MOMOFUKU MILK BAR BIRTHDAY CAKE

This cake is definitely a process. If you have the time to spend the day baking, it'll be a showstopper.

---

Makes: 12 servings                                                                                         Takes: A full day (or two)

MOMOFUKU MILK BAR BIRTHDAY CAKE

Makes: 12 servings
​Takes: A full day (or two)
Note: The recipe originally says to bake the cake in a sheet pan and cut rounds from it. I instead baked three separate cakes which worked well too!

Cake:

• 2 cups cake flour
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons rainbow sprinkles, divided
• ½ cup buttermilk
• ⅓ cup grapeseed oil
• 2 teaspoons clear imitation vanilla extract, preferably McCormick brand
• 1¼ cups granulated sugar
• ⅓ cup vegetable shortening
• 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 3 large eggs

Crumbs:

• ¾ cup cake or all-purpose flour
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons rainbow sprinkles
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ cup grapeseed oil
• 1 tablespoon clear imitation vanilla extract

Frosting & Assembly:

• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• ¼ cup vegetable shortening
• 2 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon clear imitation vanilla extract, divided
• 1¼ cups powdered sugar
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ⅛ teaspoon citric acid (or ½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice)
• ¼ cup milk

Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line three cake pans with parchment paper and coat with nonstick spray; set aside.
2. ​Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and ¼ cup sprinkles in a large bowl. Combine buttermilk, oil, and vanilla in a medium bowl.
3. Using an electric mixer on medium-high, beat granulated sugar, shortening, butter, and light brown sugar in another large bowl until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating to blend between additions and occasionally scraping down sides and bottom of bowl. Continue to beat mixture, occasionally scraping down sides and bottom of bowl, until almost doubled in volume and very light, airy, and pale yellow, about 4 minutes.
4. With mixer on low, add buttermilk mixture until incorporated. Add dry ingredients, beating until just combined, about 1 minute.
5. Scrape batter into prepared pans; smooth top. Sprinkle with remaining 2 Tbsp. sprinkles. Bake until cake is light golden brown, the center springs back when gently pressed, and a tester inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 30–35 minutes.
6. Remove cake from oven and cool on a wire rack or in the fridge or freezer.

Crumbs:

1. Preheat oven to 300°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
2. Combine flour, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, sprinkles, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Add oil and vanilla, and using your hands, mix until no dry spots remain and large clumps form when mixture is pressed together. As though you were making a crumble topping, break mixture up into clusters (some small, some large) and spread onto prepared baking sheet.
3. Bake, stirring occasionally, until crumble is light golden brown and crunchy, 10–12 minutes (it will firm up as it cools). Let cool completely.

Frosting:

1. Combine butter, shortening, and cream cheese in large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high until mixture is smooth and fluffy, 2–3 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl and slowly stream in corn syrup and 1 Tbsp. vanilla. Beat until mixture is silky smooth and glossy white, about 3 minutes.
2. ​Scrape down sides of bowl and, with mixer on low, add powdered sugar, salt, baking powder, and citric acid until just combined. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until you have a brilliant stark white, beautifully smooth frosting, about 4 minutes.

Assemble:

1. Combine milk and remaining 1 tsp. vanilla in a small bowl. Dunk a pastry brush in milk mixture and use half of it to generously moisten the base layer.
2. Spread about 3 Tbsp. frosting evenly over cake. Sprinkle ⅔ cup birthday crumbs evenly over frosting. Spread another 3 Tbsp. frosting as evenly as possible over crumbs.
3. Top with a cake round (if 1 of your 2 cake rounds is less pretty than the other, use it for the middle layer and save the most perfect one for the top). Brush layer with remaining milk mixture. Repeat frosting-crumb layering process.
4. Nestle remaining cake round into frosting. Cover top of cake with remaining frosting. Top with remaining birthday crumbs.
5. Transfer cake to freezer and freeze at least 3 hours to set cake and filling.
6. At least 3 hours before serving the cake, pull sheet pan out of freezer and defrost.