History

The mochi muffin originated at Third Culture Bakery in Berkeley in 2016, an Asian American take on the cupcake. Bake Sum opened in Oakland's Lake Merritt in 2021 and built its own version into a daily-sellout staple, alongside Spam musubi croissants and ube cookies. The pastry style is now a Bay Area Asian American canon.

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Make it at home

Yield 12Hands-on 20 minTotal 50 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 300g glutinous rice flour (Mochiko)
  • 200g brown sugar
  • 100g granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 4 large eggs
  • 250ml whole milk
  • 200ml coconut milk
  • 100g unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 tbsp pandan extract
  • 2 tbsp black sesame seeds for top

Method

  1. Heat oven to 175 C. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin or line with paper cups.
  2. Whisk dry ingredients in a large bowl: rice flour, both sugars, baking powder.
  3. Whisk wet ingredients in a separate bowl: eggs, milk, coconut milk, melted butter, pandan.
  4. Fold the wet into the dry until just combined. Do not overmix.
  5. Scoop into the muffin tin, sprinkle with black sesame seeds. Bake 30 to 35 minutes until set and lightly golden.
  6. Cool 10 minutes in the tin, then turn out onto a rack.

Tip from the editors. The texture should be chewy and dense, not cakey. If your mochiko is fresh, the muffins will hold their bounce for two days at room temperature.

Where to eat bake sum mochi muffin

Bake Sum mochi muffin in Oakland

Bake Sum ★ 4.6

$$ BakeryLake Merritt

Bake Sum on Grand Avenue is the East Bay's most-loved Asian American pastry counter. Brunch-grade pastries from 8 a.m. with coffee to match.

OrderSpam musubi croissant and a black sesame latte.

TipPastries sell out by noon on weekends; arrive early Saturday or Sunday.

Directions

Timeless Coffee and Bakery ★ 4.4

$ BakeryVegan bakeryPiedmont AvenueWalk-in only

Timeless Coffee on Piedmont Avenue runs a vegan bakery counter beside the in-house roaster. Pastries, cakes and chocolate, all plant-based, daily.

Worth the queueVegan chocolate chip cookie

Directions

Sweet Bar Bakery ★ 4.0

$$ BakeryUptown

Sweet Bar Bakery on Broadway in Uptown Oakland runs a daily savory and sweet bakery brunch. Bacon-gorgonzola scones, gluten-free options, vegan fauxnuts.

OrderBacon-gorgonzola scone and a flat white.

TipCoffee and panini through lunchtime; the bakery does cupcakes and event cakes through the afternoon.

Directions

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