Spiced Pear Cake with Miso Caramel
TIP: Opt for pears that are ripe yet still firm to the touch. They should yield slightly when pressed but not be too soft. This ensures the pears hold their shape and don't turn mushy during baking.
SWAP OUT: If pears aren’t your thing, the most obvious swap is to make this tart with apples. Equally, peaches, plums, or apricots can also work beautifully. They offer a different flavour profile and a bit of tartness that can be a nice contrast to the sweetness of this recipe’s caramel.
SERVE WITH: This plate also presents (and tastes) great with a good quality vanilla ice-cream. I love the good old classic Häagen-Dazs Vanilla or Hackney Gelato’s Madagascan Vanilla.
Inspired by the apple, almond, and miso pastry at Layla Bakery (the BEST)… I can comfortably say that this bake hits all my flavour boxes – salty, sweet, and umami – and all my texture boxes – chewy, moist, and sticky.
Sure, light and fluffy is nice, but there's something incredibly satisfying about a cake that feels rich, indulgent, and saturated with moisture. The pears in this recipe help achieve that texture, adding a juicy, succulent bite to every forkful. They melt beautifully with the cosy spiced batter of cinnamon and nutmeg too.
I’ll never shy away from how much I love miso, it’s so versatile, and upon discovery even better when it’s transformed into a rich caramel sauce. Enhancing the sweetness without overwhelming it, this caramel drizzle seeps into every bite, making it irresistibly sticky and indulgent. Cooked low and slow, this cake might safely become my ultimate comfort bake. I reckon though that it’s even more fitting when you’ve saved enough room after a Sunday roast or when pears come into season later in the summer.
SERVES: 8
I N G R E D I E N T S
For the base of the cake tin:
15g unsalted butter, in 2cm cubes
25g light soft brown sugar
3 pears, cored and thinly sliced
For the cake mixture:
2 pears, cored and chopped
200g unsalted butter, softened
200g light soft brown sugar
4 eggs
200g self-raising flour
3 tsp baking powder
sea salt, a pinch
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1.5 tsp ground nutmeg
75g greek yogurt
For the miso caramel:
185g caster sugar
60ml water, plus a couple extra tbsps to loosen the miso prior to cooking
250ml double cream
2.5 tbsp miso paste, white or red
M E T H O D
P R E P A R A T I O N:
Preheat your oven to 175°C. Grease a 23cm/9in round cake tin and line the bottom with baking parchment.
Evenly distribute the 15g unsalted butter cubes in the bottom of the prepared tin.
Sprinkle over the 25g light soft brown sugar over the butter.
Arrange the thinly sliced pears in a single layer on top of the butter and sugar, fanning them out to cover the entire base. I opted for a spiral shape, getting smaller as I approached the the centre. Set aside.
T H E C A K E B A T T E R:
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the 200g softened butter and the 200g light soft brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until fully incorporated.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the self-raising flour, baking powder, a pinch of sea salt, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg.
Carefully sift the dry ingredients into the wet batter, making sure to fold it all together until everything is combined.
Stir in the Greek yogurt until the batter is smooth.
Gently fold in the chopped pears, being careful not to overmix.
Finally, pour the batter over the pear slices in the cake tin, spreading it out uniformly with a spatula.
B A K I N G:
Place the cake in the preheated oven and bake for 45-55 minutes, or until the tip of a kitchen knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 10-15 minutes before removing it to cool.
T H E S A U C E:
Firstly, place your miso in a bowl and begin to loosen it with a couple tbsps of lukewarm water. Set aside.
Heat the double cream until it’s just about to hit boiling point or starts to vigorously bubble. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, stir the caster sugar and the water so that it’s fully dissolved.
Heat this over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, bringing it to a boil. Try to avoid stirring too much as this can cause the sugar to crystallise. Be patient!
When the liquid turns golden brown, remove the pan from the heat.
Time to incorporate the cream. In stages, carefully pour in your pre-heated cream, ensuring that you whisk the mixture constantly. The mixture may bubble, so take care at this stage.
Whisk the miso mixture into the caramel until fully combined. While you do this you can put the saucepan back onto the hob on a very low heat for a minute or two.
Remove from the heat and let the caramel cool slightly.
T O S E R V E:
Once the cake has cooled, sift over some icing sugar (if you have it to hand).
Cut a slice of your delicious cake before drizzling over your miso caramel.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
