Description
Cherry Blossom Rice Cake, or Sakura Mochi, is a traditional Japanese sweet featuring sweet azuki bean paste wrapped in a soft, subtly pink rice cake made from domyojiko or glutinous rice. The rice cakes are delicately wrapped in pickled cherry blossom leaves and topped with salted sakura flower buds, creating an elegant and fragrant treat perfect for spring celebrations.
Ingredients
Scale
Sweet Azuki Bean Paste (Anko)
- 150 g sweet azuki bean paste
Rice Cake Dough
- 100 g domyojiko (rice flour) or alternatively 1 cup glutinous rice
- 160 ml water (for domyojiko version)
- ½ cup water (for glutinous rice version)
- 20 g sugar
- tiny amount red food colouring
Sugar Syrup
- ½ tsp gelatine leaf (1.2 x 1.2 inch / 3cm x 3cm)
- ¼ cup water
- ⅛ cup sugar
Garnishes
- 6 pickled cherry blossom leaves
- 6 salted sakura flower buds
Instructions
- Preparation: Soak the pickled cherry blossom leaves and salted sakura flower buds in water for about 20 minutes to desalinate. Remove the stems, spread them on a paper towel, and cover with paper to prevent drying.
- Make Sugar Syrup: In a saucepan, combine the gelatine leaf, ¼ cup water, and ⅛ cup sugar. Heat gently to a simmer until the gelatine dissolves completely, then turn off heat and set aside.
- Prepare Colored Water: Put 1 tablespoon of water in a small bowl and dissolve a tiny amount of red food coloring. The color intensifies when cooked, so use very little for a subtle cherry blossom pink.
- Domyojiko Rice Cake Dough: In a pot, combine the remaining water and the colored water. Add 20 g sugar and dissolve. Stir in 100 g domyojiko rice flour. Cook over low-medium heat for 7-8 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spatula to prevent burning, until thickened. Turn off heat and cover with a lid to steam.
- Shape Rice Cakes: Divide the cooked domyojiko into six equal portions. Brush plastic wrap with the prepared sugar syrup, place one portion on it, fold over the plastic wrap, and flatten into a round shape using fingertips.
- Fill and Wrap: Place a small ball of sweet azuki bean paste (approx. 25 g each) onto the flattened rice cake dough and wrap it around to enclose the filling. Remove plastic wrap, then carefully wrap the mochi with a soaked cherry blossom leaf with the vein side out for a pretty appearance. Top with a salted sakura flower bud.
- Repeat: Repeat shaping and wrapping steps for the remaining portions.
- Alternative Glutinous Rice Method: Wash and soak 1 cup glutinous rice in 2 cups water overnight. After soaking, drain and pulse the rice a few times in a food processor to break up grains slightly.
- Steam Rice: Steam the pulsed rice over medium heat for 30 minutes.
- Color Sugar Water: In a saucepan, bring ½ cup water and ¼ cup sugar to a boil to dissolve the sugar. Add a tiny amount of red food coloring, then transfer the sugar water to a large bowl.
- Mix and Shape: Add the steamed rice to the pink sugar water and stir gently with a wooden spatula to absorb the color. Divide into six equal portions and continue wrapping with azuki bean paste and cherry blossom leaves as above.
Notes
- Soaking salted cherry blossoms removes excess saltiness for balanced flavor.
- Use only a tiny amount of red food coloring to achieve a delicate pink, mimicking cherry blossom petals.
- Domyojiko (rice flour) is traditional but can be substituted with steamed glutinous rice for texture variation.
- Brush plastic wrap with sugar syrup to prevent sticking while shaping the mochi.
- Wrap leaves so the vein shows on the outside for an aesthetically pleasing presentation.
- Steaming times and soaking times are essential to achieve the right texture of rice cake dough.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes (including soaking cherry blossoms and leaves)
- Cook Time: 15 minutes (domyojiko cooking) or 30 minutes (steaming glutinous rice)
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Japanese
Keywords: Sakura Mochi, Cherry Blossom Rice Cake, Japanese dessert, Azuki bean paste, Domyojiko, Glutinous rice, Spring sweets
