Summer

Plum Butter Almond Mochi Cake

Name: Plum Butter Almond Mochi Cake
Yield: Serves Makes one large 9 x 13 pan or 16 - 18 muffin cakes
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 ripe but firm black plums; 1 box (16 oz.) Mochiko sweet rice flour (I used Koda Farms Blue Star Brand); 2 tablespoons almond meal; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 2/3 cup \n2 Tablespoon(s) light agave nectar\n\n; 1 teaspoon almond extract; 3 large eggs; 1 1/4 cups 1% milk; 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted; No-stick spray for greasing pans

by: gingerroot

August 3, 2010

4.3

3 Ratings

Serves Makes one large 9 x 13 pan or 16 - 18 muffin cakes

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Author Notes

Having grown up in Hawai`i, I have grown up eating all kinds of mochi. Mochi soup, or ozoni, at every New Year’s celebration, chichidango, the slightly sweet, often pink, rectangular mochi heralding Girl’s Day, and the countless other variations that are made and shared at gatherings of family or friends. I have vivid memories of my Great-Grandfather, who came to Hawai`i from Okinawa to work on a pineapple plantation, enjoying mochi, manju and anpan, the sweet treats that reminded him of home. I would be remiss not to include a plum recipe that incorporated mochi. Inspired by a mochi cake recipe from a local cookbook, I substituted agave for sugar, added almond meal and almond extract to pair with the plums and the result is a chewy on the outside, moist, and subtly sweet cake that contrasts beautifully with the tart (by comparison) ripe plum–and gluten free to boot!
Note: I tend to cook with abandon, which does not usually translate into baking. However, this recipe is very forgiving. All you have to do is mix and bake – it is foolproof. - gingerroot
—gingerroot

Test Kitchen Notes

As gingerroot says, this recipe is forgiving and foolproof. It's also deliciously chewy, plummy, and just sweet enough. It's particularly addictive still warm, if my standing over the cooling pan carving out wedge after wedge of cake is any indicator. When I make this cake again (clearly I'll have to since I ate most of the first one already), I'll use vanilla extract for about half the almond (a little almond extract goes a long way for my palate), add some salt, and maybe throw in another plum. I'll also make sure someone else is home to keep me from eating it all again. - vvvanessa —vvvanessa

Test Kitchen-Approved

What You'll Need

Ingredients

2 ripe but firm black plums
1 box (16 oz.) Mochiko sweet rice flour (I used Koda Farms Blue Star Brand)
2 tablespoons almond meal
2 teaspoons baking powder
²/₃ cup
2 Tablespoon(s) light agave nectar
1 teaspoon almond extract
3 large eggs
1 ¹/₄ cups 1% milk
¹/₂ cup unsalted butter, melted
No-stick spray for greasing pans

Directions

Remove skins from plums by placing fruit in a small pot of boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove plums and plunge into bowl of cold water. Halve plums before removing skin (let us just say skinned plums are quite slippery and trying to halve them after removing skin is well...more difficult); skin should slip off easily. Remove stone, cut into wedges and chop.
Prepare baking pan(s) of choice by spraying with no-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
In a large bowl, whisk rice flour, almond meal and baking powder.
In another bowl, mix eggs, agave and almond extract; stir well to combine. Add milk, stirring to combine.
Make a well in dry ingredients; add liquid mixture, stirring well to combine. Pour melted butter over batter and fold in thoroughly.
Depending on how you want to add the plums, at this point you can either lightly fold plums into batter or, pour batter into prepared pans and spread plum pieces on top. I tested this recipe twice and tried both methods. I dotted my muffin cakes with plum pieces and folded the plum pieces into the 9 x13 pan. Both methods came out delicious, choose whichever you prefer.
Transfer batter to baking pan(s) of choice. If using a 9 x 13 baking pan, pour batter into pan and spread evenly, smoothing with an offset spatula. If using muffin tins, fill each one a little more than half (I used an ice cream scoop and it was the perfect amount).
Place in oven and cook: about 28 minutes for muffins, 45- 50 minutes for 9 x 13 pan. Mochi cake is ready when top is golden brown and a toothpick tested in the center comes out clean. Transfer to racks and allow to thoroughly cool. Cut with a plastic knife. Store in an airtight container; best eaten fresh or consumed within a day or two.

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Judy Hopp
vvvanessa
gingerroot
dymnyno
aargersi

My most vivid childhood memories have to do with family and food. As a kid, I had the good fortune of having a mom who always encouraged trying new things, and two grandmothers who invited me into their kitchens at a young age. I enjoy cooking for the joy it brings me - sharing food with loved ones - and as a stress release. I turn to it equally during good times and bad. Now that I have two young children, I try to be conscientious about what we cook and eat. Right about the time I joined food52, I planted my first raised bed garden and joined a CSA; between the two I try to cook as sustainably and organically as I can. Although I'm usually cooking alone, my children are my favorite kitchen companions and I love cooking with them. I hope when they are grown they will look back fondly at our time spent in the kitchen, as they teach their loved ones about food-love. Best of all, after years on the mainland for college and graduate school, I get to eat and cook and raise my children in my hometown of Honolulu, HI. When I'm not cooking, I am helping others grow their own organic food or teaching schoolchildren about art.

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12 Reviews

Judy H. August 1, 2018

Hi there!! Trying to make this at the moment- does that say 2/3 cup and 2 tbsps of agave nectar?

gingerroot August 2, 2018

Yes, 2/3 plus 2 T. Enjoy!

Kirsten H. June 14, 2015

I really enjoyed this recipe. I mixed in apricot in place of the second plum (based on what I had on hand. I didn't have sweet rice flour, just regular rice flour so I wasn't sure it would turn out sweet enough so I sprinkled a little brown sugar over the top before baking it. This is really good - I look forward to making this per the recipe next time!

vvvanessa June 11, 2011

im a mochi fiend! i can't wait to try this out. have you tried making it with any sweetener other than agave? maple syrup or honey maybe? mahalo!

gingerroot June 11, 2011

You are so welcome, vvvanessa! I have not tried this with another sweetener...please let me know if you do. I'd love to hear your thoughts about it. thanks!

vvvanessa June 30, 2011

don't tell anyone, but i'm making this again this week. it really hits the spot! : )

gingerroot August 4, 2010

Note: I tested this recipe again tonight using a 9 x 13 pan and made edits accordingly. After eating and sharing the muffin cakes with family and friends I realized that mochi cake is best when the piece is thicker like a brownie - to get the full chewy delicious effect. I also only had one and a half plums left so added a small mango from my CSA box - plum mango yum! Enjoy.

Sagegreen August 4, 2010

That does look like a great combination! Thanks.

dymnyno August 3, 2010

gingerroot, I am so glad that you posted a mochi recipe!!! I love it!

gingerroot August 3, 2010

Thanks, dymnyno! Although I have eaten lots of different kinds of mochi, I have never put together my own cake recipe - I like the consistency of this - not too buttery and not too sweet.

aargersi August 3, 2010

What's so great about this communtiy is learning new stuff pretty much every day ... have never heard of mochi but now it is on my to try list, just need to track down the sweet rice flour. Plus the part about it being forgiving is very appealing :-)