Nyob Zoo All!
I’ve been seeing these Shanghai butter rice cake circulating around and thought to show you my take on it. These are coconut flavored served with a coconut green onion custard dip on the side. These coconut butter mochi cakes are inspired by khanom krok, a popular Thai coconut (rice base) pancake often sold on the streets of Thailand as a snack. They have a crispy exterior and a creamy and custardy coconut interior. They are usually topped with either corn, taro, sweet potatoes and or the most classic… green onions. I love khanom krok, so when I tried out the classic Shanghai butter mochi recipe, I thought these would actually be even more amazing coconut flavored with the coconut green onion custard dip on the side. You might think green onions and coconut together???? That’s kind of weird… BUT, if you have had the green onion khanom krok before, you know this flavor combo. If you haven’t, try it out and see if it works for you. It might be questionable at first but the flavor does grow on you. These coconut butter mochi cakes are crispy on the outside, soft & chewy on the inside, and served with a sweet & salty coconut custard with a hint of green onion. They are super easy to make and so worth it. So give it a try and happy baking!
What are Shanghai butter rice cakes?
Shanghai butter rice cakes are a type of rice cake that are chewy and soft on the inside, and super crispy, light, and buttery on the outside. They have gone viral because of it’s unique golden buttery edges and soft and chewy interior. It’s classically made with glutinous rice flour which gives it that fun chewy texture, butter for that rich addicting flavor, sugar for sweetness, and eggs to bind it all together. It’s simple in ingredients but other flavors can be added to the batter to make it a little bit more fun. You can see very similar rice cakes in other countries like Hawaiian butter mochi or Filipino bibingka. Same type of chewy like interior but all have unique texture, style and method of their own. It’s been trending quite a bit in Korea where it’s often called “butter tteok” as well.
Main Ingredients
- Glutinous rice flour: Glutinous rice flour is flour made with “sweet rice” or also known as sticky rice. This is what gives the rice cakes the chew. There are two kinds of glutinous rice flour I like to use for this. Erawan Brand or Koda Farms Mochiko flour will work. What’s the difference? Erawan brand uses long grain sticky rice for their flour vs Koda farms uses short grain sticky rice instead. Long grain and short grain sticky rice both have their own unique subtle flavors to them but they both will work perfectly fine in this recipe since the rice cake will still achieve that nice chewy texture. If I had to choose, I would use Erawan brand since it will create a much crispier exterior and more chewier interior.
- Tapioca starch: Gives tenderness and also more chew
- Coconut milk: Give the rice cake richness and flavor. Use a good quality coconut milk like Aroy D.
- Whole milk: Gives more richness and helps balance out the amount of coconut added to this recipe.
- Sugar: For sweetness
- Salt: Gives flavor
- Egg: Gives elasticity and binds the batter
- Butter: Gives richness and flavor
- Vanilla extract: Gives flavor
Cook with the sugar, salt and butter just to melt. Cool to room temp and then add in the egg, vanilla, and starches before pouring it over a sieve to get a smoother batter.
The pan
Use a good NON STICK oval shell shaped madeleine pan that has 12 cavity. The batter will make exactly 12 rice cakes. You can easily find these online. 
Make sure to butter each cavity so the rice cake doesn’t stick, helps create a crispier exterior, and for extra buttery flavor! 
Fill the batter 3/4 full. Give it some room so they can expand as they bake. 
Bake for 35 minutes for that golden crispy exterior
Flip them over so it can cool and steam out. This will help keep the bottom crispy! It’s buttery, soft, and slightly chewy. And pairs perfectly with the green onion coconut custard dip. Delish!
Make the coconut green onion custard dip. It’s rich, not too sweet, a little salty and the green onion adds another level of flavor to help compliment the buttery rice cake. The dip can be served warm, room temp, or cold. It will get thicker as it cools.
Dip and enjoy! 
Enjoy!
-Cindy Her (C.HerCreations)
Coconut Butter Rice Cakes (with green onion coconut dip)
Equipment
- 12 Cavity Round Shell Shape Cake Pans (NON STICK works best)
Ingredients
For the coconut butter mochi cakes
- 180 grams coconut milk (Aroy-D brand)
- 50 grams whole milk
- 55 grams sugar
- 2 grams salt (1/4 tsp)
- 2 grams vanilla extract (1/2 tsp)
- 40 grams unsalted butter (Room temp is best)
- 1 large size egg (50g)
- 140 grams glutinous rice flour (Erawan Brand or you can also use Koda Farms Mochiko flour)
- 20 grams tapioca flour
Other
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter (very softened or spreadable) [This is for brushing the cavities of the baking pan]
For the green onion coconut custard dip
- 120 grams coconut milk (1/2 cup)
- 57 grams water (1/4 cup)
- 26 grams sugar (2 Tbsp)
- 7 grams cornstarch (2 tsp)
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sliced green onions (green parts only) (add more if you like)
Instructions
For the coconut butter rice cakes
- In a pot, add in the coconut milk, whole milk, sugar, salt, and room temp butter. Allow it cook on medium heat until the butter, sugar, and salt has melted. It does not have to come to a boil. Just hot enough to melt the butter, sugar & salt. Allow it to rest to room temp or you can cool it over a bowl of cold or ice water to come to room temp. Once at room temp, add in the egg and vanilla extract. Mix well and set aside.
- In a bowl, add in the glutinous rice flour and tapioca flour. Mix well. Then pour in the coconut liquid base and whisk well. Transfer the batter over a sieve that's been placed over a bowl to help smooth out the batter. Then transfer the batter into a spouted measuring cup or pitcher for easier transfer. Allow it to rest for 15 minutes before cooking. This allows the the flour to fully get hydrated before cooking. As the batter is sitting, go ahead and preheat the oven to 350'F under the baking setting.
- As the oven in preheating and the batter is sitting, take about 2 tbsp of unsalted softened/spreadable butter and brush each cavity of the baking pan well with it. You can microwave the butter to get it a little melted to make it easier to work with if needed. After 15 minutes of letting the batter sit, give it a gentle stir and pour the batter about just shy of 3/4 full into each buttered cavity. Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes. I like to bake mine at just about 35 minutes for a little slightly darker and crispier exterior. Once baked, remove and immediately flip each cakes over so the bottom can cool so they can hardened and stay crispy. If you don't do this, the bottom of the cakes will absorb the excess moisture that is trying to escape as it sits. So flip it over so the bottom can cool and retains it's crispy texture. Once cooled, enjoy as is or with the coconut dipping sauce. Enjoy while they are still crunchy!
For the green onion coconut custard dip
- Place the coconut milk, water, sugar, salt, and cornstarch into a pot. Cook while whisking on high heat until it bubbles and has thickened. Remove from the heat and then add in the sliced green onions. Mix well and allow it to cool before enjoying or you can also serve it warm.
