The 5-Ingredient Hawaiian Cake I Can’t Stop Making

Butter mochi hails from Hawaii and is a sweet, buttery, coconutty treat that’s quick and easy to make. You just need five ingredients.

Overhead shot of butter mochi baked in a rectangular baking dish, cut into squares with some pieces taken out — Simply Recipes / Photo by Nico Schinco / Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne

Once you've had it, Hawaiian butter mochi is one of those treats you’ll never forget. I tried it for the first time in Maui a few years ago, and I can still taste it now. Fresh from the oven, butter mochi is crispy and golden brown on the outside, but hiding within is a tender, moist, mochi-like cake with an almost magical bounce and chewiness.

The chewiness of butter mochi is what the Taiwanese describe as “QQ,” a toothsome mouthfeel that you experience when eating good-quality boba pearls or Haribo gummy bears. Once you bite in, that rich, chewy butteriness will make your tastebuds sing. My Cantonese-Vietnamese palate also loves that butter mochi is not too sweet or dry like Western-style blondies or other bars.

If you tend to be impatient, I must warn you, like many other desserts made with glutinous rice flour, this butter mochi needs some time in the oven to fully bake through. Plus, mochi cures and develops more chewiness over time, so you should let the butter mochi cool completely before slicing into it for maximum chew.

Squares of butter mochi stacked on a orange plate — Simply Recipes / Photo by Nico Schinco / Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne

Make It Your Own

In developing recipes for my first and third cookbooks, I made butter mochi constantly—partly to perfect the dish and partly because I couldn’t get enough of it. I’ve made chocolate, ube, black sesame, and butterfly pea flower butter mochi, just to name a few of the flavors and variations I’ve experimented with.

To start, I recommend that you try this simple butter mochi recipe as-is first—after all, plain coconut butter mochi is heavenly on its own. Then, get creative by adding flavors to this base to make it your own! Here are a few suggestions to get you started:

Add in about 1 tablespoon of either ube or pandan extract (with color)
Mix in about 1 tablespoon of matcha powder for a matcha version or 1/4 cup of Dutch-process cocoa powder for a chocolate version
Instead of shredded coconut, top the butter mochi with toasted sesame seeds, chocolate chips, grated citrus peel, or your favorite nuts or dried berries
Swirl jams or syrups like kaya, ube halaya, or passionfruit curd into the batter before baking
Add a pop of salinity by sprinkling flaky salt over the top of the cooled butter mochi right before serving

Overhead shot of butter mochi in a rectangular baking dish, cut into squares, with some pieces of mochi put on a wooden board on the side of the baking dish — Simply Recipes / Photo by Nico Schinco / Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Generously grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with the softened butter.

Mix the batter:

In a large bowl, combine the coconut milk, milk, sugar, eggs, and melted butter. Beat with a hand mixer on medium-high speed until well combined, 1 to 2 minutes.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the glutinous rice flour and beat again on medium speed until a smooth batter forms, about 2 minutes.

Assemble and top:

Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the shredded coconut in an even layer over the top of the butter mochi batter, if using.

Bake:

Bake until the top and sides are golden brown, the butter mochi has puffed, and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, about 65 minutes.

Cool completely and serve:

Transfer the baking dish to a wire rack and allow the butter mochi to cool completely, at least 45 minutes.

Slice into 24 or 36 bars. Enjoy with hot tea or coffee or as a midnight snack! Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

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