls, neatly arrange mizuna, satoimo and 1 or 2 slices of Naruto. Peel one or two long strips from the yuzu, then cut the strips very thinly crosswise. In a medium saucepan, reheat the chicken stock. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
• To serve, heat the mochi until puffy and soft, for a few minutes in a toaster oven or under the broiler, or 30 seconds on high in a microwave, and add it to the bowls. Immediately ladle about 1/2 cup hot broth into each bowl - before the mochi hardens - and garnish with a pinch of yuzu peel.

SIMPLY THE BEST BUTTER MOCHI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 13x9x2" pan. In a large bowl, sift together mochiko flour, sugar, and baking powder; mix well. In a medium bowl, combine coconut milk, evaporated milk, eggs, and vanilla extract. Make a well in the dry ingredients and incorporate the liquid ingredients; mix well. Stir in melted butter. Pour into pan and tap pan to settle batter. Bake 45-50 minutes until golden brown. Cool at least 2 hours before cutting.