Mujigae-tteok Korean Rainbow Rice Cake

Nov 3, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Dessert Candy confections Medium

A soft, mildly sweet steamed rice cake built from five stripes tinted with powdered vegetables and cocoa. Slicing it reveals the rainbow layers. Makes 16 pieces in about 1 hr 30 min.

Prep 30 min

Cook 30 min

Cooling 30 min

Total 1 hr 30 min

Yield 16 pieces

Diet Dairy free, Vegan

Ingredients

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pieces

3 ⅓ cups (400 g)rice flour (non-glutinous), divided into five 80 g portions
⅓ cup (75 g)sugar, 15 g per portion
½ tsp (3 g)salt
½ cup (110 ml)water, about 22 ml per portion
1 ½ tbsp (8 g)cocoa powder, brown layer
1 ½ tsp (3 g)mugwort powder or green tea powder, green layer
2 tsp (6 g)pumpkin powder, yellow layer
1 tsp (3 g)beet powder, pink layer
1 tsp (5 ml)neutral oil, for the pan

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Instructions

Whisk the salt into the rice flour. Line an 8-inch (20 cm) square pan with parchment and lightly oil it, and set up a steamer.
Divide the flour into five bowls of 80 g. Mix each with 15 g sugar. Mix cocoa into the first, mugwort into the second, pumpkin into the third, beet into the fourth, and leave the fifth plain.
Sprinkle about 22 ml water over each bowl and rub with your fingertips until the flour looks like damp sand that clumps when squeezed.
Press each bowl through a medium sieve to break up lumps, keeping the colors separate.
Spoon the brown flour into the pan and level gently without packing. Repeat with green, yellow, pink and white, leveling each layer.
Run a knife through the top layers to mark 16 squares so the cake cuts cleanly after steaming.
Steam over high heat for 25 minutes, then reduce the heat and steam 5 minutes more. A skewer should come out clean.
Cool completely in the pan, about 1 hour, before cutting along the marks.

Tips

Rice flour should feel like damp sand. If it falls apart, add water by the teaspoon; if it feels wet, add flour.
Wrap the steamer lid in a towel to stop drips from marking the top layer.
Cool fully before cutting or the layers will smear.
Good with barley tea.

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Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make mujigae-tteok korean rainbow rice cake?

Plan on 30 minutes of prep and 30 minutes of cooking, plus 30 minutes to chill. The recipe makes 16 pieces.

How should I store mujigae-tteok korean rainbow rice cake?

Keep covered at room temperature up to 1 day. Refrigerate up to 3 days and steam 5 minutes to soften.

Can I make mujigae-tteok korean rainbow rice cake ahead?

It is at its best the day it is made; prepare it a few hours before serving.

Is this recipe vegan?

Yes, as written. Check that packaged ingredients such as chocolate, sprinkles and plant butter are labeled vegan.

Mujigae-tteok is a steamed rice cake with stripes of natural color, served at birthdays and celebrations in Korea. Serve it with barley tea.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 16 servings this recipe makes.

111 Calories / serving

0.4g Fat

25.0g Carbs

1.6g Protein

4.7g Sugar

Whole recipe (16 servings): ~1776 cal · 6g fat · 400g carbs · 26g protein · 75g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.