Can you use a cake pop maker for takoyaki? THIS is how!
Yes, you can use a cake pop maker to make takoyaki but the balls will be smaller, so not quite like traditional takoyaki. Also, you won’t be able to add as much filling so your takoyaki will be bite-sized.
A problem you’ll encounter is when you try to flip the takoyaki. An electric cake pop maker cooks batter at the top and bottom, so you can only make this dish with a cake pop maker that can cook while open (not all can!).
This way you can use it almost like a traditional takoyaki pan.
If you have to try and make it with a device that only works while closed, try to shorten the cooking time so one side is crispy and the other maybe a bit less, but you won’t end up with burnt balls.
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How to make takoyaki in your cake pop maker
Takoyaki in a cake pop maker recipe
Equipment
- Cake pop maker
Ingredients
Takoyaki batter
- 10 ounces all-purpose flour
- 3 eggs
- 4 1/4 cups water (1 liter)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp kombu dashi stock you can use granules
- 1/2 tsp katsuobushi dashi stock you can use granules
- 2 tsp soy sauce
Filling
- 15 ounces boiled octopus in cubes or you can use any other type of protein as a filling, although it wouldn't really be takoyaki
- 2 green onions sliced
- 2 tbsp tenkasu tempura bits (or use rice krispies)
- 3 ounces shredded cheese
Toppings
- 1 bottle Japanese mayonnaise add to taste
- 1 bottle Takoyaki sauce (you can buy it bottled at a lot of the Asian groceries, you can't miss it with the picture of takoyaki on the front)
- 1 tbsp bonito flakes
- 1 tbsp Aonori or seaweed strips (Aonori is a type of powdered seaweed)
Instructions
- Crack the eggs in a small mixing bowl and add the water as well as the stock granules, then beat the mix manually or with an egg beater. Pour the egg-water-stock granules mixture into the flour, then add salt and mix well (with an egg beater or manually) until you’ve successfully created the batter. Now, heat up your cake pop maker to get started!
- Two minutes into heating the device, pour the takoyaki batter into the spherical molds until they are full. Try to do this as accurately as possible, but it’s okay if you accidentally make the batter in the molds spill over the brim. Those will be some really crispy bonuses when you're done! While you’re pouring the takoyaki in the cake pop maker, add the green onions in each ball, add your octopus, the shredded cheese, and the tempura bits, or use rice Krispies.
- Two to 3 minutes into cooking the takoyaki, you may now flip it over in order for the other side to cook. Use a bamboo or metal skewer when flipping the ball over in order to not ruin its spherical shape. Flip it over halfway and add more batter in the side of the cake pop sphere that opened up by flipping the ball to the side. Then slowly turn the ball so the cooked batter is up top and the runny batter at the bottom. If you can’t turn the takoyaki easily, it probably needs to cook for a bit longer. Let it sit in the pan for another 60 seconds before flipping it over. The takoyaki balls should be easier to turn over once they’ve cooked through because the batter will no longer stick to the pan. Don't close the cake pop maker because the top part of the ball will overcook if you do that.
- You will know when the takoyaki is done because it will have a light brown crispy texture on the outside and you can flip them easily in their holes as they no longer stick to the pan. The overall cook time is estimated to be 10 minutes per batch from the time you’ve placed them on the stove to the time you’ll take them out.
- Place the hot takoyaki on a clean plate, then drizzle them with Japanese mayonnaise and takoyaki sauce. Sprinkle them with aonori and bonito flakes as well. Then serve them to your guests.
Nutrition
A cake pop maker has the option of coating the mold with batter so it can cook thoroughly, kind of perfect for takoyaki as well!
Your machine should have good nonstick properties though and it needs to be able to heat up fast during use to get that crispy exterior takoyaki is famous for.
Also read: can you make takoyaki without any sort of pan? Yep!
Check out our new cookbook
Bitemybun's family recipes with complete meal planner and recipe guide.
Try it out for free with Kindle Unlimited:
Read for free
Joost Nusselder, the founder of Bite My Bun is a content marketer, dad and loves trying out new food with Japanese food at the heart of his passion, and together with his team he's been creating in-depth blog articles since 2016 to help loyal readers with recipes and cooking tips.
