Burnt Miso Mini Pound Cake With Salty Applesauce Buttercream
Makes: 1 small, approximately 4” x 4” x 2.5” pound cake
Burning miso to a risqué stage in my apartment with the terribly oversensitive smoke detectors, piss-poor ventilation systems, and deafeningly loud alarms was certainly an act of defiance - so I’m really glad it paid off in the final product (here’s looking at you, Christina Tosi). Anyway, pumpkin whatever-shmuck aside, fall baking should instead be defined by anything with miso, warm spices, and traces of apple in it, because that trifecta is so rich, it would 100% evade taxes and own a mega yacht if it were a human.
INGREDIENTS
GROUP A: CAKE
50g shiro (white) miso
1 tbsp whole milk
3 tbsp plain yogurt
1 tbsp water
50g olive oil
75g unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs
1/2 tbsp plain mayo
90g white granulated sugar
25g yellow granulated sugar
145g cake flour
2.5g baking powder
Pinch of salt
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cardamom
1/8 tsp ground clove
Pinch of allspice seasoning
GROUP B: APPLESAUCE
1 small Gala apple, diced
1/2 tbsp yellow or brown sugar
1 tbsp water
1 tbsp bourbon
GROUP C: BUTTERCREAM*
113g unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
70g confectioner’s sugar
38g heavy whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp flakey sea salt
Applesauce (from Group B)
*These specs make a little more buttercream than is needed for a cake this size. You can freeze the buttercream for up to 3 months in an airtight container or freezer bag. The day before you're ready to use it, let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then bring it to room temperature before re-whipping again.
method
Burn the miso - Preheat oven to 400F. Dollop the miso onto a silicone baking sheet and spread it around to a 1/4” thickness. Bake for 10-15 minutes till you can smell charring and the edges of the blob have properly burnt to a crisp black. Set aside to cool at room temperature.
Make the miso paste - Add burnt miso, milk, yogurt, water, & olive oil to a blender and blend to a smooth consistency.
Whisk the eggs, melted butter, miso paste, & mayo to a smooth batter.
Mix the sugars, flour, spices, baking powder, & salt in a separate bowl. Add the wet batter to this dry mix and whisk to a uniform consistency again.
Reduce oven heat to 350F. Grease and flour a baking tin of choice. Pour in the batter and bake for 60 minutes, till a skewer comes out clean. Cool the cake in the tin for 45 minutes, then ease it out with a butter knife, and let it further cool on a wire rack.
Make the applesauce - Add all Group B ingredients to a small cookpot and cook until mushy and fragrant, about 15 - 17 minutes on medium-low heat. Cool down completely, then blend into a smooth sauce.
Make the buttercream - Cream the butter and sugar till it’s soft & airy. Add heavy cream, applesauce, & vanilla, and whisk again till the buttercream is smooth. Fold in the flakey sea salt.
Slice the cake when it’s finally at room temperature, drop a dollop of the buttercream on it, and enjoy the luxury that is this cake.
Adapted (with major reductions in sugar) from Christina Tosi’s Burnt Miso Pound Cake
