Food Desserts & Baking Spiced Apple Mochi Cakes with Miso Caramel and Walnuts Chef Ji Hye Kim of Miss Kim in Ann Arbor, Michigan, shares the recipe for these lightly spiced, apple-flecked cakes. Their slightly chewy texture comes from sweet rice flour, a typical ingredient in many Asian sweets. Topped with miso caramel, toasted walnuts and whipped cream, this dessert fires on all flavor and texture cylinders—but the buttery cakes are totally snackable on their own, too. By Ji Hye Kim Ji Hye Kim Ji Hye Kim is the award-winning chef/owner of Miss Kim in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She grew up in Seoul, South Korea. Her food is inspired both by her Korean ancestors and by Michigan ingredients. Midwest Living's Editorial Guidelines Published on August 1, 2023 Print Share Photo: Carson Downing Hands On Time: 25 mins Total Time: 1 hr 25 mins Servings: 18 Yield: 18 cakes and 1.25 cups sauce Ingredients Miso Caramel Sauce ½ cup heavy cream ½ teaspoon vanilla Pinch salt ¾ cup sugar 2 teaspoons light-color corn syrup or brown rice syrup 2 tablespoons water ¼ cup diced cold butter 1 tablespoon white miso Spiced Apple Mochi Cakes 5 tablespoons butter, divided, plus extra for greasing muffin cups 1 cup sugar, plus extra for coating muffin cups 2 medium baking apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped (2 cups) 2 teaspoons cinnamon, plus extra for garnish ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg ¼ teaspoon ground cloves 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 ¾ cups sweet rice flour, such as Mochiko 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder ¾ teaspoon salt 2 eggs 1 cup whole milk Sweetened whipped cream Finely chopped walnuts, toasted Directions Miso Caramel Sauce In a measuring cup, combine cream, vanilla and salt; set aside. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup and the water. Stir gently over low just until sugar dissolves, being careful not to splash sugar up sides of pan. Increase heat to bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium. Boil gently until mixture is an evenly deep amber color and smells nutty, 8 to 12 minutes, shaking pan occasionally. (Do not stir, to avoid crystallization.) Remove from heat; stir in butter and miso until well combined. Stir in cream mixture. Transfer to a bowl and let cool completely to room temperature. Spiced Apple Mochi Cakes Preheat oven to 375°. Generously butter 18 (2 1/2-inch) muffin cups, then sprinkle with sugar to coat well. Shake out excess sugar. In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high. Add apples, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves; cook until apples are tender, stirring occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes. Add vanilla and the remaining 3 tablespoons butter, stirring until butter melts. Remove from heat and cool completely, about 30 minutes. In a medium bowl, combine rice flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, beat eggs and 1 cup sugar with a mixer on medium until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Alternately add flour mixture and milk to egg mixture, beating on low until just combined. Fold in cooled apple mixture. Spoon 1/4 cup batter into each prepared muffin cup. Bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in pans 2 to 3 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack. Serve cakes slightly warm, garnished with whipped cream, Miso Caramel Sauce, walnuts and a dash of cinnamon. Storage Tip: Store cakes in the refrigerator up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months. Warm in a 375° oven 10 to 15 minutes. Nutrition Facts (per serving): 284 cal, 14g fat, 55mg chol, 38g carbo, 252mg sodium, 1g fiber, 24g sugars, 3g pro. Print