Butter Rice Cakes

Ingredients

• 140 grams unsalted butter
• 105 grams granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon honey
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 224 grams whole milk
• 270 grams mochiko (sweet rice flour)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees with a rack in the middle.
2. Heat the butter in a small saucepan over medium until just melted, stirring occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes. Pour 6 tablespoons/84 grams of the melted butter into a large bowl and add the sugar, vanilla, honey and salt. Whisk until well blended, then set aside to cool.
3. Meanwhile, brush the remaining 4 tablespoons/56 grams melted butter into the cups of a standard muffin tin to generously and evenly coat.
4. Whisk the egg into the sugar mixture until just blended, then whisk in the milk. While whisking, gradually add the rice flour and whisk until smooth. Divide the batter evenly among the buttered muffin cups (about ¼ cup/60 grams per cup) and smooth the tops, if necessary. Set the muffin tin on a sheet pan.
5. Bake on the middle rack for 10 minutes, then lower the temperature to 375 degrees and bake until dark golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes more.
6. Let cool in the pan for a few minutes, then lift each cake out with a small offset spatula or very thin paring knife and transfer to a rack to cool slightly. Serve warm. (Because their crust softens overnight, these cakes are best eaten the day they are made.)

Tip

For the most even browning, use an uncoated standard muffin tin.