By the time Thanksgiving dessert is rolled out I’ve either…
a. carb-loaded myself into an episode of severe nausea 
b. had a knock-down-drag-out screaming match with a family member, resulting in a premature and extreeeeeemly dramatic storm out
or
c. gotten drunk enough that I don’t care what any of it tastes like and am simply using it as a hail Mary alcohol sponge to mitigate my inevitable hangover.

I’m of the belief that Thanksgiving desserts are often more decoration than anything. Like yes, the Holy Trinity of Pie—pecan, apple, pumpkin—is present, but are people actually enjoying eating them after stuffing themselves silly with stuffing? When these pies are good they are soooooooo good, but more often than not I am confronted with an overcrowded table of grocery store renditions: sickly sweet pecan; an apple with no discernible flavor beyond cinnamon; and a sweaty, underseasoned and overbaked pumpkin. 

Taking all of this into account, I set some rules for myself to develop a treat for the holiday:
1. It must look gorgie gorg gorgeous sitting on a buffet.
2. It must taste incredible after a quick zap in the microwave on Friday (and Saturday [and Sunday]) morning.
3. It must be unique in a sea of classic pies but emulate the same immaculately seasonal vibes.

Every second counts in the throes of the hectic holiday season. Whether I’m hosting dinner myself or headed to someone’s house as a guest, I’m perpetually running late. Given my predisposition to be tardy for the party, I wanted to develop something that would take under an hour and could be thrown together in a single mixing bowl. Lord knows I love a snacking cake, so this seemed to be the perfect excuse to develop yet another one (check out last week’s Rosemary Brown Butter Loaf Cake, which could also be a fun little option for the Thanksgiving dessert table).

I ultimately settled on an apple upside down cake because it requires no frosting, no toppings, no fuss. Dump it out onto a plate and you’re done. On my first go, I found that the cake veered a bit sweet and needed more depth. I thought about adding a healthier pinch of salt, but as I dug through my fridge looking for scraps to throw a quick lunch together, I locked eyes with my tub of shiro miso and knew immediately it was what this cake needed. 

For those who haven’t used it before, miso is a kind of funky, deeply umami paste made by fermenting soybeans. Widely used in Japan and other East Asian countries, there are many different types of miso that are popular in different regions, however in many grocery stores in America you will find two main variations. Shiro—also called white or sweet—miso is made with a higher percentage of rice resulting in a more mild flavor, while aka—also called red—miso has much tangier and saltier flavor. Me and Niko use both in our savory cooking, but I find that shiro miso is better when I need to punch up a dessert. 

The miso brings a savoriness to the cake that balances out the cloying caramel layer, and tart apples. I also introduced a hefty amount of grated fresh ginger into the topping to give the cake a bit of a kick. The cake dances on the line between sweet and salty; add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and it’s clearly dessert, with a bit of greek yogurt it can be breakfast the next morning. 

An (enormous slice of miso) apple (upside down cake) a day keeps the doctor away! 

Alright have a fun and yummy Thanksgiving! See you soon!

xx,
Ian

Miso Apple Upside Down Cake

Yield: One 9-inch round cake

Ingredients:

For the cake

• 8 tbsp (1 stick/113g) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup (72g) shiro (white) miso
• 1 1/2 cups (192g) all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp (1g) ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp (2g) baking powder
• 1/4 tsp (1g) baking soda
• 1/2 cup (100g) light brown sugar
• 2 large (108g) eggs
• 1 tsp (4g) vanilla
• 1 cup (230g) buttermilk

For the topping

• 1/3 cup (33g) light brown sugar
• 2 medium (370g) unpeeled tart (i.e. granny smith or pink lady) apples
• 1 inch piece (8g) unpeeled fresh ginger*

Directions:

1. Toast your miso: Melt your butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, add in your miso and stir to break it down into the butter. The mixture will not be homogeneous, but you want all of the miso to be coated in fat. Let your miso fry in the butter, stirring constantly to prevent any burning. Cook for 3-5 minutes, until the miso smells deeply toasted and is dark amber in color. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
2. Preheat your oven and prep your pan: Preheat your oven to 350° and set a rack in the middle of the oven. Line a 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper.
3. Prepare the topping: Sprinkle your 1/3 cup brown sugar into the bottom of the pan in a semi-even layer. Cut your apples into 1/4 inch slices and arrange on top of the brown sugar (feel free to be as precise with this as you want, or simply just dump all the apple slices in). Using a microplane, finely grate your ginger over the apples, doing your best to disperse it evenly.
4. Combine your dry ingredients: Whisk together your flour, baking powder, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside.
5. Prepare your batter: In a large bowl whisk together your 1/2 cup brown sugar and eggs until the mixture thickens, 1-2 minutes. Add in your miso and butter mixture and whisk until fully combined and no streaks of fat remain, 1-2 minutes. Pour in your buttermilk and vanilla and whisk until the mixture is homogenous, 1-2 minutes. Dump your dry ingredients into the wet mixture and gently fold until just combined (a few small lumps of flour are alright). Transfer the batter to the 9-inch cake pan holding your apple topping and spread into an even layer overtop them.
6. Bake: Bake on the oven’s middle rack until deeply browned and a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean, 35-38 minutes, rotating 180° halfway through the bake time. Let the cake cool in the pan for at least 20 minutes before flipping it out onto a serving plate.
7. Serve: Slice and serve with vanilla ice cream or full fat greek yogurt. Store any leftover cake in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Notes:

* I find peeling the ginger to be a waste of time, but if you find that disgusting go ahead and do it!

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