Ube Mochi Cake

Purple yams, ube, whatever you may call them, are delicious. Lately, my house has been inhaling these beautiful little sweet potatoes. Purple yams are best in their natural state, simply steamed and eaten quite simply. But of course, being me, I had to fiddle with perfection.

Did you know that purple yams are extremely healthy too? They are full of vitamin C, antioxidants, fiber, potassium, and fat free! Well doesn't really matter much after you put it into this cake haha! But when eating them alone, remember all of these benefits!

This is actually a new mochi cake recipe that I am using. My friend, Kim, modified her original recipe and gave me this delicious new one. I simply just added some purple yam puree to it and called it a day. OH and I also made another red bean version, pictured below. To be honest, as beautiful as it might be, I was disappointed in this cake. It really had no discernible purple yam taste, which made me sad. But, despite this, it was still delicious as a mochi cake - so, do not expect ube flavor from this cake - just sayin'!

Mmm close up of delicious chewy cake!

The red bean version, before baking:

The ube/ purple yam version, before baking:

Ube/ Purple Yam Mochi Cake

Yields: 10 - 15 servings

Original recipe from my friend, Kim.

1 box of Mochiko flour

2 1/2 cups sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1 can coconut milk

1 3/4 cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups ube puree OR 1 can of sweetened, prepared red beans

- To make: boil the ube until cooked through (a knife easily goes in and out), cool, then puree in a blender until smooth

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Mix the first 6 ingredients together until well combined. Lastly, fold in the ube puree until thoroughly combined. Pour into a large rectangular pan, cover with foil, and bake for 1 hour (usually takes a little bit longer).

The red bean version:

Strawberry Mochi Cake

This story begins with a bit of failure. See those pretty little things below? Don't let them fool you. Although they were deliciously mouth watering they were a bit of trouble. First of all, a word to the wise. Do NOT bake these in cupcake liners!

Good thing I only baked a few trial ones in liners because I had to scrape these babies out of their shells. But those little bites I did get were pure heaven! Then, I baked them in a traditional pan and again, delicious, but way too moist due to the addition of the strawberries. My recipe for mochi cake is a bit 'chewier' than others, but I prefer it this way. When I added strawberries it just didn't hold up, sadly. But now I know that strawberries + mochi = one freaking delicious cake.

So, next time I'll use a 'drier' version of the mochi cake if I want to add strawberries. I added my recipe below but here's a link to the other recipe I've been talking about.

Mochi Cake

Yields: 1 large bundt cake

Original recipe from Kim, my friend.

Printable Recipe

1 stick butter, melted

2 tsp. vanilla

2 cups sugar

4 eggs, beaten (or 3, if you prefer a more dense cake)

2 tsp. baking powder

1 16 oz. box Mochiko flour

1 12 oz. can evaporated milk

1 13.5 oz. can coconut milk

2 - 3 cups stemmed and chopped strawberries

Mix everything together and put in a greased baking pan. Put in a 350 F oven for an hour, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely then enjoy.

Green Tea & Strawberry Daifuku

Spring. It's here and although Winter is my all time favorite season, it's time for that much needed sunshine. I went to the market today and was greeted by a flurry of gorgeous fruit: berries, peaches, and nectarines galore. I was literally a kid in a non-artificial candy store.

What to buy? What to make? Oh the possibilities! I ended up making Daifuku, or Japanese mochi treats. I can't think of anything more fitting to welcome in the new season. Luscious strawberries wrapped in green tea tinged mochi. A perfectly refreshing snack for these warm sunny days.

At first, I followed the recipe to a tee which yielded in hard, very unmanageable mochi! Ick. But after some further research, I found that the mochi mixture only needs to be zapped in the microwave for a couple minutes (it's fixed in the recipe). Other than that, this is a quick snack that is fun to make and fun to eat, plus it's looks don't hurt either. So cute!

Green Tea & Strawberry Daifuku (Mochi)

Yields: 12 small Mochi

Recipe from here.

1 cup Mochiko flour or sweet rice flour

2/3 cup strong brewed green tea

1/2 tsp. matcha powder

1/4 cup sugar

6 strawberries, washed with green tops removed

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 cup powdered sugar

Stir together the tea and sugar, microwave for 30 seconds or until sugar is dissolved. Stir in the rice flour and cover loosely with plastic wrap, then microwave for 2 minutes. While the mochi mix is microwaving, commune the corn starch and powdered sugar and liberaly dust your cutting board, set the prepared fruit nearby and get out a spoon. Stir mochi and then cook another minute. Once done, carefully turn out onto the dusted surface, WATCH OUT, the mochi will be HOT! Dust your hands in the sugar-cornstarch mix and break off a piece large enough to cover the entire strawberry (eyeball it), flatten it out, then place a piece of fruit in the center. Pinch up the sides and seal, then repeat for remaining mochi dough but be sure to work fast before the mochi gets cold. Keep in the refrigerator or freezer.

Coconut Mochi Cake

This summer I attended a little party. Everyone brought a little something to contribute. I brought my Ferrero Rocher cupcakes and Empanadas, which were delish but not as delish as this Mochi cake. Of course I knew what mochi was, but mochi cake!? I've never tried it or even heard of such a thing before! Well thank gosh I did because it's now one of my favorite cakes ever!

If you've never tried mochi or mochi cake, it has a pleasantly chewy and dense texture. I warn you, to some, this might seem odd, but to me it's utterly delicious. Well I begged my friend for the recipe and here it is, so enjoy everyone! I knew I would have to, have to make this cake for my family on Thanksgiving and I guess you're wondering WHY on Thanksgiving? Seems odd doesn't it?
Well my family hates, loathes, protests overly-sweet baked goods. Never will I ever make them a cupcake or other baked goods for them! Well I was right, this cake was perfectly sweet but not overly so. The texture really resembles some Vietnamese bakery goods as well so I knew that that would also be familiar to them. Anyways, I love this cake! Plus, did I mention how easy it is?! Just mix and bake, and you're done folks!

Mochi Cake

Yields: 1 large bundt cake

Original recipe from Kim, my friend.

Printable Recipe

1 stick butter, melted

2 tsp. vanilla

2 cups sugar

4 eggs, beaten (or 3, if you prefer a more dense cake)

2 tsp. baking powder

1 16 oz. box Mochiko flour

1 12 oz. can evaporated milk

1/2 cup water

1 13.5 oz. can coconut milk

Mix everything together and put in a greased baking pan. Put in a 350 F oven for an hour, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely then enjoy.

Mmmmm my favorite!

Mochilato {Irvine, CA}

I hope that everybody's Valentine's day went well. My Valentine's was quiet and relaxing; spending my time cooking, scrapbooking, getting an amazing light tent from B, and enjoying an intimate dinner with him too. What a lucky girl I am!

Valentine's Day heart bokeh:

On our down time, we stopped by Mochilato. I've heard many good things about it and B & I recently discovered that it was just a second away from his house (literally). We ordered the single shaved ice combo that came with a "Single" sized shaved ice along with 2 mochis. I chose tiramisu and creme brulee mochis and their "Mochilato Way" shaved ice.

The various kinds of Mochi they have:

The mochi was soft and chewy on the outside and filled with creamy, smooth gelato. The tiramisu, in my opinion, was just mere coffee and the creme brulee was just a caramel flavored vanilla. Though they didn't live up to their expectations, I think if I had not known what flavors they should have been, I would have enjoyed them just a little bit more. Besides that, the gelato and mochi were delicious none the less.

Our "Mochilato Way"shaved ice:

The shaved ice was HUGE! It was meant to be a single, but B & I barely dented the thing and we had tons to take home too. It consisted of fresh shaved ice, with a plethora of fruit mounded on top; basically a mountain of kiwi, mango, strawberry, mochi, and other delights. Though each component on its own was delicious, I think everything together was a little overkill. Next time, I think I'll stick to the various flavors of Mochi they have or keep my shaved ice simple.

Tiramisu on the left, Creme Brulee on the right: