Miso and Maple Pecan Butter Mochi Cake

Pecans

Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350°. Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet with vegetable oil. Using your hands, toss 8 oz. raw pecans, coarsely chopped (about 2 cups), 2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup, 1 Tbsp. sugar, and 2 tsp. white or yellow miso in a medium bowl until well coated. Spread out on prepared baking sheet; bake until fragrant and matte looking, 6–8 minutes (nuts won’t be fully toasted). Let cool.

Lightly grease a 9"-diameter cake pan with unsalted butter and line bottom with a parchment paper round. Vigorously whisk 2 large eggs, 1¼ cups (250 g) sugar, and 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a large bowl until smooth. Add one 13.5-oz. can unsweetened coconut milk, well shaken, heated slightly if fat is solid, 2 tsp. vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract, and 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted, slightly cooled, and whisk well. Add 1⅔ cups (254 g) mochiko and 1 tsp. baking powder; whisk vigorously until combined and batter is smooth and thick. Scrape batter into prepared pan.

Toss pecans to break up any clumps and scatter evenly over batter, going all the way to the edges (it may seem like a lot). Bake cake until sides start to pull away from pan, top is golden brown, and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean (some pecans will sink), 50–55 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cake cool in pan 15 minutes. Turn cake out onto rack; peel away parchment and discard. Carefully turn cake right side up and let cool completely (at least 1 hour).

To serve, slice cake and top with scoops of vanilla ice cream.