CakesJapaneseMedium

Miso Caramel Apple Crumb Cake

Name: Miso Caramel Apple Crumb Cake
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 10 servings
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 6 oz (170 g) unsalted butter, softened, at room temperature; ¾ cup (150 g) packed light brown sugar; 2 whole large eggs, at room temperature; 1½ tbsp (27 g) white or red miso paste, mixed into 1 tbsp warm water until smooth; 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract; ½ cup (120 ml) buttermilk, at room temperature; 1¾ cup (220 g) all-purpose flour; 1½ tsp (7 g) baking powder; ¼ tsp (1 g) baking soda; ¼ tsp (1½ g) kosher salt; 3 whole (450 g) Granny Smith apples, large, peeled, cored, and sliced ¼ inch (6 mm) thick; 3 tbsp (43 g) unsalted butter; ½ cup (100 g) packed light brown sugar; 1 tbsp (18 g) white or red miso paste; ½ tsp (1 g) ground cinnamon; ¾ cup (60 g) old-fashioned rolled oats; ½ cup (100 g) packed light brown sugar; ½ cup (65 g) all-purpose flour; 4 tbsp (57 g) cold unsalted butter, cubed, cold, cut into ½-inch (12 mm) pieces; ⅛ tsp (¾ g) kosher salt

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A tender, buttery coffee cake layered with caramelized apples and umami-rich miso, topped with a brown sugar and oat crumb. The miso deepens the caramel's complexity while keeping the cake moist and delicate. Perfect for breakfast or afternoon tea.

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 45 min
Wait: 15 min
Total: 1 hr 25 min
Makes: 1 cake (10 slices)

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Ingredients

10 servings

For the cake
6 oz (170 g) unsalted butter, softened, at room temperature
¾ cup (150 g) packed light brown sugar
2 whole large eggs, at room temperature
1½ tbsp (27 g) white or red miso paste, mixed into 1 tbsp warm water until smooth
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
½ cup (120 ml) buttermilk, at room temperature
1¾ cup (220 g) all-purpose flour
1½ tsp (7 g) baking powder
¼ tsp (1 g) baking soda
¼ tsp (1.5 g) kosher salt
For the topping
3 whole (450 g) Granny Smith apples, large, peeled, cored, and sliced ¼ inch (6 mm) thick
3 tbsp (43 g) unsalted butter
½ cup (100 g) packed light brown sugar
1 tbsp (18 g) white or red miso paste
½ tsp (1 g) ground cinnamon
For the crumb topping
¾ cup (60 g) old-fashioned rolled oats
½ cup (100 g) packed light brown sugar
½ cup (65 g) all-purpose flour
4 tbsp (57 g) cold unsalted butter, cubed, cold, cut into ½-inch (12 mm) pieces
⅛ tsp (0.8 g) kosher salt

Equipment (8)

9×13-inch (23×33 cm) baking pan
Medium saucepan
Whisk
Electric mixer or mixing by hand
Rubber spatula
Sharp knife
Cutting board
Small bowl for miso mixture

Steps

Before you start

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and position a rack in the center
Bring eggs, buttermilk, and butter to room temperature (about 1 hour)
Prepare a 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) baking pan by greasing and lining the bottom with parchment paper

1
Prepare miso mixture
- In a small bowl, whisk the miso paste with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) warm water until completely smooth and no lumps remain.
- Set aside to cool slightly.
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Ready when: Miso is fully dissolved and the mixture is smooth
Tip: Warm water helps dissolve the miso evenly; cold water may leave grainy bits
2
Cream butter and sugar
- Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the softened butter and 0.75 cup (150 g) brown sugar together for 3–4 minutes until light, fluffy, and pale.
- Scrape the bowl often.
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Ready when: Mixture is visibly lighter in color and increased in volume
Tip: Room-temperature butter creams faster and incorporates more air, leading to a lighter cake
3
Add eggs and miso
- With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Then pour in the miso mixture and vanilla extract, beating until fully incorporated.
- Scrape the bowl between additions.
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Ready when: Batter looks cohesive and the miso is evenly distributed (slight tan or beige color)
Tip: Add eggs slowly to prevent curdling and ensure even mixing
4
Combine dry ingredients
- In a separate bowl, whisk together 1.75 cups (220 g) flour, baking powder, baking soda, and 0.25 tsp (1.5 g) salt.
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Ready when: No lumps visible and dry ingredients are evenly combined
Tip: Whisk the dry ingredients to aerate and distribute the leavening agents evenly
5
Finish the batter
- Alternate adding the dry mixture and buttermilk to the wet mixture, starting with the dry and ending with the dry.
- Add in three additions of each: about ⅓ of the dry, then ½ of the buttermilk, then ⅓ of the dry, then remaining buttermilk, then final ⅓ of the dry.
- Mix on low speed until just combined after each addition.
- Do not overmix.
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Ready when: Batter is smooth and no visible streaks of flour remain
Tip: Overmixing develops gluten and can make the cake tough; stir just until combined
6
Spread batter and caramelize apples
- Pour the batter into the prepared 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) pan and smooth the top.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt 3 tbsp (43 g) butter with 0.5 cup (100 g) brown sugar, stirring often.
- Once bubbling, add the miso paste and stir until dissolved.
- Add the cinnamon.
- Remove from heat and stir in the sliced apples until coated.
- Let cool for 1 minute.
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Ready when: Miso dissolves completely and apples are well coated with the caramel mixture
Tip: Cooling the apple mixture slightly prevents the bottom of the cake from cooking too fast
7
Make crumb topping
- In a bowl, combine 0.75 cup (60 g) oats, 0.5 cup (100 g) brown sugar, 0.5 cup (65 g) flour, and 0.125 tsp (0.75 g) salt.
- Add the cold butter pieces and rub with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter still visible.
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Ready when: Mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with pea-sized butter pieces visible throughout
Tip: Keep butter cold so it remains in small pieces, which ensures a tender, chunky crumb
8
Layer apples and crumb topping
- Spread the cooled apple-caramel mixture evenly over the batter.
- Sprinkle the crumb topping in an even layer over the apples, gently pressing slightly so it adheres but not so hard that it compacts.
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Ready when: Apple layer is covered completely with an even, slightly chunky crumb layer
Tip: Don't press the crumb topping too firmly or it will bake into a dense layer rather than staying crumbly
9
Bake the cakeOven 350°F / 175°C
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 40–45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the cake part (not the fruit) comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- The crumb topping should be golden brown.
- If the edges brown too quickly, tent the pan loosely with foil after 25 minutes.
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Ready when: Toothpick in the cake layer comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs; crumb topping is golden brown
Tip: Tent with foil if browning too fast to prevent a burnt top while the center finishes baking
10
Cool and serve
- Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 15 minutes.
- This allows the crumb topping to set and the cake to firm up slightly, making slicing easier.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
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Ready when: Cake is cool enough to handle and slice cleanly
Tip: Slicing while still warm may cause the crumb topping to scatter; waiting 15 minutes helps it hold together

Good to know

Tips

For extra miso flavor and depth, add another 0.5 teaspoon (3 g) miso paste to the cake batter if you enjoy a more pronounced umami note
Don't skip the cooling step: letting the cake rest 15 minutes in the pan allows the structure to set and makes slicing much cleaner
If your apples release a lot of liquid, drain the caramel mixture before spreading it on the batter to prevent a soggy bottom
Toast the oats in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 5 minutes before mixing the crumb topping for a deeper, nuttier flavor

Make ahead

The dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt) can be whisked together and stored in an airtight container up to 1 day ahead. The crumb topping mixture can be made up to 4 hours ahead and kept refrigerated; let it come to cool room temperature before baking.

Storage & reheating

Store the cake covered with foil or in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer storage, wrap tightly and refrigerate for up to 4 days. To freeze, wrap the cooled cake in plastic wrap and foil; freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature for 2 hours, then warm in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 10 minutes before serving. Do not refrigerate within 6 hours of baking, as the crumb topping may absorb moisture and become soggy.

Substitutions

white or red miso paste → Substitute white miso with red miso for a deeper, slightly more savory flavor, or use brown miso for a richer taste. Use the same amount.. Red or brown miso will intensify the umami and caramel notes
Granny Smith apples, large → Use Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, or Fujis apples instead of Granny Smiths. They are sweeter but still firm enough to hold their shape during baking.. Reduce the brown sugar in the caramel mixture by 1 tablespoon (12 g) if using sweeter apples
buttermilk → If you don't have buttermilk, mix 0.5 cup (120 ml) whole milk with 1.5 teaspoons (7.5 ml) lemon juice or white vinegar. Let sit for 5 minutes until curdled.. This creates the acidity needed for tender crumb
old-fashioned rolled oats → Replace old-fashioned oats with quick oats in the same amount, though the texture will be slightly less chunky. Do not use instant oatmeal.. Quick oats will create a finer, more cohesive crumb