Walnut & Pecan Cake with Red Miso
WRITER/RECIPE Marie Frank
PHOTOGRAPHY Line Klein
What this cake lacks in looks, it more than makes up for in its bold flavor from the umami-rich red miso paste and fragrant toasted walnuts and pecans. Adding miso to pecans and walnuts is an idea I first read about in Niki Segnit’s The Flavor Thesaurus, and it is a little stroke of genius. The red miso in the cake adds a fruity richness and lends a subtle savory depth that brings out the buttery flavor of the nuts. You wouldn’t even notice it, unless you tasted the cake without the miso.
When I made this cake for my birthday, my daughter, who is not a cake person, devoured several slices of it—after I liberally covered her slices with sprinkles, of course. One day, I hope this will be Grandma’s walnut and pecan cake, handed down to my grandkids and great-grandkids, who will fondly remember the kooky old lady who lovingly made this for them after they had actually asked for Funfetti cake.
Walnut & Pecan Cake with Red Miso
Makes 1 (9-inch / 23cm) cake
Ingredients:
¾ cup / 170 g unsalted butter, plus more for the pan
1¼ cups / 250 g sugar
2 tablespoons red miso
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 eggs
½ cup / 60 g all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons / 30 g cornstarch
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons / 115 g pecans
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons / 115 g walnuts
Maple Whipped Cream (page 61; optional)
Roasted Rhubarb with Maple and Star Anise (recipe follows; optional)
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C. Butter a 9-inch / 23 cm cake pan and line the bottom with a round of parchment paper.
Combine the butter, sugar, miso, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 4–5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Sift together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and whisk in the pecans and walnuts. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in three parts, mixing until just combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 35–40 minutes, until golden brown and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean or until the internal temperature reaches 200°F–210°F / 93°C–98°C on an instant-read thermometer.
Remove the pan from the oven and let cool on a wire rack before serving.
Roasted Rhubarb with Maple & Star Anise
Ingredients:
1 pound / 450 g rhubarb, cut into 2-inch / 5 cm batons
¼ cup / 85 ml maple syrup
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 star anise
Pinch of salt
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C. Place the rhubarb batons in a single layer in a roasting pan.
Whisk together the maple syrup, lemon juice, star anise, and salt and drizzle over the rhubarb. Roast for 10–15 minutes, until the rhubarb is tender when poked with a paring knife but the stalks still hold their shape.
Excerpted with permission from More Than Sweet: Desserts with Flavor by Marie Frank, published by Hardie Grant Publishing, April 2026. Purchase your copy here.