Ingredients
Cooking spray
3/4 c. mochiko (120 g.)
1/3 c. granulated sugar, plus more for topping
1/4 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
3 tbsp. butter, mostly melted
1 large egg
1/2 c. coconut milk
1/3 c. evaporated milk
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 c. shredded coconut, for topping (optional)
Preparation
Step 1Preheat oven to 375°. Grease a 24-cup mini cupcake tin with cooking spray.Step 2In a large bowl, whisk together mochiko, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together butter and egg until smooth, then whisk in coconut milk, evaporated milk, and vanilla.Step 3Pour milk mixture into the dries and whisk until completely smooth. Divide batter evenly among the 24 cupcake tins, about 1 tablespoon in each. For coconut butter mochi, top each cake with 1 teaspoon of coconut. Step 4For crème brûlée butter mochi, leave plain. (For a mix, top half the cakes with coconut and leave half plain!)Step 5Bake until edges are golden and tops are puffy, 18 to 22 minutes.Step 6For crème brûlée butter mochi, sprinkle a thin layer of sugar on top of baked cakes and use a kitchen torch to caramelize sugar on top. Let cool until sugar hardens.Step 7For a cakier texture, serve butter mochi while warm; for a chewier consistency, let mochi cool completely before serving.
This recipe offers two options for topping: with shredded coconut, or with some granulated sugar and fire for a brûléed top that is crunchy and nicely bittersweet. A mini muffin tin maximizes your yield of golden edges, but if you only have a square cake pan (or even a round one), you can bake this all the same—just make sure to increase the baking time accordingly until you see nice golden edges all around. What to do with the rest of your mochiko? Make some tang yuan! If you’ve made this recipe, drop us a line down below and let us know how you liked it.
