Butter Mochi Cake (Hawaiian Glutinous Rice Coconut Cake)
Butter mochi cake is a Hawaiian baked dessert that occupies the space between a rice cake and a western-style cake, thanks to its base of sweet glutinous rice flour. The batter is thin and pourable - sweet rice flour mixed with sugar, eggs, melted butter, milk, and coconut milk - and it bakes slowly until the bottom sets into a dense, chewy mochi layer while the top forms a golden-brown crust with a light crunch. Coconut milk contributes a subtle tropical aroma throughout, and the butter dissolves into the starch, replacing what might otherwise be a bland chewiness with a rich, dairy-forward warmth. The cake works both at room temperature and gently rewarmed, each serving temperature emphasizing a different side of its dual texture.
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Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 175C and butter a baking pan.
- 2
Combine sweet rice flour and sugar in a bowl.
- 3
Add milk, coconut milk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla; mix until smooth.
- 4
Pour into pan and tap lightly to release bubbles.
- 5
Bake 45-50 minutes until the top turns golden.
- 6
Cool completely and cut into squares.
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