You can finally enjoy the scrumptious flavors of butter corn and mochi together with this easy-to-make Vegan Butter Corn Mochi Cake! Blending together the goodness of corn kernels and mochiko flour, this unique treat offers a soft and chewy texture that's both savory and sweet. Just let your food processor do the work for you as you create this savory twist on the classic mochi cake.
The "buttery" kick actually comes from butter-flavored coconut oil! You can also use regular coconut oil, or plant-based butter, too.
Ingredients Used to Make Butter Corn Mochi Cake
**I've linked some of these ingredients to amazon.com to give you an idea of what they are, but you should also be able to find them in your local grocery store (usually, the natural & organic food section). They are also affiliate links, which means that I earn a commission as an Amazon Associate if you decide to purchase the items. The price will be the same for you, link or no link 🙂
- Glutinous Rice Flour - this goes by many names. You'll see Glutinous Rice Flour and Mochiko Flour (my favorite brand) in Asian grocery stores, and Sweet White Rice Flour in most other stores. ***Please note that regular white rice flour or brown rice flour is NOT the same thing as glutinous rice flour!!!
- Corn - we'll need whole kernel corn for this recipe. I used canned corn, but the corn can be from fresh, or from frozen. Read below to see how you should prep the corn depending on which you use:
- Canned Corn - For best results, drain and rinse the corn with water before using. It's best if you can find a "no salt added" corn. If you're using regular (salt added) corn, you can also adjust by using just half of the salt that's called for in the recipe.
- Frozen Corn - cook the frozen corn in the microwave or over stovetop at least until it's thawed or warm.
- Fresh Corn - Remove the corn kernels from the corn using a sharp knife. Since the corn will be cooked with the bread, there's no need to pre-cook the corn before using.
- Cooked Corn - no prep required on this one 🙂
- Sugar of choice – you can use granulated white, or raw cane sugar in this recipe. You can also use sugar-free substitutes such as monk fruit sweetener in this recipe for a slightly lower-sugar / lower-carb option.
- Butter flavored Coconut Oil - Like this one. You can use regular coconut oil, but I like using this butter flavored coconut oil to boost the buttery flavor.
- Milk of Choice – I used unsweetened almond milk, but any milk (dairy or dairy free) works in this recipe.
- Topping (optional): For the corn mochi topping, use either freeze-dried corn or seasoned dried corn like this one. Both choices will add a burst of corn flavor and a delightful crunch to complement the soft and chewy mochi cake.
See All My Mochi Cake Recipes (HERE)
Step-by-Step Guide
How to Make Butter Corn Mochi Cake (Baked Nian Gao)
STEP 1
In the bowl of the food processor, mix the dry ingredients together: glutinous rice flour (also called sweet rice flour or mochiko flour) with tapioca flour, and sugar.
To make using WITHOUT the food processor: mix dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl
STEP 2
Add the corn kernels (washed and rinsed if using canned)
To make using WITHOUT the food processor: Prepare corn puree by blending cooked corn kernels in a mini blender until creamy. Add the corn puree to the dry ingredients. And proceed to add the almond milk and melted coconut oil.
STEP 3
Add melted or softened butter flavored coconut oil (or vegan butter), and the hot almond milk.
TIP: the hot milk helps the mochi become chewier.
STEP 4
Blend until smooth, about 40-60 seconds
STEP 5
Pour into a well greased cake pan or oven-safe glass dish
STEP 6
bake in oven 350F for 50-60 minutes , or until the middle is set and the edges are crispy.
STEP 7
Let cool completely before serving, or cool the cakes in the freezer for 2-3 hours which helps to get clean slices of cakes.
STEP 8
Enjoy!
Recipe Variations and Optional Add Ins:
- The add in options for this baked mochi cake recipe are pretty much unlimited and you can easily customize the flavor and texture to fit your own tastes! Here are some awesome ways you can make this sweet rice cake your own
- Add more texture! Adding chopped nuts, seeds, or dried fruits or oats is a fantastic way to increase the nutrition and flavor in rice cakes. If you’re feeling indulgent, you can also add chocolate chips.
- Turn them into muffins – instead of baking this recipe in a round pan, divide the batter into muffin pans and steam/bake. You’ll have to adjust the baking time (about 20-25 minutes).
- Change up the liquid. Try using full fat coconut milk instead of almond milk. The fat in the coconut milk will translate to a silky, glossy rice cake that is more decadent than just almond milk.
How to Store Butter Corn Mochi Cake
- Butter Corn Mochi Cakes can be kept covered at room temperature for up to 24 hours. Enjoy them fresh within this time for the best taste and texture.
- While it's possible to refrigerate mochi cakes, rice flour desserts like mochi tend to develop a waxy hard texture when stored in the fridge for more than 1-2 days.
- If your mochi cakes lose their soft and chewy texture after refrigeration, you can re-steam or pan-fry them until hot and completely translucent to revive their original texture.
- For longer storage, consider wrapping the sweet rice cakes completely in plastic wrap or a Ziploc bag and freezing them. When ready to enjoy, defrost the frozen mochi cakes at room temperature. Frozen mochi cakes do not require re-steaming.
Final Tips & Reminders
- Glutinous rice flour is known by several names. In Asian grocery stores, you'll find it labeled as Glutinous Rice Flour or Mochiko Flour, but sometimes it's called Sweet White Rice Flour. Be sure not to confuse glutinous rice flour from regular white rice flour or brown rice flour, as they are not interchangeable!
- When using liquid ingredients in mochi recipes like this one, it's best if the liquid is hot (but not boiling). The heat of the liquid helps the mochi / glutinous flour become even more chewy and also makes the final product develop a glossy sheen.
Savory Corn Mochi Cake (Baked Nian Gao)
Ingredients
Mochi Batter
- 2 cup mochiko flour, sweet rice or glutinous rice flour (230g), read notes*
- ½ cup tapioca flour (67g)
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar of choice (67g), or a sugar free alternative, such as granulated monk fruit sweetener
- 1 can (15 oz) whole corn kernels , from canned**. About 261g washed and drained. Equals to about 1 cup of corn puree
- ¾ cup almond milk, regular milk or water (171g), heated in the microwave until hot***
- ¼ cup light olive oil or melted coconut oil (54 g), use butter flavored coconut oil for best flavor!
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 8 x 8 inch square cake (I used a Pyrex glass dish) with some oil (spray oil works fine, too).
- In the bowl of the food processor, mix the dry ingredients together: glutinous rice flour (also called sweet rice flour or mochiko flour) with tapioca flour, and sugar. To make using WITHOUT the food processor: mix dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl
- Add the corn kernels (washed and rinsed if using canned)To make using WITHOUT the food processor: Prepare corn puree by blending cooked corn kernels in a mini blender until creamy. Add the corn puree to the dry ingredients. And proceed to add the almond milk and melted coconut oil.
- Add melted or softened butter flavored coconut oil (or vegan butter), and the hot almond milk.TIP: the hot milk helps the mochi become chewier.
- Blend until smooth, about 40-60 seconds
- Pour into a well greased cake pan or oven-safe glass dish
- bake in oven 350F for 50-60 minutes , or until the middle is set and the edges are crispy.For softer texture, you can also steam the mochi batter on medium heat for 45-60 mins, or until the center of the mochi cake is set.
- Let cool completely before serving, or cool the cakes in the freezer for 2-3 hours which helps to get clean slices of cakes.
- Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Canned Corn - For best results, drain and rinse the corn with water before using. It's best if you can find a "no salt added" corn. If not, we can also adjust the salt that's added to the bread (more details on the recipe card).
- Frozen Corn - cook the frozen corn in the microwave or over stovetop at least until it's thawed or warm.
- Fresh Corn - Remove the corn kernels from the corn using a sharp knife. Since the corn will be cooked with the bread, there's no need to pre-cook the corn before using.
- Cooked Corn - no prep required on this one 🙂
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