Maple-Leaf Manjū (もみじ饅頭, Momiji Manjū)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Momiji manjū yaki-gata (maple-leaf metal mold), or an electric momiji manjū maker
• •Small two-sided ningyō-yaki pan as a practice stand-in, with a different shape
• •Small ladle or squeeze bottle for batter
• •Pastry brush and paper towel for oiling the mold
• •Bamboo skewer or thin wooden pick

Instructions

1. 1

   Shape the anko

   Divide the koshi-an into 10 portions of about 20g each. Roll each one into a small ball, then flatten it slightly so it sits in the center of the leaf without forcing the batter outward. Chill the portions while you make the batter. Firm anko stays where you put it, and that keeps the points of the maple leaf clean.

   If homemade anko is soft or glossy-wet, cook it a little longer over low heat until it holds a mound. A loose filling leaks before the cake has time to set.
2. 2

   Mix the eggs

   Whisk the eggs and sugar until the sugar dissolves and the mixture falls from the whisk in a pale ribbon. Stir in the honey, mizuame, and water. You're making a tender cake, not a high sponge, so don't beat in a mountain of bubbles. Too much air leaves holes on the face of the leaf.

   Mizuame gives the crumb a quiet chew and helps it stay tender. Mild honey is a sensible stand-in, but a strongly flavored honey will take over this small cake quickly.
3. 3

   Fold and rest

   Sift the cake flour, baking powder, and salt together, then fold them into the egg mixture until no dry flour remains. Let the batter rest for 20 to 30 minutes. Resting lets the flour drink the liquid and lets the larger bubbles settle, so the finished crumb is even instead of pocked. After resting, the batter should fall from a spoon in a slow ribbon and settle back into itself in a few seconds. If it sits in a heavy lump, thin it with water, 1 teaspoon at a time.

4. 4

   Warm the mold

   Warm a momiji manjū yaki-gata, the maple-leaf metal mold, over low heat. Brush the cavities with oil, then wipe almost all of it away with paper towel. Oil is for release, not frying, and too much gives the cake a freckled skin. A dab of batter should turn pale gold in about 40 to 50 seconds. If it darkens at once, lower the heat.

   The first cake is your test. A pale first cake teaches you where the heat should be; a scorched one only tells you the flame was showing off.
5. 5

   Fill the leaves

   Spoon a thin layer of batter into each lower cavity, just enough to cover the leaf and reach the points. Nudge it into the corners with the spoon tip. Set one chilled anko portion in the center, then cover with just enough batter to hide the filling. The mold should not be flooded. Overfilling blurs the leaf veins and pushes batter out at the edge.

6. 6

   Bake gently

   Close the mold gently without squeezing the handles. Cook over low to medium-low heat for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, turn the mold, and cook the other side for another 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. For an electric mold, close it and cook until the same signs appear: even honey-gold color, defined veins, and edges that feel set when touched with a skewer. The cake needs enough time for the batter to rise around the anko before the outside browns too far.

7. 7

   Cool and settle

   Lift the cakes out with a bamboo skewer or thin wooden pick and set them on a rack. Wipe stray batter from the mold before the next batch, because burned scraps mark the fresh cakes. Let the manjū cool completely, then wrap them or place them in a covered container for at least an hour if you can. The crumb settles around the filling, and the sweetness becomes quieter.

Chef Tips

• •The older filling is koshi-an. Buy one firm enough to roll, or cook a loose paste down gently until it holds its shape. Nothing hidden here; the filling is half the sweet.
• •The maple mold is not decoration after the fact. It shapes and cooks the cake at the same time, so honmono asks for the yaki-gata. A taiyaki or ningyō-yaki pan will teach the batter, but it makes a different sweet.
• •Keep the heat lower than pride wants. The cake should brown softly while the batter reaches the leaf tips and cooks through around the anko.
• •Serve these with sencha or hojicha, one or two at a time. Manjū belongs to the small rhythm of tea: one sweet, one cup, enough space to notice both.

Advance Preparation

• •Shape the anko portions up to 1 day ahead. Keep them covered in the refrigerator so they stay firm and do not dry on the surface.
• •The batter can rest for 20 to 30 minutes before baking. Don't hold it overnight, because the baking powder weakens and the cake loses its lift.
• •Finished cakes are best after they have cooled and rested for an hour or two in a covered container. They keep 2 days wrapped at cool room temperature, or 3 days refrigerated; bring them back to room temperature before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 50g)