Blissfully luscious, these Chocolate Miso Cupcakes are moist and delicious, heightened by the layer of flavor from the miso paste. Every bite is something special!
When you think of miso, you may think of savory Asian dishes like soups, salad dressings, and marinades. But, it’s really terrific when used in sweet treats like miso cakes, cookies and cupcakes! Much like salted caramel or when sea salt is sprinkled on top of chocolate chip cookies, miso adds a bold and salty component to round out the sweeter profiles and adds such complexity.
Not gonna lie. These Chocolate Miso Cupcakes are probably the best chocolate cupcakes I've tasted in quite some time! I used to have a cupcake business when I lived overseas in Sweden. But I never thought to use miso paste in cupcakes back then. No turning back now!
What is miso paste?
Miso paste is made with fermented soy beans, rice barley, and wheat. It has a rich taste that’s salty, savory, earthy, and mildly sweet. There are different types of miso paste. I used white miso paste in this cupcake recipe because of it's mild flavor. These are the most popular types:
- White Miso Paste — The smooth flavor of white miso makes it a popular choice in Japan, and is perfect for soups, dressings, marinades for fish, and desserts.
- Red Miso Paste — The flavor of red miso paste is more intense yet perfect for hearty soups and marinades for meat and poultry.
- Yellow Miso Paste — This miso paste has a mild, earthy flavor and is better for general use like as a condiment, in soup, marinades, and glazes.
WHERE TO BUY MISO PASTE: You can find miso paste at most grocery stores in the Asian section, or here on Amazon. Organic is always best.
The dry ingredients consist of flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder. Add them slowly into your wet ingredients after they've been creamed in a stand mixer.
Steps to make these chocolate miso cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with paper cupcake liners.
- In a mixer using the paddle attachment, cream the sugar, coconut oil, and miso paste together until smooth and creamy. Add in the egg and vanilla extract and mix until full incorporated.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and baking soda. Slowly add to the wet mixture in batches and blend until smooth.
- With the mixer on, add the buttermilk and boiling water to the batter until fully incorporated (scraping down the sides of the bowl).
- Fill the cupcake liners with the batter about ¾ full. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let cool completely before frosting the cupcakes.
These cupcakes come together so quickly in a stand mixer using the paddle attachment. You can always use a hand mixer if you don't have a stand mixer.
I used this cool cupcake batter dispenser to fill my cupcake liners. It makes it so easy to get perfect cupcakes without spillover!
Let the cupcakes cool completely on a baking rack before frosting them or the frosting will melt off! I made a classic buttercream frosting for these chocolate miso cupcakes, but use whatever frosting you'd like (like chocolate, cream cheese, etc.)!
You can use a piping bag with your favorite tips to frost these cupcakes, or simply frost them with an icing spatula. Get creative when decorating!
How to make buttercream frosting
- In a mixer using the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter at medium speed until smooth and creamy.
- Slowly add in the confectioners sugar in batches until fully incorporated, scraping down the sides.
- Add in the vanilla extract and salt and beat at low speed until combined. Raise speed to medium and beat until smooth and creamy.
- With the mixer on, add in the milk and mix another 2 minutes until desired consistency.
- Frost the miso cupcakes with a piping bag or a frosting knife. Top with your choice of sprinkles!
Cupcakes need sprinkles! Any kind will do, but these silver sprinkles are so fancy.
Tips and tricks
- You can always use a hand mixer if you don't have a stand mixer, like my KitchenAid.
- Make sure to allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting them, or the frosting will melt!
- I used this cupcake batter dispenser to fill the cupcake liners. Makes it SO easy!
- These cupcakes keep well in an airtight container for a few days, or can be wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen for a few months.
- Make ahead: The frosting can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to two days. Return to room temperature before using.
Want more recipes like this?
If you like this recipe, you're going to want these recipes too!
- Miso Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Classic Pumpkin Spice Cookies
- Matcha Green Tea Cupcakes
- Chocolate Supreme Cupcakes
- Chinese Almond Cookies
Chocolate Miso Cupcakes
Blissfully luscious, these Chocolate Miso Cupcakes are moist and delicious, heightened by the layer of flavor from the miso paste. Every bite is something special!
- Total Time: 40 min
- Yield: 12 cupcakes 1x
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- ½ cup white sugar
- ¼ cup virgin coconut oil
- 1 ½ tablespoons white miso paste
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ½ cup boiling water
For the Frosting:
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups confectioners sugar (sifted)
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
To make the cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with paper cupcake liners.
- In a mixer using the paddle attachment, cream the sugar, coconut oil, and miso paste together until smooth and creamy. Add in the egg and vanilla extract and mix until full incorporated.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and baking soda. Slowly add to the wet mixture in batches and blend until smooth.
- With the mixer on, add the buttermilk and boiling water to the batter until fully incorporated (scraping down the sides of the bowl).
- Fill the cupcake liners with the batter about ¾ full. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let cool completely before frosting the cupcakes.
To make the frosting:
- In a mixer using the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter at medium speed until smooth and creamy.
- Slowly add in the confectioners sugar in batches until fully incorporated, scraping down the sides.
- Add in the vanilla extract and salt and beat at low speed until combined. Raise speed to medium and beat until smooth and creamy.
- With the mixer on, add in the milk and mix another 2 minutes until desired consistency.
- Frost the miso cupcakes with a piping bag or a frosting knife. Top with your choice of sprinkles!
Notes
- You can always use a hand mixer if you don't have a stand mixer, like my KitchenAid.
- Make sure to allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting them, or the frosting will melt!
- I used this cupcake batter dispenser to fill the cupcake liners. Makes it SO easy!
- These cupcakes keep well in an airtight container for a few days, or can be wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen for a few months.
- Make ahead: The frosting can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to two days. Return to room temperature before using.
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 20 min
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Japanese Fusion
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 276
- Sugar: 28.7 g
- Sodium: 196.3 mg
- Fat: 11.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 41.9 g
- Protein: 3.2 g
- Cholesterol: 31.9 mg
Keywords: miso cupcakes, buttercream frosting, chocolate cupcakes, miso cake
Suzan says
The instructions refer to first step creaming the butter, sugar, coconut oil etc... HOWEVER in the recipe itself there is NO BUTTER mentioned. I am not sure how to determine whether butter was left out of the recipe OR if the instructions were so generic as to "mention" butter even if there isn't any. The coconut oil itself, seems too small
quantity to substitute for a typical amount of butter in a cake/cupcake recipe ?
Asian Caucasian says
Great catch on the butter, Suzan! There actually is NO butter in the cupcake batter. The quantity of the coconut oil is correct. Once you add in the other liquids the batter will be perfect! I hope you enjoy, and I'm happy that you contacted me!
Suzan says
Thanks Ms. Lesli for clarification (no pun intended, given that butter was subject of question).
I am the kind of person for whom inconsistencies pop off the page ! Now I will feel comfortable following your instructions & making the cupcakes. I am guessing you'll "fix" the recipe on your site, although it didn't seem like anybody else posted about this. I LOVE your site, and look at it all the time. I've made many of your
recipes !
Asian Caucasian says
Thanks so much, Suzan! As soon as you posted your first comment I fixed the post! Thanks so much for being a loyal viewer of my blog. If you're not already a subscriber, please feel free to do so in order to receive a new recipe in your inbox every Monday morning!
Wanda Manyers says
I have never tried miso in desserts, but I may be a convert! These cupcakes look amazingly delicious! Will be baking these very soon. 👍
★★★★★
Asian Caucasian says
You will be surprised at how delicious these cupcakes are! I hope you enjoy them as much as we did!