Name: Creamy Baked Cottage Cheese Rice Cake Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 65 min
Ingredients: 2 cups cooked white rice, cold; 2 cups full-fat cottage cheese; 3 large eggs; ½ cup granulated sugar; 2 tsp vanilla extract; ¼ tsp fine sea salt; butter for greasing the dish

A soft, custardy baked rice cake that uses cottage cheese for richness and a little tang. It comes together with a handful of pantry ingredients and a quick spin in the blender. Less sweet than most desserts and just right for breakfast, a snack, or a light finish to a meal.

Why This Rice Cake Just Works

The cottage cheese melts into the rice as it bakes, leaving behind a set custard that is creamy without being heavy. Cold rice grains hold their shape, so every forkful has a little chew next to the silky egg and cheese layer.

I keep coming back to this one because it uses up leftover rice and feels substantial enough to call a snack while still tasting like a treat. A thin crackly top forms around the edges, but the center stays soft and almost pudding-like.

Ingredients

2 cups cooked white rice, cold: short-grain or jasmine gives the best tender-chewy bite
2 cups full-fat cottage cheese: the fat keeps the cake from drying out
3 large eggs: set at room temperature if you can, but cold work fine
½ cup granulated sugar: adjust a little up or down depending on how sweet your rice was originally
2 tsp vanilla extract: pure or imitation both do the job
¼ tsp fine sea salt
butter for greasing the dish

Variations / Substitutions

Swap cottage cheese: ricotta works with the same ratio, though the cake will be slightly richer and less tangy.
Sweetener shift: replace the sugar with an equal measure of maple syrup or honey. The bake time stays about the same.
Add fruit: scatter a handful of raisins, chopped dried apricots, or fresh blueberries into the batter before baking.
Go savory: skip the sugar and vanilla, add ½ tsp black pepper, ½ cup grated sharp cheddar, and a few chopped chives. Serve warm alongside roasted chicken.

If you like lightly sweet rice puddings, you might also enjoy our recipe for Coconut Sticky Rice with Mango.

How to Make Creamy Baked Cottage Cheese Rice Cake

Step 1: Blend the Custard

Combine the 2 cups cottage cheese, the 3 eggs, the ½ cup sugar, the 2 tsp vanilla, and the ¼ tsp salt in a blender or food processor. Run it on high for about 30 seconds until the curds disappear and the mixture is completely smooth.

Scrape down the sides and blend once more. You want no grainy bits left, because those will turn into rubbery specks in the baked cake.

Step 2: Fold in the Rice

Tip the 2 cups cold rice into a large bowl and pour the blended custard over it. Use a flexible spatula to fold everything together gently, making sure every grain is coated.

Stop as soon as the rice is evenly distributed. Over-mixing here can break the grains and release starch that makes the final texture gummy.

Step 3: Bake the Cake

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and butter an 8×8-inch baking dish on the bottom and sides. Scrape the rice mixture into the dish and smooth the top with the back of a spoon.

Bake on the middle rack for 45 to 50 minutes. The edges will puff slightly and pull away from the dish, and the center will still have a little jiggle but look set — a knife inserted an inch from the edge should come out clean.

Step 4: Cool and Slice

Let the cake cool in the dish on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes before slicing. It firms up a lot as it sits, and warm slices hold their shape better if you wait.

Run a knife around the edge, then cut into 8 squares and lift them out with a spatula. Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled straight from the fridge.

Tips for a Creamy Rice Cake

Use day-old rice that has had a chance to dry out in the fridge. Hot, freshly steamed rice turns mushy and the cake won’t set up as neatly.
Don’t skip the blender step. Even a few small curds left whole will become chewy pockets in the finished cake.
If your oven runs hot, check at 40 minutes. Overbaking dries out the center, and you lose the soft custard texture.
The top won’t brown deeply, but you can run it under the broiler for 1 minute right at the end if you like a little color.

Bake time by pan size:

Pan size	Bake time
8×8-inch dish	45 to 50 minutes
9×9-inch dish	35 to 40 minutes
9×13-inch dish	30 to 35 minutes

Storing Leftovers

Refrigerate: cover the dish tightly and store for up to 4 days. The cake gets firmer as it chills.
Reheating: warm individual portions in the microwave for 30 to 45 seconds. They soften right back up.
Serve Cold: straight from the fridge, the texture turns dense and almost cheesecake-like, which is its own thing.

What to Serve With This Rice Cake

A spoonful of barely sweetened whipped cream and a handful of ripe berries balance the tang of the cottage cheese without burying it. Sliced peaches or nectarines do the same thing in summer. For breakfast, I like a square next to a strong cup of black coffee, the bitterness cutting the gentle sweetness.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use brown rice instead of white?

Yes. Cook it until it’s fully tender, because brown rice grains stay firmer and won’t soften much more in the oven. The cake will be slightly chewier but still creamy.

What if I only have low-fat cottage cheese?

It works, though the cake loses some tenderness. Increase the eggs by 1 to help bind and keep an eye on the bake time, pulling it from the oven as soon as the center is set to avoid dryness.

Can I make this dairy-free?

Swap the cottage cheese for an equal volume of unsweetened dairy-free yogurt and use melted coconut oil to grease the dish instead of butter. Expect a thinner custard and a slightly looser slice, but the flavor stays pleasant.

Why is my cake watery?

The most common cause is using rice that was too wet when it went into the bowl. Spread day-old rice on a plate for 10 minutes before mixing to let any surface moisture evaporate.