Peanut Butter Mochi Cake (Printable)

Tender mochi layered with peanut butter, blending Asian and American dessert flavors in every bite.

# What You Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups sweet rice flour (glutinous rice flour, mochiko)
02 - 1 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
04 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

05 - 1 1/2 cups whole milk
06 - 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk
07 - 3 large eggs
08 - 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
09 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
10 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan or line it with parchment paper.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together sweet rice flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt until evenly blended.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk whole milk, coconut milk, eggs, peanut butter, melted butter, and vanilla extract until smooth.
04 - Pour wet mixture into dry ingredients and whisk until the batter is smooth and free of lumps.
05 - Transfer batter to prepared pan and gently tap to release any trapped air bubbles.
06 - Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until the surface is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
07 - Remove pan from oven and allow cake to cool fully before cutting into squares.
08 - Serve at room temperature or chilled. Store leftovers airtight in the refrigerator.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's gluten-free without tasting like a compromise, with a texture that's chewy, tender, and nothing short of addictive.
  • Peanut butter becomes the star here, not a supporting ingredient, creating that cozy nutty depth that makes people ask for seconds.
  • The whole thing comes together in under an hour, and your oven does most of the heavy lifting while you clean up.
02 -
  • Use glutinous rice flour (mochiko)—regular rice flour won't give you that distinctive chewy texture and will result in a cake that feels dry and grainy no matter how much milk you add.
  • Don't overbake this, or you'll lose the tender, custardy center that makes mochi cake worth making in the first place; a toothpick should come out with moist crumbs, not completely clean.
  • Letting the cake cool completely in the pan is non-negotiable—rushing this step leads to a crumbly mess instead of sliceable squares.
03 -
  • Always melt your butter and let it cool slightly before mixing—hot butter can cook the eggs and create an odd, scrambled texture in your finished cake.
  • If your peanut butter is the natural, separated kind, stir it well or even warm it slightly so it incorporates smoothly into the batter instead of creating pockets of unmixed peanut butter throughout.
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