In spite of the fact that the compost cookies completely flopped, I am completely in love with the Momofuku Milk Bar cookbook. When Mike decided he wanted his birthday cake to be THE birthday cake from the book, I was super stoked….until I realized that I didn’t have any acetate sheets or clear vanilla extract. But I can assure you that even with regular old vanilla extract, this beats any other homemade funfetti cake by a mile (and I’ve tried a few). Plus, you can buy acetate sheets (overhead transparencies) from the print-shop section of an office supply store for about a dollar a sheet (I used 2 sheets for the cake) and just tape them together.
Thanks to my less than stellar reading comprehension skills (an affliction that worsens when I’m overly excited about trying a new recipe), I started baking only about 8 hours before we wanted to eat. The recipe tells you to put the cake in the freezer for at least 12, and then thaw in the fridge for 3, but 3 hours in the freezer was plenty.
This cookbook is what initially sold me on baking by weight (The Bread Baker’s Apprentice recommends it as well, but I couldn’t be bothered until sweets were involved), so I HIGHLY recommend using a kitchen scale for this. I am listing the weights because I didn’t measure by volume, except for liquids and little stuff like baking powder. The directions say to bake it in a quarter sheet pan and then use cake rings to make 6″ round layers. I just divided the batter in thirds and baked it in 6″ round pans and it worked perfectly.
My parents, Mike and I all agreed that this cake was HEAVENLY. It’s very sweet, but the frosting is like no other homemade frosting I’ve ever had; a perfect hybrid of buttercream and cream cheese frosting. The crumbs between each layer are a must because of the unexpected contrast they provide. I know the recipe looks like a major production, but it’s a lot of fun to put together!
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(from Momofuku Milk Bar)
this looks amazing! Happy Birthday to Mike 🙂 what’s the point of the acetate sheets, though?
They keep the frosting from spilling out between the layers, since you don’t frost the sides. Plus it makes sure the stack is nice and neat
You completely sold me on the frosting.
Looks divine, and a big fan of your weighing the ingredients, makes it a lot easier for those of us who isnt yoused to measuring in cups 😉
I think it’s just a matter of habit anyway, i think it’s easier to just but the bowl on the scale and pour in the right amount, instead of having to try to first get exactly one and a half cup into the measurer (or whatever it’s called 🙂 ) Thanks for sharing!
I’ve been wanting to make that cake too – yours turned out so pretty!
WOW looks amazing!!!!!!!