You Mochi My Day: Mochi Cake Recipe from CS Buddy Cindy

Dinner parties rule for many reasons:

1. You get to hang out with cool people, and sometimes meet new people.
2. You get to eat a bunch of delicious things.
3. IMPORTANTLY: Dessert is pretty much inevitable.

And after a recent dinner party at CS buddy Cindy's house, after being very impressed with her delightfully dense, lightly but not excessively sweet, almond-y Mochi Cake, she was a kind and generous hostess indeed and even sent the recipe:

As promised here is the recipe for the "Mochi Cake" (for lack of a more appropriate name). I checked the rice cup I was using and it is roughly the equivalent of 3/4 (wet) cup. Let me know if you have any questions and I hope it's rather straightforward.

Mochi Cake

*1 cup = 1 rice cup or 3/4 standard (wet) cup

Ingredients:

• 1 box (16 oz) Mochiko (sweet rice flour - I use the Koda Farms one, which can be purchased at most Asian grocery stores)
• 2 cup Milk (or Milk substitute, I used Almond Milk for the one you guys had)
• 1 scant cup vegetable oil (I tend to use slightly less to avoid excess oil)
• 1 to 1.5 cup sugar
• 1 generous tbsp baking powder
• 4 eggs (if you only 3 eggs or want to use up to 5 eggs that works okay too but 4 seems to be the best ratio)

Optional ingredients:

• dried fruits (eg. longan, raisins, etc.)
• rice wine (enough to cover and rehydrate fruits)
• can of cooked red beans (again can be purchased at the Asian grocery store, be sure to get one that has the beans in it and not completely mashed - Shirakiku Anko Red Bean Ogura)

Procedure

1. If using dried fruits, add enough rice wine to cover and rehydrate dried fruits
2. While fruits are rehydrating, mix together mochiko, milk, oil, sugar, baking powder and eggs thoroughly
3. Line a baking pan (I use a rectangular baking pan, approx. 9" X 13") with aluminum foil & brush lightly with oil
4. Fill baking pan with batter
5. If including dried fruits or cooked red beans, use spoon to drop dollops on top of batter, then use finger or butter knife to stir/distribute throughout batter (you can make swirls with the pattern if desired)
6. Bake for 25-30 minutes @ 390 - 400F (until when pierced with toothpick comes out clean)