Taiyaki (Japanese Fish Dessert)

A popular and iconic Japanese street food, Taiyaki is a warm fish shaped cake with a sweet filling. Learn how to make these Japanese fish pastry at home with this taiyaki recipe.

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine Japanese

Keyword custard taiyaki, fish shaped pastry, how to make taiyaki, Japanese fish dessert, Japanese fish pastry, Japanese fish shaped cake, Japanese fish waffle, Japanese taiyaki, taiyaki, taiyaki fillings, taiyaki pan, taiyaki recipe

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 25

Resting Time 1

Total Time 1 30

Servings servings

Calories 162kcal

Author Megan

Equipment

Ingredients

1 ¼ cup (150 g) cake flour
¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon (5 g) baking powder
1 teaspoon (5 g) baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 large egg
¾ cup whole milk
1 tablespoon (15 g) vegetable oil
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup filling red bean paste, nutella, custard, cheese etc.

Instructions

Taiyaki Batter

Sift dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, sift the cake flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside.
Combine wet ingredients. In a medium mixing bowl, add the egg, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract. Mix to combine.
Combine. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredient mixture. Whisk until just combined leaving a few clumps. Cover and rest in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Assembly

Prepare the taiyaki pan. Preheat the taiyaki pan over medium low heat. Brush both sides of the mold with neutral oil and gently wipe away excess with a paper towel.
Fill the pan. Give your batter one quick mix and transfer the batter into a measuring cup with a spout. Then pour the batter into the taiyaki mold about 60% full leaving the fishtail empty.
Add filling. Add about 1 tablespoon of filling in the center of the fish. For easy filling, place the filling in a piping bag and pipe the filling into the batter.
Cover the filling. Cover the filling with batter until it fills the fishtail. Close the mold and immediately flip so the batter spreads evenly.
Cook and cool. Cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Then transfer to a rack to cool slightly before serving. Cut any excess batter with scissors. Repeat with the remaining batter. Enjoy immediately when warm.

Notes

Do not over mix! You want the batter to have a few clumps of batter for that fluffy and soft interior. Over mixing may yield a more dense and flat fish shaped pastry.
Rest the batter: taiyaki batter benefits from the resting time which allows the gluten to relax yielding a softer finished product.
Transfer the batter and filling: For easy pouring and filling, I recommend transferring the batter into a measuring cup with a spout and piping your filling with a piping bag.
Preheat the taiyaki pan: before cooking, make sure to preheat the taiyaki pan this will help create the signature crispy exterior. You may need to adjust the heat based on the strength of your stove.
Use just enough batter: be careful to not overfill the mold. The spongy batter will spread and puff up as it cooks. If you overfill, you can easily cut off the excess with scissors.
Wipe away excess oil for even color: you want to grease the pan so the taiyaki won’t stick to it, but if you want an even brown color, wipe away any excess oil with a paper towel.
Practice! If this is your first time making this taiyaki recipe, it may take a few rounds of practice to get the right temperature, timing and amount of batter.
Storage Instructions: Taiyaki is best served immediately. If you have any leftovers, you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Nutrition