Mochi Cheesecake — cream cheese baked with sweet rice flour
Mochi cheesecake is a baked cake of cream cheese, eggs, sugar, milk and butter thickened with mochiko — Japanese glutinous-rice flour — instead of wheat flour, which gives it a springy, chewy texture like mochi under a tangy cheesecake flavour. It comes from Hawaii's tradition of baked 'butter mochi' cakes, is naturally gluten-free, and is mixed in one bowl and baked in a square tin, then cut into bars.
i. Origin & history
Mochi cheesecake belongs to the family of baked mochi cakes that grew up in Hawaii, where Japanese immigrants arrived from the 1880s to work on the sugar plantations. Their cooking mixed with Hawaiian, Filipino, Chinese, Portuguese and American traditions to form Hawaii's 'local' food, and one of its best-loved results is butter mochi: a cake of mochiko, butter, sugar, eggs and coconut milk, baked in a sheet pan until golden on top and chewy within.
Butter mochi became a staple of potlucks, school fundraisers and family parties in the islands in the later twentieth century, and it spawned endless variations: chocolate mochi, pumpkin mochi, ube mochi and, inevitably, cream-cheese versions. Mochi cheesecake folds cream cheese into the batter, giving a tangier, denser cake that sits between butter mochi and a classic baked cheesecake. Its exact first appearance is not documented; like most local Hawaiian recipes, it spread through community cookbooks, church sales and family recipe cards.
The name can be confusing. In Japan and in some Asian bakeries, 'mochi cheesecake' may mean a conventional cheesecake with a layer of mochi or shiratama dumplings inside or on top. Elsewhere it can mean a 'mochi-textured' cheesecake made with tapioca starch, popular in Taiwanese and Korean bakeries. The Hawaiian-style cake on this page is the most common version in home baking.
Its appeal is the texture rather than any single flavour. Where a New York cheesecake is creamy and smooth, or the Polish sernik soft and curd-like, a mochi cheesecake has a satisfying elastic chew and caramelised, slightly crisp edges.
ii. Where the chew comes from
The chew comes from the mochiko. Glutinous rice flour is almost entirely amylopectin, a highly branched starch that forms a stretchy, elastic gel when it is heated with liquid — the same property that makes pounded mochi pull and stretch. Wheat flour, by contrast, forms gluten that bakes into a crumbly, open structure. Replace the wheat with mochiko and the cake sets into a dense, springy, cohesive slab.
The proportion of mochiko to liquid controls the texture. More mochiko gives a firmer, chewier cake; more liquid and cream cheese give a softer, creamier one, closer to cheesecake. The recipe below balances them to set firmly enough to slice cleanly while staying moist. Because there is no gluten, overmixing does not toughen the batter, so it can simply be whisked until smooth.
Baking for a long time at a moderate temperature lets the starch fully gelatinise and the edges caramelise. The top and sides develop a golden, slightly crisp crust — for many people the best part. Underbaked, the cake is gummy in the middle; overbaked, it dries out. When it is done, the top is deep golden and the centre springs back when pressed.
Mochi cakes firm up as they cool because the gelatinised starch sets. Cut too early, the cake is sticky and gummy; once fully cooled, it slices cleanly. It also firms in the fridge, so it is best eaten at room temperature.
iii. Ingredients
Makes 16 servings · scroll the side panel to adjust
- 225 g full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
- 60 g unsalted butter, melted
- 180 g caster sugar
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 300 ml whole milk
- 100 ml coconut milk or more whole milk
- 225 g mochiko (glutinous rice flour)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
Mochiko, the Japanese-American brand of glutinous rice flour sold in Hawaii and North America, is the classic choice; Thai glutinous rice flour (in the green-labelled bag) works equally well. Ordinary rice flour will not work — it gives a dry, crumbly cake. Use full-fat cream cheese at room temperature, or it will leave lumps. Coconut milk adds the Hawaiian butter-mochi flavour; replace it with milk for a purer cheesecake taste. The baking powder lightens the dense batter slightly and helps the top rise and crack attractively.
iv. Method
- Heat the oven to 175 °C (350 °F), or 160 °C fan. Grease a 20 × 20 cm square tin and line it with baking paper, leaving an overhang to lift the cake out.
- Beat the cream cheese and melted butter in a large bowl until completely smooth. Beat in the sugar.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla. Gradually whisk in the milk and coconut milk until smooth.
- Whisk the mochiko, baking powder and salt together, then whisk them into the wet mixture until there are no lumps. The batter will be thin.
- Pour into the tin and bake for 50–60 minutes, until the top is deep golden, the edges are pulling away from the tin and the centre springs back when pressed.
- Cool in the tin on a rack for at least 2 hours, until completely cool. The cake will sink slightly.
- Lift out and cut into 16 squares with a sharp knife wiped between cuts, or a plastic knife, which sticks less.
v. Tips & common mistakes
- Use glutinous rice flour. Only mochiko or other glutinous flour gives the chew; ordinary rice flour makes a crumbly cake.
- Soften the cream cheese. Cold cream cheese leaves white flecks in the batter. Beat it smooth with the butter before adding anything else.
- Bake until golden. A pale top usually means a gummy middle; the deep golden crust is part of the dish.
- Cool completely before cutting. The starch sets as it cools. Cut warm, the cake is sticky and tears.
- Use a plastic knife. It sounds odd, but it is a standard Hawaiian trick for cutting sticky mochi cakes cleanly.
- Do not serve it cold. Refrigerated mochi cake firms up; let slices come back to room temperature or warm them briefly.
vi. Variations
Add 1–2 tbsp of sifted matcha to the dry ingredients for a green-tea version, or replace the coconut milk with ube (purple yam) halaya for a purple cake. A swirl of red-bean paste through the batter before baking gives a cake reminiscent of daifuku; a handful of blueberries or a layer of chocolate are also common. Without cream cheese and with all coconut milk, you have classic Hawaiian butter mochi.
Other cheesecakes on this site show the range: the German Käsekuchen uses quark, the Polish sernik uses twaróg, and the Filipino bibingka is a rice-flour cake with a similar chewy, golden quality. For mochi in its traditional form, see mochi.
vii. Serving & storage
Serve mochi cheesecake at room temperature, cut into squares, as a snack, a dessert or a potluck contribution. It needs no topping, though fresh berries, a dusting of kinako or a drizzle of condensed milk are all good.
Keep it covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days. Chilled squares turn firm; warm them for 10 seconds in a microwave or leave them out for an hour before eating. It freezes well, wrapped individually, for up to a month; thaw at room temperature.
viii. Common questions
What is mochi cheesecake?
Mochi cheesecake is a baked cake made with cream cheese, eggs, sugar, milk and glutinous rice flour, which gives it a chewy, springy texture like mochi. It comes from Hawaii's tradition of baked butter mochi cakes.
Is mochi cheesecake gluten-free?
Yes, if made with pure glutinous rice flour such as mochiko. Despite its name, glutinous rice contains no gluten; check that your baking powder is gluten-free too.
What is the difference between mochi cheesecake and butter mochi?
Butter mochi is made with mochiko, butter, eggs, sugar and coconut milk. Mochi cheesecake adds cream cheese, which makes it tangier and denser, closer to a cheesecake.
Can I use regular rice flour?
No. Ordinary rice flour does not contain the sticky amylopectin starch of glutinous rice and gives a dry, crumbly result. Use mochiko or another glutinous (sweet) rice flour.
Why is my mochi cheesecake gummy?
It was either underbaked or cut while warm. Bake until the top is deep golden and the centre springs back, then cool completely before slicing.
How long does mochi cheesecake keep?
Up to 2 days covered at room temperature or 5 days in the fridge, and a month in the freezer. Bring chilled slices back to room temperature before eating.