Butter tteok, a rice cake that has gained significant popularity on social media, has become a sought-after recipe among home cooks keen to replicate its distinctive texture and flavour. Also known as Shanghai butter mochi, these cakes combine a subtly sweet taste with a rich buttery profile, featuring a crisp caramelized exterior and a chewy, bouncy interior.
The origins of butter rice cakes remain somewhat unclear, though they are frequently linked to bakeries in Shanghai. One theory points to a baker from Nantong, China, north of Shanghai, who reportedly blended the traditional Chinese rice cake nian gao with the custardy French caneles. Additional influences may include Hawaiian butter mochi and Filipino bibingka, with all varieties sharing similarities in their batter consistency despite differing ingredients and preparation methods.
Developing a home-friendly version of butter tteok that replicates the prized contrast between a crunchy crust and a soft centre presented challenges, particularly when baked in a muffin tin. Early attempts using a more fluid batter that incorporated tapioca flour and a generous amount of milk resulted in uneven browning and difficulty with the cakes releasing from the pan. Through experimentation, bakers learned that reducing the milk and substituting mochiko (sweet rice flour) for tapioca flour improved texture and consistency, a change endorsed by experts in culinary publication circles.
Achieving the signature crisp brown crust required a generous coating of butter on the muffin cups. While it was initially assumed that excessive butter contributed moisture and steaming effects, it became clear that less butter produced a tougher crust with uneven coloration. The final approach calls for an ample, nearly excessive amount of butter, evenly brushed into the cups to ensure proper caramelization.
The baking process involves heating the oven to a high temperature initially to develop crust, then lowering the heat to allow the cakes to cook through. The finished tteok emerge deeply caramelized on the outside with a soft, chewy middle, best enjoyed warm to preserve texture and flavor. A drizzle of condensed milk is often recommended for added sweetness.
The recipe, which yields about a dozen pieces, employs simple ingredients including unsalted butter, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, honey, fine sea salt, eggs, and mochiko flour. The cakes are ideally consumed on the day they are made, as their crisp crust tends to soften overnight.
As butter tteok continues to capture attention online, home cooks experimenting with the recipe can achieve the characteristic balance of textures by carefully adjusting butter quantities, flour type, and baking times, bridging traditional influences with modern culinary approaches.