Miso in desserts

[Sobaicecream]

The first (and only) time I ate miso in something sweet was when I tried miso manju--which is sort of a small, steamed cake with red bean paste filling. The miso used was the dark red kind, so the flavor and fragrance were quite pronouned. It was delicious.

I just made a fairly basic cake with red miso, and I can't decide what to think. On the one hand, I'm pleased that the miso shines through (which is one reason I didn't choose the milder white miso). On the other, I think it smells a bit too strong, almost cheeselike (I'm still playing around with how much miso to use).

I also haven't eaten such an unadorned cake in such a long time, I almost longed for something to complement the miso, like some nuts or fruit. So then, as an experiment , I cut little slices, and topped one with a dried cranberry, one with a chocolate chip, and slathered one slice with a dribble of honey. Each tasted good, but I wasn't sure that these additions didn't overly cloak the miso.

I want it to be clear, when one takes a bite, that this is a miso cake, not a cranberry, chocolate chip, or honey cake.

Alone, however, I think the miso cake is a bit too stark. Are there perhaps more subtle flavors that might add *something* to the cake without taking the spotlight away? (I'm considering chestnuts.)

Has anyone else tried using miso in desserts and come to any enlightening conclusions?

[Shalmanese]

Well, the traditional accompiament to miso is daikon. Perhaps some of the sweet, tender root of the daikon as a base to the cake?

[torakris]

I have to admit the idea of miso in a cake sounds odd to me, but I was also opposed to the idea of olive oil in a cake, until I tried it!

I recently picked up a dessert book (in Japanese) and there are a couple recipes with miso, walnuts seem to be the most common addition but one is with sweet potatoes (the Japanese satsumaimo) that looks good as well.

One of the recipes is for a miso walnut brownie and the ingredients include:

kurozato (Japanese raw "black" sugar) 100g

water 2 T

red miso 20g

eggs 2

flour 100g

baking powder 1t

butter 40g

walnuts 20g

there is also a recipe for a miso mushipan (steamed cake) that includes the addition of black beans

Edited January 14, 2005 by torakris (log)

[Luckylies]

this wont help at all. it's directly from my imagination- miso with lemon zest and honey? mmmmmmisoooo cake.

[Hiroyuki]

I can't be of much help as I'm not much of a cake maker.

I did some google searches and found some recipes, but IN JAPANESE.

Simple one:

http://www.misoya.com/recipe/menu/misocake.html

This one uses walnuts:

http://www.geocities.jp/aguri_box/cooking/hiroko_1.html

Miso castella (sp?)

http://www.aichi-iic.or.jp/co/otaya-jouzou/cook/ck0003.html

(First recipe)

I also found an all-purpose miso sauce using haccho miso

http://www.tokai-tv.com/p-can/today/040115...1/05/index.html

If any of the recipes interests you, then I can help you with the translation.

[vinelady]

I recently picked up a dessert book (in Japanese) and there are a couple recipes with miso, walnuts seem to be the most common addition but one is with sweet potatoes (the Japanese satsumaimo) that looks good as well.

←

Any chance that you could post the recipe for the one with sweet potato?

[torakris]

I recently picked up a dessert book (in Japanese) and there are a couple recipes with miso, walnuts seem to be the most common addition but one is with sweet potatoes (the Japanese satsumaimo) that looks good as well.

←

Any chance that you could post the recipe for the one with sweet potato?

←

this recipe wasn't a cake, it is sort of like a sweet twice baked potato. The milder flavor of the Japnese satsumaimo will probably work better than the typical American orange fleshed one.

Basically you bake the potato, cut it in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh. Then mix the hot flesh with butter, egg yolk, condensed milk, miso and salt then add it to a saucepan with a bit of warm milk mixing it until it becomes smooth and most of the water has evaporated. Place it is back into the skin, brush the tops with an egg yolk-water mixture and place under the broiler.

This type of sweet potato treat is quite common in Japan, I have never seen it with miso before though, usually it is made with butter, cream and sugar.

[Sobaicecream]

this wont help at all. it's directly from my imagination- miso with lemon zest and honey? mmmmmmisoooo cake. 

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You know, that could be good! I couldn't decide if I should pair the dark miso with something equally sort of dark and rich, like dried figs. Or if I should try to lighten things up with something fresher. Will have to experiment. Thanks, Luckylies!

[Sobaicecream]

I can't be of much help as I'm not much of a cake maker.

I did some google searches and found some recipes, but IN JAPANESE.

Simple one:

http://www.misoya.com/recipe/menu/misocake.html

This one uses walnuts:

http://www.geocities.jp/aguri_box/cooking/hiroko_1.html

Miso castella (sp?)

http://www.aichi-iic.or.jp/co/otaya-jouzou/cook/ck0003.html

(First recipe)

I also found an all-purpose miso sauce using haccho miso

http://www.tokai-tv.com/p-can/today/040115...1/05/index.html

If any of the recipes interests you, then I can help you with the translation.

←

Thanks so much for the links, Hiroyuki! My Japanese is pretty bad, but I *sort of* roughly figure out the recipes. Looking at the pictures though, the cakes all look very light in color. I was wondering, is this because they use very little miso (so the taste would be hardly noticeable)? Do any of these sites comment on the flavor? I want something quite bold!

[Sobaicecream]

One of the recipes is for a miso walnut brownie and the ingredients include:

kurozato (Japanese raw "black" sugar)

water

red miso

eggs

flour

baking powder

butter

walnuts

←

Mmm, this sounds interesting. If it's not too much trouble, would you mind listing just the ingredient amounts, Kristin?

[Hiroyuki]

As for this one

http://www.misoya.com/recipe/menu/misocake.html

It says that the 30-g miso is somewhat like a hidden flavor (kakushi aji in Japanese). It also says that if you use white miso, you may want to add a little more.

ingredients are:

90 g flour

40 g unsalted butter

4 eggs

100 g sugar

vanilla

30 g rice miso

As for for the castella

http://www.aichi-iic.or.jp/co/otaya-jouzou/cook/ck0003.html

no mention of the miso flavor.

ingredients are

250 g pancake mix

3 eggs

1000 cc milk

2 tbsp white miso

5 tbsp honey

1 tsp white soy sauce

Raisins

As for this recipe

http://www.geocities.jp/aguri_box/cooking/hiroko_1.html

it says, "Let it cool before serving, and the miso flavor will be more pronounced.

Ingredients are

1.5 cups (i.e. 300 cc) flour

1 cup (200 cc) san'ontou (type of sugar)

4 L or LL eggs

3 tbsp cornstarch

3 tbsp miso

3 tbsp milk

2 tbsp salad oil

3 tbsp raisins

Brandy enough to soak raisins

3 tbsp walnuts

Margarine

I want something quite bold!

I would suggest that you make the all-purpose miso sauce and pour it over the miso cake. Then you can have all the flavor of miso... Don't you think so?

Ingredients are

250 g haccho miso (I think you could use other types as well (just my opinion))

250 cc sake

250 cc mirin

125 cc black sugar

Recipe

1. Put sake, mirin, and black sugar in a pan, and simmer to evaporate alcohol.

2. Add miso and simmer for 15 minutes.

[chefzadi]

The first (and only) time I ate miso in something sweet was when I tried miso manju--which is sort of a small, steamed cake with red bean paste filling. The miso used was the dark red kind, so the flavor and fragrance were quite pronouned. It was delicious.

I just made a fairly basic cake with red miso, and I can't decide what to think. On the one hand, I'm pleased that the miso shines through (which is one reason I didn't choose the milder white miso). On the other, I think it smells a bit too strong, almost cheeselike (I'm still playing around with how much miso to use).

I also haven't eaten such an unadorned cake in such a long time, I almost longed for something to complement the miso, like some nuts or fruit. So then, as an experiment , I cut little slices, and topped one with a dried cranberry, one with a chocolate chip, and slathered one slice with a dribble of honey. Each tasted good, but I wasn't sure that these additions didn't overly cloak the miso.

I want it to be clear, when one takes a bite, that this is a miso cake, not a cranberry, chocolate chip, or honey cake.

Alone, however, I think the miso cake is a bit too stark. Are there perhaps more subtle flavors that might add *something* to the cake without taking the spotlight away? (I'm considering chestnuts.) 

Has anyone else tried using miso in desserts and come to any enlightening conclusions?

←

Is this Miso cake for commercial purposes or personal pleasure? If it's for personal satisfaction, then you just need to play around with the suggestions below and whatever it is that pleases your palate. If it's for commercial purposes, what's your niche customer base? How much miso does one need to taste in a cake before one proclaims, "wow that sure is a miso cake" or how little miso do you need to add before one proclaims, "this is an intriguing cake, a hint of something savory and salty, delicious." How many people really want miso as opposed to chocolate in a cake?

To each his own when it comes to personal taste preferences. But it would help me to know whether or not this cake is purely personal consumption or you intend to serve/sell it commercially. I really can't make suggestions without knowing this.

Edited January 14, 2005 by chefzadi (log)

[torakris]

One of the recipes is for a miso walnut brownie and the ingredients include:

kurozato (Japanese raw "black" sugar)

water

red miso

eggs

flour

baking powder

butter

walnuts

←

Mmm, this sounds interesting. If it's not too much trouble, would you mind listing just the ingredient amounts, Kristin?

←

sure

kurozato (Japanese raw "black" sugar) 100g

water 2 T

red miso 20g

eggs 2

flour 100g

baking powder 1t

butter 40g

walnuts 20g

[Sobaicecream]

Thank you so much, Hiroyuki, for translating. And thanks, Kristin, for the miso brownie recipe!

Chefzadi, I'm just experimenting in my own kitchen for fun. But you made me ask myself an important question: am I trying to make something that tastes good or something that tastes novel? I'm definitely leaning toward the former, so maybe the miso doesn't have to hit me over the head when I take a bite. On the other hand, I love miso and I do want the miso flavor to shine through. I don't want a cake that someone would taste and say, "Oh, you can't even tell there's miso in here!"

I guess I was hoping someone else out there has played around with miso and could share some info, like what pairs well with it, and also perhaps what other forms miso might take: like maybe a sweet tart or a cheesecake.

[torakris]

I think ginger was mentioned somewhere, but what about candied ginger?