Miso Ganache Fudge Cake Recipe
by Gurdeep Loyal
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Easy
There was this cream-covered chocolate cake from an Italian bakery, Brucciani’s, in Leicester Market that was the candle-lit epicentre of every family celebration of my childhood. I’ve been searching for the sensory thrill of its rich sponge and whipped cloud-like icing (that was as salty as it was sweet) – for almost twenty years, but never quite found the full sensation of it in anything. Then, about a year ago, sipping on a bowl of miso soup in a sushi bar in Soho, something in my mind was triggered: suddenly it was one of my childhood birthday parties again. That evening, I got to work on a sponge cake that was as chocolatey as possible, with a luscious ganache icing made salty-savoury with a little miso. With this cake, it can forever be my ninth birthday.
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Recipe extracted from: Flavour Heroes by Gurdeep Loyal (Quadrille, £27), Photography © Patricia Niven
Ingredients for Miso Ganache Fudge Cake Serves: 8
- 125ml sunflower oil, plus extra for brushing
- 75g cocoa powder
- 1 heaped tbsp instant espresso powder
- 4 tbsp black treacle
- 125ml boiling water
- 200g plain flour
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 1⁄2 tsp baking powder
- 1⁄2 tsp fine sea salt
- 200g golden caster sugar
- 100g butter
- 2 large eggs, plus 1 yolk
- 125ml double cream
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Ingredients for the ganache
- 325g white chocolate, snapped into small pieces
- 200ml double cream
- 2 tbsp white miso
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 50g butter
How to make Miso Ganache Fudge Cake
- Preheat the oven to 175°C fan/195°C/385°F/ Gas mark 51⁄2. Brush a deep-sided 20cm (8in) springform cake tin with a little sunflower oil and line the base with a disc of baking paper.
- Put the cocoa powder, espresso powder and treacle in a jug. Pour over the boiling water, whisk well and set aside to cool. Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and salt into a large bowl.
- Add the sugar and oil to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix well. Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat and brown for 5–6 minutes – swirling gently – until nutty and dark golden. Pour the butter into the stand mixer bowl and beat well, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Next, add the whole eggs, egg yolk and cream, beating for 1 minute to combine. Pour in the cocoa-treacle mix, beating for 1–2 minutes.
- Stop the motor, tip in half the flour mix, then very slowly beat until everything is combined, scraping down the sides as needed. Repeat with the remaining flour mix, then add the vinegar, beating on medium speed for 30 seconds to combine everything evenly.
- Place the lined cake tin on a baking sheet. Pour the batter into the tin, scraping the bowl clean with a spatula. Tap the tin on the work surface to release any bubbles, then transfer the tin (on its sheet) to the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 45–50 minutes or until a cocktail stick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let the cake cool in the tin for 15 minutes. Then, very carefully, invert upside down onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, make the ganache. Put the chocolate in a large heatproof, microwavable bowl. Add the cream, white miso, vanilla bean paste and butter to a small saucepan and whisk over a low heat until just below boiling point. Pour this over the chocolate pieces and whisk to combine. If needed, put the mix in the microwave for a few seconds.
- Chill the ganache for 10 minutes, whisk vigorously, then chill for another 20–25 minutes until it’s the texture of spreadable butter. Mix again, then spread over the cake with a palette knife to cover the top in a very thick layer – or both the top and sides in a medium-thick layer. Alternatively, pipe the ganache using a fancy nozzle if you like. Chill for 30 minutes to set completely. Enjoy.
About the author
Gurdeep Loyal is a British-born food writer and culinary consultant known for his bold fusion of British and Indian flavors. Raised in Leicester by Punjabi parents, his cooking reflects a rich blend of heritage and innovation. With experience leading food trends at major brands like Marks & Spencer and Harrods, he now shares his expertise through writing, consultancy, and his online platform, Mother Tongue, which celebrates hybrid culinary cultures.
