Okay, so this probably isn’t how you run a business, but I’ve never been good at that sort of thing, so why start now? Today’s Miso Caramel Pumpkin Cake ushers a favourite recipe of mine out from behind the paywall because you can’t have a Miso Caramel Pumpkin Cake without Miso Caramel. This beauty of a cake features an almost fudgy pumpkin experience. It is cakey-er than a blondie but less airy than a typical sheet cake. And with the added caramel swirl, it takes on an almost sticky-bun-esque appeal. This cake is an outsider caught between worlds… I’m probably overselling this, but meh, I stand by my description.
What I like about this recipe is that it’s actually two recipes. You can make the caramel without the cake and make the cake without the caramel. But I will say they are worth swirling together at least once, so don’t sleep on the opportunity. I am also happy to inform you that if you make the recipe as written, you will have leftover caramel. This is never a bad thing because the caramel keeps well in a sealed jar in the fridge, and it can be reheated and cooled a multitude of times. So yes, you not only get this beauty of a cake, but you also get a long parade of on-demand Hot Miso Caramel Sundaes, provided your vanilla ice cream supply holds up.
This recipe kicks off with the Miso Caramel. I use the wet method to make my caramel. If you’re a caramel whisperer, feel free to use the dry method and break me off a piece of that confidence. You can find a detailed account on wet method caramel here, complete with a video tutorial. It is paywalled, unfortunately- this is me businessing; am I doing it right? In a nutshell, the wet method for making caramel is simply adding water to the sugar. I like to refer to this as an insurance policy. The water takes more time to cook out of the sugar, which gives you an ample amount of space to reach your ideal shade of amber before scorching it. It also makes your sugar less prone to hot spots – that’s worth noting if you have less-than-stellar or inconsistent burners.
I like to make the caramel the day before I plan on making the cake. This gives the caramel ample time to cool and set up, which makes it infinitely more swirl-able. I will ask you to store your finished caramel in the fridge after allowing it to cool to room temperature on the counter. You must take the caramel out of the fridge after allowing a full hour before swirling it. Again, this will ensure it is the right consistency for swirling. And to this end, please pay attention to the temperature I suggest you cook your caramel to. I didn’t add it for shits and giggles. We need to approach the soft ball stage to achieve the correct viscosity.
Now, for the cake portion of the recipe. And there’s really no funny stuff here; this is a straightforward cake batter. It takes two bowls, a handful of measuring implements, and a rubber spatula. Yes, that’s right, you don’t need a mixer for this. I’m not going to spend too much time here, because it is as simple as combining the dry ingredients, combining the wet ingredients, and gradually introducing the two to each other. Pour the batter into a greased 9×13 baking pan, and the batter is ready to go. No tricks, no fancy techniques, no muss, no fuss. And like I said, you can just bake the cake as is and slather it with cream cheese frosting. No one would be mad. Promise!
But we’re here to make this Miso Caramel Pumpkin Cake, and that’s what we’re going to do. So grab your caramel and make a series of evenly spaced, roughly teaspoon-sized dollops of the stuff across the surface of the cake. Now, arm yourself with a butter knife and drag it through the caramel and the cake batter to create a swirl effect. And when I say “swirl”, I really mean it. Swirl it with your whole heart. Not only is this a fun, satisfying activity, but it will keep your caramel deposits from being too concentrated. If the caramel collects in one place too much, it will disrupt the integrity of the cake in that one spot, while depriving other portions of the cake of their caramel kiss.
Once you’ve swirled your heart out, bake this bad boy in a 9×13 pan at the very pedestrian temperature of 350°F until a toothpick can be inserted and removed cleanly. Let cool completely before slicing and serving with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. And pro tip: after slicing the cake, feel free to nuke a slice in the microwave for 15 seconds. It delivers all the gooey excellence you could hope for.
Enjoy!
Miso Caramel Pumpkin Cake
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Pour the sugar into a skillet. Add the water and whisk to combine. Heat the water and sugar mixture over medium-high heat until it boils and bubbles. Turn off the heat when it reaches a golden colour.1 ¼ cups granulated sugar, ½ cup water
- Immediately pour in the cream (the mixture will bubble madly and then subside – just keep whisking throughout). Return the skillet to the heat and simmer until it registers 225°F – 230°F on a candy thermometer.1 cup heavy cream
- Take the skillet off the heat and whisk in the miso and vanilla. Pour the caramel into a heat-proof bowl and let it cool completely.2 tbsp white miso paste, 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Place all ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside until ready to use.3 tbsp ground cinnamon, 2 tsp ground ginger, 1 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1 tsp ground cloves, 1 tsp ground allspice, Fresh ground pepper
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13 cake pan and set it aside.
- Place flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin spice in a large bowl. Whisk to combine and set aside.2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 ½ tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 ¼ tsp salt, 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon, 2 tsp pumpkin spice
- In a separate bowl, pour in the brown sugar and granulated sugar. Add the eggs, vegetable oil, buttermilk, maple syrup, pumpkin purée, and the vanilla. Whisk to combine.1 cup light brown sugar, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 3 large eggs, ½ cup vegetable oil, ½ cup buttermilk, 2 tbsp maple syrup, 425 g (15 oz) 15 oz pure pumpkin purée, 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Form a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour in the wet ingredients and stir until a batter forms. Be careful not to overmix the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it into an even layer. Using a greased teaspoon measure, place a series of dollops of the miso caramel on the surface of the cake batter. Use a butter knife to swirl and cut the caramel into the cake batter. (See Note 1)
- Transfer the cake to the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick can be inserted into the center of the cake and removed cleanly. Let the cake cool completely in the pan.
- Slice the cake into 12 squares. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of the leftover miso caramel.
