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.

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