🍜 Crispy Ramen Cake with Spicy Miso Butter

Estimated Cook Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 1–2 people, or one food stylist emotionally processing

This is what happens when:

You found an old ramen packet, but you also have miso paste, fancy butter, and a cast iron pan that’s never known peace. It’s crunchy on the outside, chewy in the middle, and tastes like someone took your favorite noodle dish and flattened it into perfection.

🛒 Ingredients:

• 1 pack instant ramen (ditch the flavor packet or save it for popcorn)

• 1 tbsp white or yellow miso paste

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter

• 1 tsp soy sauce

• ½ tsp chili flakes or a squeeze of sriracha

• 1 scallion, thinly sliced

• Optional: soft-boiled egg, sesame seeds, crispy shallots, furikake

🔥 Instructions:

1. Boil the ramen just until tender—like 2–3 minutes max. Drain and let cool slightly.

2. In a bowl, mix ramen with a drizzle of oil so it doesn’t stick. You can shape it into a disc using a small bowl or ramekin—just pack it down and chill it in the freezer for 5–10 minutes to help it hold together (or freestyle it, no one's watching).

3. In a cast iron or nonstick pan, heat a little neutral oil over medium-high heat. Slide in the ramen disc and press it down like you're mad at it.

4. Cook for 4–5 minutes per side, until golden and crispy. Flip carefully—use a plate if needed.

5. While that crisps up, melt butter in a small pan. Stir in miso, soy sauce, and chili until it becomes a glossy, salty, spicy elixir of joy.

6. Plate your ramen cake, pour spicy miso butter over the top, and sprinkle with scallions, sesame seeds, or whatever toppings scream “I respect myself, but only kind of.”

✨ Food Styling Tips (Crunchy Ramen Glam):

• Get an overhead shot to show that golden crust—zoom in on the edges.

• If using an egg, soft-boiled is ideal: break it open right over the ramen for that creamy yolk waterfall moment.

• Drizzle miso butter over in a spiral or messy zigzag—don’t be precious, just dramatic.

• Serve on a dark ceramic plate or shallow bowl to make those glossy noodles pop.