Pumpkin Spice Mochi Cake
Serves: 4 to 8
A cosy and autumnal Pumpkin Spice Mochi Cake, perfect for potluck parties or as a dessert after an Asian meal. Recipe with step-by-step photos.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon unsalted butter, for greasing
- 2 eggs
- 220 g (1 cup) caster sugar, (superfine sugar)
- 25 g (1 ½ tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 400 ml (1 ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon) coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 100 g (⅓ cup) pumpkin purée, fresh or canned
- 225 g (8 oz) glutinous rice flour, also called sweet rice flour or Mochiko flour
- 3 g (½ teaspoon) fine salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated, or more to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F (without fan).
- Generously grease a round baking dish measuring 24 cm/9.5 inches.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until the mixture is a pale yellow.
- Add the melted butter, coconut milk, vanilla extract, and pumpkin purée.
- Whisk to combine.
- Slowly whisk in the glutinous rice flour, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.
- Keep whisking until you have a thick and smooth batter. You don't have to worry about over-mixing because this batter does not contain any gluten.
- Pour the batter into the greased baking dish.
- Tap the baking dish on the bench top a few times to bring any air bubbles to the surface.
- Bake the cake for about 40-55 minutes, or until the cake is lightly golden all over and the centre feels firm when lightly touched. The cake should puff up slightly during baking, which will indicate that it is cooked all the way through. Upon cooling, the cake will settle a little.
- Place the baking dish on a wire rack and allow the cake to cool (in the baking dish) for at least 30 minutes.
- Use a sharp knife to slice the cake and serve immediately.
- This mochi cake tastes best on the day it is baked because the topping and the edges will be nice and crispy. Any leftovers can be kept in the fridge and reheated (see below), but it will lose its crispness.
Kitchen Notes
- DOUBLE THE RECIPE
You can double this recipe to make a bigger serving for large gatherings. I recommend using a baking dish measuring approximately 30 x 40 cm/12 x 16 inches. Bake for 60-75 minutes, or until lightly golden all over and cooked in the centre. - MAKE IT DAIRY-FREE
Substitute the butter for margarine or another plant-based alternative to make the cake dairy-free. - STORING LEFTOVER MOCHI CAKE
Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for several days, or individually wrapped in the freezer. I like to freeze two slices at a time in a vacuum-sealed bag or ziplock freezer bag. - REHEATING LEFTOVER MOCHI CAKE
Leftover mochi cake tastes best when it is reheated. Reheat them in the microwave until they are just warmed through (about 15-20 seconds). - HOMEMADE PUMPKIN PURÉE
* Peel and remove the seeds from about 500 g (1 lb) of pumpkin.
* Cut the pumpkin into large pieces of roughly equal size.
* To boil, bring a large pot of water to the boil, add the pumpkin and cook for about 30 minutes until the pumpkin is tender.
* To steam, bring a large pot of water to the boil, place the pumpkin in the steamer basket and steam for about 50-60 minutes, or until the pumpkin is tender (the timing will depend on how large the pumpkin pieces are).
* Place the cooked pumpkin into the bowl of a large food processor and blitz until you have a fine purée.
* Leave the purée to cool completely before using in this recipe.
* Any leftover pumpkin purée can be kept in a covered container in the fridge for a few days. - OVEN & STOVE TEMPERATURES
All recipes on this website have been tested on an induction stove and/or with a conventional oven (i.e. an oven without fan). All recipes on this website use temperatures for a conventional oven, unless otherwise mentioned. Convection ovens (i.e. fan-forced ovens) are typically 20°C/70°F hotter than conventional ovens, but please check your manufacturer's handbook. - CONVERSIONS
To convert from cups to grams, and vice-versa, please see this handy Conversion Chart for Basic Ingredients.