Fish-Shaped Red Bean Cakes (Taiyaki)
たい焼き taiyakiSay it: tie-YAH-kee
Taiyaki are crisp, golden, fish-shaped cakes sold across Japan at street stalls and festivals. The batter is much like a light waffle or pancake, cooked in a hinged fish-shaped mold until the outside is toasty and the inside tender. The classic filling is sweet red bean paste made from azuki beans, though custard and chocolate are popular today. Each fish is eaten warm from hand, with a crisp tail and a generous belly of sweet bean paste. They are a beloved everyday snack and a familiar taste of Japanese street food.
Fish-Shaped Red Bean Cakes (Taiyaki)
たい焼き, taiyaki
Pronounced tie-YAH-kee
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 1 hr 30 min
- Total
- 1 hr 55 min
- Level
- Medium
Also nut-free.
Allergens: contains gluten, milk, egg. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
For the anko (red bean paste)
For the batter
For the pan
Method
Make the anko. combine the rinsed azuki beans and 4 cups (960 ml) water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, skim off the foam, then lower the heat, cover, and simmer until the beans crush easily between your fingers, 60–75 minutes, adding hot water as needed to keep them barely covered.
Add the sugar in three additions and the salt, mashing about one-third of the beans with a wooden spoon. Cook uncovered over low heat, stirring often, until the paste is thick, glossy, and a spoon drawn through it leaves a brief trail, 10–15 minutes; cool completely.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a bowl. In a jug, whisk the eggs, milk, and melted butter until smooth, then pour into the dry ingredients and whisk just until lump-free.
Let the batter rest for 15 minutes. Preheat a taiyaki pan over medium-low heat and brush both the top and bottom molds generously with oil.
For each fish, pour batter into the lower mold to cover the tail and fill the body about halfway, using about 2 tablespoons (30 ml). Spoon 2 tablespoons (30 g) of the cooled anko into the center, then add more batter to cover the filling and reach the edges, about 1 tablespoon (15 ml).
Close the pan and cook for 2–3 minutes, then flip the pan and cook for 2–3 minutes more, until the taiyaki are deep golden and crisp at the edges. Open carefully; if the center is still pale, close and cook for another minute.
Trim any overflow with scissors and slide the taiyaki onto a rack. Repeat with the remaining batter and filling, brushing the pan with a little more oil between batches, and serve warm.
Regional variants
Custard cream (kurīmu), chocolate, sweet potato, and white bean paste (shiro-an) are popular modern fillings; some shops also offer taiyaki with a mochi-like rice cake center.
Cook's notes
- Cool the anko completely before filling; a hot filling steams the batter and makes the cakes soggy.
- Do not overfill the molds, or the batter will spill and burn; leave a small border around the filling.
- A taiyaki pan gives the classic fish shape, but a well-oiled waffle maker can cook the same batter and filling as a homestyle alternative.
Serve with
Serve warm with Japanese green tea or a glass of milk.
Make ahead and storage
The anko can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for 1 month. Cooked taiyaki are best eaten immediately but can be rewarmed in a toaster oven until crisp.
