Description
Taiyaki is a traditional Japanese fish-shaped dessert made from a light and fluffy cake batter filled with sweet fillings like red bean paste, Nutella, custard, or cheese. Crisp on the outside and soft inside, this delightful treat is perfect for a snack or dessert and can be customized with your favorite filling.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup (150 g) cake flour
- 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) vegetable oil
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Filling
- 3/4 cup filling (red bean paste, Nutella, custard, cheese, or other desired fillings)
Instructions
- Prepare the dry ingredients: Sift the cake flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into a large mixing bowl. Whisk them to combine thoroughly, then set aside.
- Combine the wet ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk the egg, whole milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract until fully blended.
- Make the batter: Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with dry ingredients. Whisk gently until just combined, leaving a few lumps for a tender texture. Cover and refrigerate the batter for at least 1 hour to rest.
- Preheat and prepare taiyaki pan: Heat a taiyaki pan over medium-low heat. Brush both sides of the mold with neutral oil and wipe off any excess oil with a paper towel to prevent sticking.
- Pour batter into mold: Stir the batter briefly and transfer it into a measuring cup with a spout for easy pouring. Pour the batter into each fish mold about 60% full, leaving space at the fishtail section empty for filling.
- Add filling: Place about 1 tablespoon of your desired filling (red bean paste, Nutella, custard, etc.) in the center of the batter in the mold. Using a piping bag helps with neat filling placement.
- Cover the filling: Pour additional batter over the filling, filling the fishtail section of the mold. Close the taiyaki mold and immediately flip it over to spread the batter evenly inside.
- Cook taiyaki: Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side or until both sides are golden brown and cooked through. Use scissors to trim any excess batter around the edges.
- Cool and serve: Transfer cooked taiyaki to a rack to cool slightly before serving. Best enjoyed warm. Repeat the process with remaining batter and filling.
Notes
- You can customize the filling to your liking — tried and true options include sweet red bean paste, chocolate spreads, custard, or cheese.
- Resting the batter in the refrigerator improves the texture, making it lighter and fluffier.
- If you don’t have a taiyaki pan, a similar fish-shaped mold or even a small waffle maker can work with adjustments.
- Brush oil lightly and wipe excess to prevent sticking but avoid too much oil to keep taiyaki crispy outside.
- Serve taiyaki warm for best texture and flavor; leftovers can be reheated gently but may lose crispness.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dessert, Snack
- Method: Pan-frying
- Cuisine: Japanese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 piece (approximately 80g)
- Calories: 190 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 120 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg
Keywords: Taiyaki, Japanese dessert, fish-shaped cake, red bean pastry, sweet snack
