A decadent chocolate cake with hints of miso adding depth and umami, topped with lashings of butter cream icing infused with cinnamon Honteri.
Level: Easy
Serves: 8
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 18 mins
Cake
140g self raising flour
Pinch baking powder
3 tsp cocoa powder
2 tsp ground mixed spice
2 medium eggs
100g brown sugar
1/2 tbsp medium dark miso paste
1 tbsp sour cream (alternatively use plain yoghurt/crème fraiche)
3 tbsp cinnamon Mizkan Honteri Mirin-style (see recipe below)
200ml rapeseed oil
60g dark chocolate, melted
Butter Cream Icing
140g unsalted butter, softened
280g icing sugar
1 tbs milk
1 tbs cinnamon Mizkan Honteri Mirin-style (see recipe below)
Cinnamon Infused Honteri
4-5 sticks cinnamon
Cake
1. In a mixing bowl, sieve the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder and mixed spice together.
2. Preheat the oven to 170˚C. Prepare 2 shallow and small round 6-inch/15cm cake tins.
3. In a large jug, whisk together the eggs, sugar, miso, sour cream, cinnamon mirin and rapeseed oil for a maximum of 2 minutes in order to get some air into the mix – be careful not to overmix as this will introduce too much air into the cake mix and cause the cake not to rise and have a soggy middle. The addition of the soured cream will moisten the cake, but adding too much will cause the middle of the cake to be a little fudgey.
4. Add the melted chocolate and mix well.
5. Add the liquid mix to the dry flour and stir in well until you have a raw Brownie-type mix, then split the raw cake mix between the two prepared baking trays.
6. Bake at 170˚C for 24-25 minutes (cover with a circle of buttered baking paper for 15 minutes then remove). Insert a metal skewer after 24 minutes to see if it comes out clean. If not, continue to cook in 2 minute intervals to check.
7. When the skewer comes out clean remove from the cake from the oven and place on a cooling rack in the tins for 10 minutes, then remove from the tins and allow them to cool further. This is an adaption of a wartime cake recipe where butter was in short demand and so oil was more often used in baking. If you want a richer, slightly more fluffy cake, simply substitute 100ml of oil with 100ml melted unsalted butter.
8. Cover with cinnamon Honteri buttercream icing.
Butter Cream Icing
1. Beat butter till soft, slowly add sugar and milk then mirin and mix all together.
Cinnamon Infused Honteri
1. Add to a preserving jar and allow to stand for 3 days minimum.
Ronald Laity is Mizkan’s Culinary Development Chef. A lifelong foodie, he has worked as a lobster fisherman, fishmonger, cheese maker and dairy hand, before finally falling in love with Japanese culture and cuisine, immersing himself in Japan for 6 years. Since being back, Ron has contributed to the UK Japanese Culinary scene, whether at Yakitoria, Samurai Sushi, Senkai, Feng Sushi, Bincho Yakitori and United Ramen, before joining Mizkan. Ron loves experimenting with authentic Japanese ingredients and developing new ways to bring those flavours to life.
Photography and video production courtesy of Jen Rich and Tinderflint.
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