Neopolitan Mochi Cake

My daughter loves eating Japanese mochi balls. There's just something about this gooey, soft and chewy dessert that is such a pleasure to eat. Today instead of making them into small balls, I have decided to make a baked version. Though still chewy like mochi, this cake has a slightly more dense texture. 

The neopolitan colours give it an attractive outlook and with three flavours (chocolate, vanilla and strawberry) in a slice, it's certainly a delightful dessert indeed.

Neopolitan Mochi Cake
(makes one 6" cake)
recipe adapted from Thirsty For Tea

Ingredients
225g glutinous rice flour
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup water
2/3 cup castor sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp cocoa powder, sifted
1 Tbsp strawberry syrup/powder

Method

1) Preheat oven to 180C. Lightly grease a 6" round pan.

2) Using a hand whisk, mix together glutinous rice flour, coconut milk, water, sugar, vanilla and baking powder in a large bowl. Mix until well combined and batter is smooth.

3) Using a weighing scale, weigh and divide the mixed batter evenly into 3 portions and place them in 3 separate small bowls.

4) Add sifted cocoa powder into one of the bowls and blend well. Pour this cocoa batter into the greased pan and gently shake to even out. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 10 mins until lightly set. To test this, you should be able to touch the center without any batter sticking onto your finger. The edges of the cake will also have slightly pull away from the pan.

 

5) Pour the plain vanilla portion on top of the set cocoa layer and lightly shake to even out. Again cover loosely with foil and bake for another 20 mins until lightly set.

6) When the vanilla layer has set (use finger touch test), make the strawberry batter. Add 1 Tbsp of strawberry syrup (I use Nesquik strawberry flavour powder) to the last portion of batter and mix well. 

7) Pour over the vanilla layer and gently shake to even out. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 35-40 mins until fully set. The cake will appear slightly puffed up and pulled away from the sides of the pan.

8) Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, loosen the cake by sliding a plastic knife along the sides of the pan. Tilt the pan over and gently ease the cake out onto a plate. Use a plastic knife to cut the cake into smaller slices.

9) This mochi cake is best eaten fresh but will keep for a couple of days wrapped in cling wrap. Enjoy!