This dessert could grace a pastry shop window, but its elegance masks its ease (just as the shiny chocolate glaze covers up the bouncy-cushiony-chewy middle). The mochiko, or sweet rice flour, is what gives the cake its unique texture, and the earthy matcha and bittersweet chocolate make it not too sweet. In the spirit of the Hawaiian butter mochi that inspired the recipe, it requires minimal equipment and comes together in the time it takes the oven to heat up. Do take the time to sift the matcha, however—it ensures that there aren’t any dry bits in the final cake—and splurge for ceremonial-grade matcha if you want the most vibrant color possible.
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What you’ll need
Round Cake Pan
$18 $17 At Amazon
Scale
$27 At Amazon
Small Offset Spatula
$5 At Amazon
Whisk
$12 At Amazon
Mesh Sieve
$15 At Amazon
Wire Cooling Rack
$17 At Bon Appétit Market
Cake Tester
$5 At Amazon
Recipe information
Yield
Makes one 8"- or 9"-diameter cake
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350°. Generously butter an 8"- or 9"-diameter cake pan. Whisk mochiko, baking powder, salt, and 2 Tbsp. matcha in a large bowl just to combine. Vigorously whisk eggs and melted butter in a medium bowl until pale and emulsified, about 30 seconds. Add sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, and 1 cup cream and whisk until mixture is smooth. Scrape into dry ingredients and whisk vigorously until smooth and very thick. Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth surface.
Step 2
Bake cake until it starts to pull away from sides of pan, top and edges are golden, and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 35–45 minutes (cake in the smaller pan will take longer to bake than one in the larger pan). Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cake cool 5 minutes. Turn cake out onto rack; let cool completely.
Step 3
Place chocolate in a small heatproof bowl. Bring remaining ⅓ cup cream to a boil in a small saucepan. Immediately pour over chocolate; let sit 15 seconds. Stir until ganache is smooth.
Step 4
Evenly pour ganache over top of cake. Using a small offset spatula or spoon, spread ganache to edges of cake (drips down the sides are encouraged!). Let sit until ganache is set, about 2 hours. (If you are in a hurry, you can chill cake until glaze is set, about 30 minutes.)
Step 5
Just before serving, dust top of cake with more matcha with a fine-mesh sieve.
Do ahead: Cake and glaze can be made 2 days ahead. Store cake tightly wrapped in several layers of plastic at room temperature. Let glaze cool, then chill in an airtight container. Gently reheat glaze in the microwave or a double boiler over a pan of simmering water (do not let bowl touch water) until just melted before using.
