Soft, light, and spongy, my Japanese Steamed Cake (Mushi Pan) recipe is easy to make at home. Take my basic cake in a sweet or savory direction with my variations for chocolate or cheese-and-corn mushi pan. Enjoy them as a tasty breakfast or after-school snack.
These treats may look like muffins, but as you might have guessed – they’re not. We call these Steamed Cakes “Mushi-pan” (蒸しパン) in Japanese. The biggest difference between these cakes and muffins is that these delicious little treats are steamed instead of baked.
What is Steamed Cake (Mushi-pan)?
The Japanese cakes are made with very simple ingredients: flour (all-purpose flour or cake flour), baking powder, eggs, milk, sugar, and neutral-flavored oil (such as vegetable oil). While Chinese steamed bun called Mantou (饅頭) uses yeast as a leavening agent, Japanese steamed cakes use baking powder.
After WWII, when a massive amount of wheat flour was imported from the U.S., and the Japanese started to eat more bread. We call it “pan” (パン) in Japanese. Around the same time, steamed cakes started to appear in Japanese kitchens. As sugar was expensive back then, the Japanese included small chunks of Japanese sweet potatoes (Satsumaimo) to sweeten the steamed cakes. These Satsumaimo Steamed Cakes are still the most popular flavor today.
In the late 1980s, convenience stores in Japan started to sell Cheese Mushi-pan (チーズ蒸しパン) and Chocolate Mushi-pan (チョコ蒸しパン) that became really popular. I remember being addicted to the cheese version. The savory, cheesy flavor was really too hard to resist.
My homemade version is not the same as those Cheese ones. However, homemade steamed cakes are equally delicious and you can play around with various flavors. Unlike store-bought cakes, there are no preservatives and additives.
These healthy steamed cakes are soft and easy to digest, so they are perfect for small children!
3 Reasons To Make Mushi-Pan (Japanese Steamed Cakes)
1. Quick and easy to make
This recipe is so quick and easy to make! Even my children can make them as long as I help with the steaming. It only takes 20 minutes from start to finish. You can make them fresh whenever you want to eat them.
2. Versatile
The best part of steamed cakes is that they can be easily changed to either savory or sweet flavor. My Basic Steamed Cake recipe below is the standard where you can adapt to sweet or savory as you please.
For sweet steamed cakes, you can add vanilla extract. I didn’t add it so the recipe can be changed to a savory one. I recommend keeping the sugar for the savory version as a slight sweetness helps to enhance flavor.
3. Re-steam to make it fluffy
You can store it in the refrigerator or freezer for later and re-steam it when you want to eat for a quick snack. The steamed cakes will be soft and spongy again!
If you give my Mushi-Pan recipe a try, let me know. I’d love to hear about your variations and results in the comments!
Love Matcha (Green Tea)?
Check out my Green Tea Steamed Cake too!
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Steamed Cake
Ingredients
For the Basic Steamed Cake
- ½ cup all-purpose flour (plain flour)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 large egg (50 g each w/o shell)
- 2 Tbsp milk
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp neutral oil
For the Corn and Cheese Steamed Cake
- ½ cup all-purpose flour (plain flour)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 large egg (50 g each w/o shell)
- 2 Tbsp milk
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp neutral oil
- ¼ cup frozen or canned corn
- ¼ cup shredded cheese (I used sharp cheddar)
For the Double Chocolate Steamed Cake
- ½ cup all-purpose flour (plain flour)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1½ Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 large egg (50 g each w/o shell)
- 3 Tbsp milk
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp neutral oil
- 2 Tbsp chocolate chips
Instructions
- Fill a large frying pan with water about ½ inch (1.3 cm) deep. Cover the lid with a kitchen towel to prevent condensation (very important). Cover the pan with the lid and slowly bring it to a boil. You can use a regular steamer, but the cooking time will be slightly longer. Please read how to store and reheat at the end of the recipe.
To Make the Basic Steamed Cake
- Gather all the ingredients. You will also need 4 6-oz ramekins and cupcake liners.
- In a medium bowl, combine ½ cup all-purpose flour (plain flour) and 1 tsp baking powder. Whisk well to combine (it‘s a shortcut for sifting).
- In a small bowl, whisk 1 large egg (50 g each w/o shell), 2 Tbsp milk, 2 Tbsp sugar, and 1 Tbsp neutral oil together until combined and the sugar is dissolved.
- Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and mix until just combined and smooth. Do not overmix.
- Put a cupcake liner in each glass ramekin and divide the batter into the cupcake liners.
- Place the glass ramekins in the boiling water and cook, covered, on the lowest heat for 8 minutes.
- They‘re done when a skewer inserted comes out clean. Turn off the heat. Remove the ramekins from the pan and let them cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
To Make the Corn and Cheese Steamed Cake
- Gather all the ingredients.
- In a medium bowl, combine ½ cup all-purpose flour (plain flour) and 1 tsp baking powder. Whisk well to combine (shortcut for sifting).
- In a small bowl, whisk 1 large egg (50 g each w/o shell), 2 Tbsp milk, 2 Tbsp sugar, and 1 Tbsp neutral oil together until combined and the sugar is dissolved.
- Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and mix until just combined and smooth. Do not overmix.
- Add ¼ cup frozen or canned corn and ¼ cup shredded cheese and mix until combined. Put a cupcake liner in each glass ramekin and divide the batter into the cupcake liners.
- Place the glass ramekins in the boiling water and cook, covered, on the lowest heat for 12–13 minutes. They‘re done when a skewer inserted comes out clean.
- Turn off the heat. Remove the ramekins from the pan and let them cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
To Make the Double Chocolate Steamed Cake
- Gather all the ingredients.
- In a medium bowl, combine ½ cup all-purpose flour (plain flour), 1 tsp baking powder, and 1½ Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder. Whisk well to combine (shortcut for sifting).
- In a small bowl, whisk 1 large egg (50 g each w/o shell), 3 Tbsp milk, 2 Tbsp sugar, and 2 Tbsp neutral oil together until combined and the sugar is dissolved.
- Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and mix until just combined and smooth. Do not overmix.
- Add 2 Tbsp chocolate chips and mix until combined. Put a cupcake liner in each glass ramekin and divide the batter into the cupcake liners.
- Place the glass ramekins in the boiling water and cook covered on the lowest heat for 8 minutes. They‘re done when a skewer inserted comes out clean. Turn off the heat and remove the ramekins from the pan and let them cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
To Store and Reheat
- You can store the steamed cakes in an airtight container for 2–3 days or freeze them for up to 1 month. Reheat using one of two methods: 1) Cover with a damp paper towel and reheat in the microwave. Take care not to overheat it, as it will become very hard. For a frozen steamed cake, defrost before microwaving. 2) Steam using a frying pan, lid, and ramekin (as above) or a regular steamer to reheat the refrigerated or frozen cake until warm.
Nutrition
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on May 4, 2011. The new images were added in April 2017. The post was edited and republished in May 2020.
Hi Nami thanks for the recipe! My kids love it. Just a qn..it came out a little harder than those storebought. Is it too much baking powder or I cooked it too long? Thanks.
Hi Ivy! Thank you for trying this recipe! Not sure which steamed cake you bought, but the ingredients are different, too. My first thought was steamed longer, but I’m not 100% sure. Maybe you were expecting this to be super soft while this one is not?
hi, which kind of milk do u use in the recipe?
Hi Sandra! I use whole for the best result, but you can change if you like.
My in laws love it. I made it with Milo powder and Meiji chocolate. I didn’t cover the lid with a kitchen towel cause my lid was in a dome shape. It worked out well. I’ll be trying it with cheddar cheese next time. Thank you for such an easy and quick recipe .
Hi Amery! I’m so happy to hear your in-laws enjoyed this recipe! Thank you! Milo!!!! My son loves it. 😀 . Thanks so much for trying this recipe! xo
can I use small aluminum molder instead of glass ramekin?
Hi May! I think you can – with cupcake liners? They should help to unmold once you finished cooking.
Easy and tasty. Thanks!
I made matcha, cheese and rum raisins. ????
Hi Jen! I’m happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for your kind words!
Hi, thanks for the recipe. I would like to try. How many days will the steamed cake last before it expires?
Hi Juls! It’s steamed cake, so it’s best right after steamed. You can save it in freezer too, and pop in the steamer to reheat for fluffy buns again. Refrigerating makes the texture harder, so steaming is required. Enjoy it sooner (like in 1-2 day) if you keep in fridge. 🙂
For some reason, the double chocolate cupcakes were dry; however, still very flavorful. The basic ones were moister. Love these!
Hi Verna! Hmm maybe it has more dry ingredients (less moist) or over-mixed. Thank you so much for your feedback!
Hi Nami ^^
I am sooo glad I found your site. I just made basic steam cake with a dash of vanilla, and voila I love it. Your steam cake is not too sweet. It has a little bit of sweet flavor which I like it.
Have a great day,
Piyathida
Hi Piyathida! Welcome to my blog! Thank you for trying this recipe already. I’m so happy you liked it. 🙂 . Thanks for your kind feedback. xo
I had never heard of a Japanese steamed cake before now. I am a cake decorator and curious how would this steam cake would hold up to being cut to Petite Four style and dipped in warm fondant? I will be making an origami themed cake this week, and thought having parts of it in a Japanese cake version would be a nice subtle compliment.
Hi Joyce! It’s probably because it’s more like home cooked dish even in Japan and it’s not as popular outside the Japan? Hmm… I’m not sure if fondant can stay on top? I’ve never seen it like that so I can’t imagine… It’s steamed, and the cake is definitely different from western sponge cake. I’m curious how it will turn out too. It’s not sweet like western cake, so you might increase the sugar amount… 🙂 Origami themed cake! I’d love to see that! 😀
May I know what milk do you use? Thanks
Hi Madeline! I use regular whole milk. 🙂
This was easy to make and super tasty!!
Used my newest kitchen tool for it, my bamboo steamer:)
Love your receipes
Greetings from the Netherlands
Nadine
Hi Nadine! Thank you for trying this recipe and so glad you enjoyed it! I truly appreciate your kind feedback. Thank you!
I tried your recipe and its seriously delicious and very soft. My kids love it
Hi S! I’m so happy to hear that your children enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for your kind feedback. 🙂
Hi, may i ask what kind of vegetable oik do we use? Can we use those kind for cooking? Thanks!
Hi Jer! It says “vegetable oil” in the US. Looks like this:
https://www.google.com/search?q=vegetable+oil&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS727US727&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwisyt_PvI3WAhXCiFQKHfCsCGIQ_AUICygC&biw=1722&bih=950
Could this be cooked in the IP..?
Hi Barbara! If you use a steamer function, I think it’ll work. I haven’t tried it yet though. 🙂
Thank you! Considering the short cooking time it’s probably not worth using the IP (I only recently got it, so I’m trying to use it more 😉 ), but I’ll let you know if I do it and how it turns out.
Congrats on your new IP! I have a new IP recipe that I want to publish…. but haven’t had a chance to write . yet. 🙂 Hope you enjoy cooking with it!
Hi Nami,
I wanted to let you know I made the cakes last evening with my daughter. Easy to make and delicious! We loved them 🙂 I used the regular steaming method and it was quick and easy. I also made the IP pork belly recipe from you for dinner, so you were definitely in our thoughts! Thank you for all these great recipes. I look forward to new IP ones!
Hi Barbara! Thank you for your kind feedback. I’m happy to hear you and your daughter tried the recipe together and enjoyed it. 🙂
Yes, I have to hurry up and post other “summer-ish” recipes first… running late (as always). >_<
Well demonstrated recipe! The steam cakes are easy to make and it is healthy. Even though at first I was not sure about steaming, The cakes turned out great. It is delicious and fun to make.
Thank you Nami
HI Emali! I’m so happy to hear that. Thank you for trying my recipe and for your kind feedback. 🙂