Momofuku Milk Bar Birthday Cake

 

SO, I'm in culinary school. My first class was on Thursday. We did a lot of chopping. I got a knife kit and homework (more chopping). I'm living in New York- or rather- couch surfing in Brooklyn- trying to get my life set-up. I still need a job and a place to live... I came here so prepared, right? If I sound a little shell-shocked it's because I am. It's just been such a long month and now I'm here. I've been working for months to get here and now I am. Holy shit.

Chiffonade - Textbooks and Turnips - Bringing the uniform home - Tranches of carrots - THE knife kit

 I won't be having a full weekend for the next 9 months, but it's all in the name of higher learning and food. When I found out on day 1 of culinary school that we would not be having class on New Years Eve, I was psyched about having 4 days off in a row and having just finished reading the new Momofuku Milk Bar cookbook, I decided to make one of their crazy cakes. A birthday cake seemed appropriate. 

I loved this cake. Not only because I made it as an excuse to over-indulge in sugar since I can't over-indulge in booze this NYE. And lemme tell you that it worked like a charm. I was totally hung-over on sugar this morning and proceeded to eat an eye-brow-raising amount of cake for dinner as well.

The cake is super fluffy and jam-packed full of sprinkles. The frosting has cream cheese and citric acid in it. And it's damn good. Like it out of the jar, but awesome. And the truly amazing part of this cake? Crumbs. Not just leftover cake, but birthday cake crumbs specifically baked to be crunchy and also packed full of sprinkles. I heeded Christina Tosi's advice and made a double batch to snack on and add to vanilla ice cream. I guess my new year's resolution is not to cut back on sugar...

Happy Birthday World! I wish I got some candles!

If you want the full recipe, please check out the cookbook- it's rather lengthy and involved but all together not that more difficult than a regular layer cake. Plus it looks like the cake from my childhood dreams. Bonkers.  I was so glad to end and begin a new year with this cake. 2012 is gonna be massive. I can just tell.