Shanghai butter tteok went viral across Asia for good reason. These little glutinous rice cakes come out crispy on the outside, impossibly chewy on the inside, and rich with butter and vanilla. The batter is dead simple — eggs, milk, glutinous rice flour, tapioca powder, and melted butter — and you can bake them in an air fryer in just 20 minutes.
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 200g milk (not cold — use room temperature)
- 160g glutinous rice flour
- 30g tapioca powder
- 30g sugar
- 1g salt
- A drop of vanilla extract
- 30g melted butter
Singapore Swap
- Glutinous rice flour: Stocked at FairPrice, Sheng Siong, and Phoon Huat. Look for Thai or Korean brands in the baking aisle. Don Don Donki carries Japanese mochiko as well.
- Tapioca powder (tapioca starch): Available at FairPrice, Giant, and any baking supply shop like Phoon Huat or RedMan.
- Butter: Any unsalted butter from FairPrice or Cold Storage works. President or Anchor are good options.
- Molds: Use silicone muffin molds or small ramekins. Available at Daiso, Phoon Huat, or Shopee.
Instructions
- Whisk the eggs in a bowl, then add the room-temperature milk and mix until combined.
- Add the glutinous rice flour, tapioca powder, sugar, salt, and a drop of vanilla extract. Stir until smooth with no lumps.
- Pour in the melted butter and mix until the batter is completely smooth and glossy.
- Butter the mold wells generously, then fill each one to about 80% full — they will rise slightly during baking.
- Air fry at 180 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes, flipping once halfway through to ensure even browning on both sides.
Tips
- Use room-temperature milk, not cold, so the melted butter does not seize up when you mix it in.
- Filling the molds to 80% is important — they puff a little, and overfilling leads to overflow.
- Flip halfway through for an even golden crust on both sides. They should be crisp outside and stretchy-chewy inside.