Baymax Mochi Cupcakes Inspired by Big Hero 6!

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BigHero6Release #CollectiveBias

One of my favorite movies to come out in 2014 was Disney’s Big Hero 6! Have you seen it? It was one of those films that after seeing it in the theaters, I just knew I had to purchase it later for home entertainment. Did I mention it won an Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film! If you aren’t familiar with the movie, it’s an adorable action-packed comedy-adventure about the special friendship that develops between plus-sized inflatable robot Baymax, and technological-savvy Hiro, who team up with a group of friends to form a band of high-tech heroes.

I was shopping at my local Walmart when I noticed upon entering a store a nice size sign advertising the home entertainment release of Big Hero 6! My son was super excited to see Baymax “waving” to him. I just knew then we definitely had to go purchase this movie once it was out on Blu-ray and DVD February 24th. Not sure where to find Big Hero 6 at your local Walmart? Simply look for the big overhead “Movies” sign!

I decided in honor of Big Hero 6’s release, why not have a little mini viewing party for my son and his friends? The brain wheels started quickly turning as I tried to come up with ideas on what to serve and how to decorate our living room to celebrate the film.

One idea that popped in my head was Baymax style cupcakes! Not just any cupcakes though, I wanted to top them with something that paid homage to either the Tokyo or San Fransisco inspirations of the film. I decided to try my hand at mochi, which is a Japanese rice cake, traditionally served as a dessert or snack.

So after I picked up a few necessities, I browsed the aisles of Walmart for ingredients to make my cupcakes! Luckily Walmart carries everything I need, even the main ingredient of sweet rice flour. Unfortunately, my particular Walmart was out of stock of that item. Store associates directed me on how to order the flour online at Walmart.com. However, later I did discover I had enough of the flour at home for my mochi treat.

Baymax Mochi Cupcake Tutorial

Check out below for a detailed tutorial on how to create delicious Mochi Cupcakes inspired by Big Hero 6’s Baymax.

Ingredients

1 cup of glutinous rice flour (sweet rice flour)
1 cup water
1/4 cup of sugar
Optional: filling (I used strawberry pie filling)
Optional: katakuriko (potato starch) for dusting

Directions

First you’ll want to make the mochi that goes on top of the cupcakes. To create the batter for the mochi, first combine the glutinous rice flour and sugar into a  large, microwave-proof bowl.

Then slowly add in the water gradually, while mixing well until smooth. You’ll want to make sure there are no lumps. The mochi batter should be somewhat runny.

Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Microwave the batter on a HIGH setting for two minutes. Remove from microwave and stir thoroughly to ensure even cooking.

Then microwave for another 1-2 minutes or until the batter is cooked through. The cooked dough will be sticky and may be somewhat translucent in its color.

Now remove the bowl from the microwave. Be sure to give it a few more thorough stirs. Then allow the dough to cool down for a few minutes or until you it is cool enough to handle.

Now here is where you might need the potato starch for dusting. If you didn’t purchase any, no worries. You can take 1/3 cup of the glutinous rice flour and toast it in a non-stick frying pan over medium to low heat. No need for any oil! Let the flour cook for five minutes, while continuous stirring to make sure it won’t become burnt. Once that is done, place the toasted flour to cool down in a bowl. Once it is cool, it is ready to use in place of potato starch. Coat your hands with starch and also generously dust your work area surface.

Take your mochi dough and place it right onto the starch in your work area. Warning! The dough will be very sticky.

Take a small amount of dough, like the size of a golf ball or ping pong ball. If you prefer larger size mochi, feel free. If you go any smaller, I recommend not trying to put a filling in it.

Roll it into a ball and then flatten it into a disc. The thickness of the disc is all on your own preference. I prefer my mochi thinner, the only downside is that they color of the filling is more likely to show through.

Place your filling into the center of your disc and pinch to seal the edges all around it. For this batch I used strawberry pie filling. You can use any filling you like! Traditionally I’ve seen mochi made with red bean paste as the filling. Fresh fruit, like cut up mangoes or cut up berries is another filling I’ve seen.

Coat the ball in the starch. Then roll the ball gently between the palms to make it round. Repeat this process till you’ve used up all your mochi dough!

Once you have all your mochi, it is time to decorate them as Baymax! I use black decorating icing to draw the face. Simply draw a small black line in the middle.

Add two large dots on either side of the line to create Baymax’s eyes. or you can use chocolate chips! I used both methods for this tutorial. It is just a matter of preference and if you have chocolate chips available.

Now it’s time to make the cupcakes! The easiest way is to buy a box of cake mix and follow the instructions. I purchased Red Velvet since it reminded me of Baymax’s Red Suit. To create the batter I mixed together three large eggs, two cups of water, and 2/3 cup of oil with the mix.
Bake for 350 degrees for 20 minutes (or however it instructs on the box), and then let the cupcakes cool once they are completely baked. Now as you can see below, I’m definitely not the best when it comes to frosting cupcakes. The amount of frosting you want is up to you. You can either add a lot, or just enough for the mochi to sit on the cupcake comfortably as the frosting works somewhat as an “adhesive.”

Before the frosting “hardens”, place your already decorated Baymax mochi on top, and there you go! Don’t worry if they don’t turn out picture perfect. They’ll be gobbled right up during the movie viewing!

While the mochi gives you a fun taste of Japan, if you are worried about your kids not liking it, you can always just draw Baymax’s face right on top of the white frosted cupcake and serve the mochi to your guests separate. Either way, you are sure to have a fun treat in honor of the release of Big Hero 6!

Big Hero 6 Clip

Check out my inspiration for this treat… Baymax!

Want to learn more about how to create delicious and amazingly fun recipes along with some great party ideas? Simply check out the #BigHero6Release and #CollectiveBias hashtags.

Be sure to connect with Walmart on Facebook and Twitter. Also don’t forget to connect with Big Hero 6 on Facebook and Twitter!

Big Hero 6 can be purchased for home entertainment at Walmart starting February 24th. Your purchase of the Big Hero 6 Blu-Ray/DVD + Gift With Purchase Set includes a digital movie on Vudu while supplies last! Simply scan your receipt using the Savings Catcher in the Walmart app. Then look for a message on your phone or email. Now you can watch Big Hero 6 on any device.

Now that I’ve shared how I’m gearing up for the Big Hero 6 DVD/Blu-Ray release, comment below with how your family will be celebrating Big Hero 6’s release on home entertainment!