‘Kinako’ is finely ground Roasted Soy Beans, and it is a popular ingredient for Japanese sweets. I regularly purchase a bag of ‘Kinako’, but it is not easy to use it up. Today I wanted to use up the leftover ‘Kinako’. I baked my ‘Rice Flour Pound Cake’ and replaced 1/2 of Rice Flour with ‘Kinako’. It worked well. This Pound Cake is still Gluten-Free as ‘Kinako’ is 100% Soy Beans.

Cake Tin

Standard Loaf Tin

Ingredients

125g Butter *softened at room temperature
125g (OR 1/2 cup) Caster Sugar *You may wish to use Brown Sugar
3 Eggs *about 125g, must be at room temperature
Flavour *e.g. 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract OR 1 tablespoon Rum
1/2 cup ‘Kinako’ (Finely Ground Roasted Soy Beans)
1/2 cup Rice Flour *finely ground type

*Note: You need about 125g ‘Kinako’ & Rice Flour combined
2 tablespoons Tapioca Starch OR Potato Starch
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 pinch Salt

Method
  1. Preheat oven to 170°C. Grease a loaf tin and line the base and sides with baking paper.
  2. Combine ‘Kinako’, Rice Flour, Tapioca Starch (OR Potato Starch), Baking Powder and Salt.
  3. Beat softened Butter and Sugar in a mixing bowl with a whisk or an electric mixer until smooth.
  4. Add Eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. If the Eggs are not warm enough, the mixture will curdle. If that happens, try to stand the bowl in warm water, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds, then continue beating until the batter becomes smooth and creamy.
  5. Add Vanilla Extract (OR Rum), and beat well. Gently fold in flour mixture with a spatula or large metal spoon until just combined. DO NOT over-mix.
  6. Spoon the mixture into the loaf tin and smooth the surface. *Note: Spread the middle part thinner and the edges thicker, so that you will have a nice centre crack.
  7. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until cooked through. If top of the cake gets too dark, cover with a pieces of foil. Stand the cake in the tin for 5 minutes as it is very soft, then turn onto a wire rack to cool.