A dessert staple you’ll see at nearly any potluck in Hawaii, Butter Mochi Cake is a fun take on the Japanese pounded rice balls. I should say that you see Mochi Cake at every party though, since every party in Hawaii is a potluck! It’s not overwhelmingly sweet, even though it looks like a gooey version of pound cake. It’s dense and sticky like mochi, but just a bit buttery and crispy on the outside like traditional cake.
The original version has a ton of eggs, butter, and milk. We opted out with The Vegg vegan egg-yolk, less oil, and coconut milk to keep it tasting Hawaiian! I really like The Vegg for this kind of dense, rich, recipe where eggs are pivotal to the whole character of the dish. Anything can bind cookies or brownies, but you’re not going to get this texture with apple sauce. Neither really cake or mochi, it’s delicious and exciting if you’re up for something new! Add a few tablespoons of cocoa powder for a chocolate version or a tsp of lemon extra if you’re on the citrus end of the spectrum.
Vegan Butter Mochi Cake (24-28 squares)
Ingredients
1 box of Mochiko (sweet rice flour found in the asian section of any major supermarket)
2 cups raw sugar
6 tbsp vegan butter or coconut oil
2 cans coconut milk (roughly 3 cups)
2 tsp Vegg Powder blended with 1/2 cup water
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp baking powder
Preheat oven to 350° F. Place oven rack in middle of oven. Lightly oil a 9 x 9-inch baking dish.
Beat together the sugar and vegan butter until completely smooth and free of lumps. Add the coconut milk, blended vegg, and vanilla; continue beating until combined. Add the baking powder and the sweet rice flour (Mochiko) until batter is combined and smooth. Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking dish.
Bake approximately 1 hour or until the top of the cake is golden and cake begins to pull away from sides of pan. Remove from oven and let cool on a cooking rack. With a sharp knife, cut into small squares to serve. You might have to wet the knife a few times with water to keep getting a clean cut.
Dang…looks so good!
THIS WAS SO GOOD THANK YOU!!! MAHALO
Oh my goodness, this is a beautiful thing. Thanks so much for this recipe. Just nommed some straight out of the oven and I am in love.
What is vegg powder and where do you get it?
Hi Carlyn,
The Vegg, is a plant-based egg yolk substitute. I personally get it at a Health Food store in Los Angeles called Organix, but have purchased it in the past from VeganEssentials.com and other vegan retailers. They also sell it on their site and probably for a better deal.
I’ve been meaning to try this recipe with Aquafaba or the Follow Your Heart Egg, now that it has become widely available. Thanks for stopping by!
Does this recipe work with flax egg? If so, how much would I sub for veg powder?
I would not attempt to substitute The Vegg with flaxmeal. Flax does not have the same baking properties for this recipe. However, you can substitute 1/2 cup prepared Follow Your Heart Vegan Egg if you cannot find The Vegg. Thanks for stopping by!
It looks fantastic. Unfortunately, there is no brand egg replacer in my country. I’ve been getting by with banana and flax seed instead.
Any advice?
I’m afraid that will not work.
Could I use Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer or apple sauce instead of The Vegg? Thank you!
Hi Rose, I’m not sure about the Egg Replacer, but you definitely would not get good results with apple sauce. I have used aquafaba, but the problem that occurs if you don’t use something like the Vegg or Follow Your Heart Vegan Egg—— is the oil doesn’t emulsify as well and the mochi will seep and be quite oily to the touch. Alternatively, you can add a 1/4 tsp xanthan gum to the egg replacer batch. I don’t know if that will work, but it’s the best I’ve got!
Thank you so so much for this recipe! Do you think that justegg liquid would work with this and if so how much justegg should we try?
Hi Char,
It should work with an equal replacement of JustEgg (1/2c). I have also used FYH Vegan Egg in this recipe with success. Happy Baking!