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1 1/2 cups
glutinous rice flour
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1/4 cup
granulated sugar
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1 tsp
baking powder
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1/4 tsp
salt
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1/2 cup
whole milk
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1
egg
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2 tbsp
unsalted butter, melted
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6 tbsp
unsalted butter (for topping), cubed
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1
Preheat oven to 375°F and butter a 6-cup muffin tin or shell-shaped mold.
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2
In a bowl, whisk 1 1/2 cups glutinous rice flour, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 tsp baking powder, and 1/4 tsp salt together.
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3
Whisk in 1/2 cup whole milk, 1 egg, and 2 tbsp melted unsalted butter until the batter is smooth and thick.
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4
Divide the batter evenly among the molds, filling each about halfway.
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5
Press a cube of 6 tbsp cubed unsalted butter (for topping) into the center of each.
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6
Bake 18 to 22 minutes, until the tops are golden and a shell has formed around the edges.
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7
Let cool 5 minutes in the tin, then run a knife around the edges to release; the outside should be crisp and the inside chewy.
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About Butter Tteok
Also called: butter teok, baked butter rice cake
Butter tteok is a baked Korean-style rice cake made from glutinous rice flour batter with butter baked into the center. In the oven the edges form a crisp, shell-like crust while the inside stays chewy, like a cross between a muffin and mochi. Glutinous rice flour (also sold as sweet rice flour or chapssal-garu) is what gives the chew. It contains no gluten despite the name. Regular rice flour will not work: it bakes up dry and crumbly instead of stretchy.
The cube of butter pressed into each cup in step 5 melts down into the batter as it bakes, so the bottom and sides fry slightly in butter. That is where the crisp shell comes from. A muffin tin works, but shell-shaped or madeleine-style molds give more crisp edge per bite. Fill each cup only halfway, because the batter rises and the butter needs room.
Serving and keeping
Best warm, within an hour of baking, when the shell is crisp. They keep 1 day at room temperature in an airtight container; refresh in a 350 F oven for 5 minutes. Refrigerating makes them hard.
Variations
Injeolmi
Dust the warm cakes with roasted soybean powder (injeolmi garu) and a little sugar.
Black sesame
Whisk 2 tablespoons of ground black sesame into the dry ingredients.
With red bean
Fill each cup halfway, add a teaspoon of sweet red bean paste, then top with the remaining batter before adding the butter.
If it goes wrong
Cakes are dense and hard
Regular rice flour was used, or they were overbaked. Use glutinous (sweet) rice flour and start checking at 18 minutes.
No crisp edge
Butter the molds well and bake until the tops are golden, the full 18 to 22 minutes. Dark metal tins crisp better than silicone.
Cakes stick to the tin
Let them cool 5 minutes as in step 7, then run a knife around the edge while still warm. They stick harder once cold.
Substitutions
- whole milk: coconut milk or oat milk. Coconut milk adds richness and a light coconut flavor.
- granulated sugar: light brown sugar. Slightly caramel flavor and darker crust.
- unsalted butter (for topping): salted butter. Skip the 1/4 tsp salt in the batter.
Questions
What temperature do I cook Butter Tteok at?
For Butter Tteok, the oven is set to 375 F (about 190 C) in step 1. The longest stretch at that heat is 22 minutes, in step 6.
What can I use instead of baking powder in Butter Tteok?
The entry for Butter Tteok calls for 1 tsp baking powder. In its place: For each teaspoon, use a quarter teaspoon of baking soda plus half a teaspoon of cream of tartar.
Can I make Butter Tteok dairy-free?
Yes. The dairy in Butter Tteok is 1/2 cup whole milk, 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted, 6 tbsp unsalted butter (for topping), cubed. Swap the milk for unsweetened oat or soy milk; the butter for olive oil where it melts, or a plant-based block butter where it is creamed. The richness shifts slightly, but the method does not change.
Is Butter Tteok vegan?
No, though it is vegetarian. What keeps it from vegan is 1/2 cup whole milk, 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted, 6 tbsp unsalted butter (for topping), cubed and 1 egg. For fully plant-based entries, see the vegan dessert collection.
Does Butter Tteok contain eggs?
Yes: 1 egg. The full allergen list for this entry is dairy and eggs. Packaged ingredients vary by brand, so check labels if the allergy is serious.
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