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You may be thinking…What in the world is Korean red bean mochi cake? And red beans in dessert? Hmm..weird yet oddly intriguing. If so, you’re not alone. When I first made this for my non-Korean friends, I was met with a lot of nonverbal resistance – raised eyebrows, nose scrunching.. you know how it goes. Their politeness totally paid off this time, though, as their eyes lit up upon first bite.
I’ve been eating plenty of sweet red beans here in Korea, mainly in the form of “patbingsoo,” which is basically a shaved ice dessert with various toppings, such as fruit, rice cake, and of course sweet red beans. Most of the coffee shops (and there are plenty of them here) sell it, and it is a perfect way to cool off during the hot summer months. I must say though, it is not cheap – about $11 per bowl. While you may think that’s not too bad considering its massive size, to put it into perspective, you can eat a delicious bowl of Korean soup or noodles for about $6-7. Nevertheless, the Hungryman and I continue to eat it almost everyday.
Sweet red beans are also in mochi and various breads.
This recipe is particularly special because it’s one of the few recipes from my mom that actually contains exact ingredient measurements. I can be sure that it will taste exactly the same every time. Just to brag a little, my mom’s cooking skills are well-known in the Korean community in our city, although I’m sure someone else has risen to fame since her move to Korea. While I applaud her ability to whip up anything off the top of her head, it makes things slightly…just a tad bit hard for her faithful assistant, yours truly. She takes the concept of “let your hands guide you” to a whole new level. They move seamlessly, not once touching a measuring spoon.
Furthermore, it is rare that she would bake sweets. Come to think of it, I think this red bean mochi cake is the only dessert that she’s ever baked for the family. At least she understands that baking is like science and that the eyeballing it method would not go so smoothly. Thank you, mom, for writing down the recipe for me to share with the whole world! 😉
I will say that you’ll need to make a trip to an Asian grocery store to make this cake. Look for this Mochiko sweet rice flour and a can of red bean paste. If you’re on a gluten-free diet, no worries. Even though the packaging may say “glutinous” rice flour, it is made completely of rice and contains no gluten. All the other ingredients you can purchase at your go-to store.
The recipe calls for whole milk, but you can feel free to substitute with whatever kind you prefer. I’ve tried it with low-fat milk and almond milk, and while it’s still pretty good, I’m biased toward the one that I’ve grown up eating.
All you need is one big bowl. There’s no need to mix the dry and the wet ingredients separately and combine (even though it’s just one extra step and one less bowl to clean, somehow it becomes a thousand times more fuss-less). Just dump all the ingredients into a bowl and whisk everything together. Then simply pour into a greased baking pan and bake for about 45 minutes.
Although I named this “cake,” it’s really more like a cross between a bread and cake. Not so light and spongy in texture, but rather dense and chewy. I actually like to make this ahead of time (usually the night before) and leave it covered as I find that the flavors really get more pronounced – a bit sweeter and even chewier. Let this recipe serve as a base and feel free to add other ingredients. I like to add roasted chestnuts and walnuts. Enjoy!
Korean Red Bean Mochi Cake
Ingredients
- 1 pack, 1 lb. box Mochiko (or sweet rice flour)
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 eggs
- 2 1/2 cups milk
- 1/2 stick butter, melted
- 1 can, 18oz. sweetened red bean paste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined.
- Pour into a greased 9x13 pan.
- Bake for about 45 minutes.
- Cool completely before cutting into squares.
Hi! I saw you talk on your story about how this recipe is so special. That is so nice! I’m glad you have that meaning. I do think that if someone was going to come up with a low sugar or no sugar version, you would be the best Candidate to do so since the original has a special place in your heart. Would you consider coming up with an alternative for the under age 2 and avoiding added sugar crowd ? Thank you !
Hi Emily! I will definitely try. I’m thinking dates may work well but I’d hate to take out the red bean paste which contains quite a bit of added sugar too…
I love everything RED BEANS! Thank you for the recipe! I will try!
Just made this and I love it. My local asian market didn’t have red bean paste with the bean skin like I would have preferred. But still very yummy without. Thanks for sharing!
Yay! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!! Thank you for taking the time to let me know
As someone who is sweet red bean OBSESSED. I can’t wait to try this!!
I’ve been wondering about sweet red beans, as I’ve seen a few recipes with them here and there lately. So nice of your mom to use exact measurements for this one! Would love to try this if I can get my hands on those ingredients. Thanks Min!
So you’ve never tried sweet red beans? Ooh Julie! Can’t wait for you to try! Wish I could offer you some ;).
this looks delicious!! could I use coconut oil instead of butter you think??
I feel so privileged to get to see an authentic recipe for this! And, of course, to make it and try it myself! I have long been intrigued by Asian red bean desserts and this Korean twist sounds fantastic. A cross between a bread and a cake is just right for me 🙂
Yum! I love anything made with Mochiko! Something about that gummy, chewiness in sweets made with rice flour, I just can’t get enough. I usually shop for things like Mochiko at a Japanese market; I wonder if they will have the red bean paste there, since it’s used in Japanese sweets too. Well, when I make it I’ll be sure to tag you and let you know how it goes. 🙂
This looks so good! I love red beans and I know I’m going to love this cake!
I’m soooo excited for this recipe, and also the fact that I can totally relate to your sentiments when it comes to “why in the world do Korean moms do everything on a whim, no measuring, no nothing???” hahaha. I think it may have to do with the fact that not that long ago they were a pretty impoverished society, so none of those measuring tools were easy to access?? And maybe because they’re so much in a hurry that throwing things together is easier for them. Whatever the case, it always works for my mom. 😛 And I’ve been craving patbingsoo sooo much after trying Okrumong in my area. Have you guys tried that place? It’s very traditional and they don’t offer ice cream, etc., but the ingredients are extremely high quality and everything is made out of love and hours of stirring the red beans.