well crap.
this took longer than anticipated, but i have cake for you.
like a lot of cake.
i wish i could shoot all these cakes from a cannon off my roof into your house.
one time i wanted to start Street Cake. it's probably one of the best worst ideas i've had.
essentially it's street art but with dessert. like leaving cupcakes in nooks and crannies all around town.
would you consider eating a random cake left on your front porch?
what if i lined up a bunch of cupcakes across the sidewalk? what then?
i don't know. i just wanted to be a part of guerilla street art.
i guess it's just back to bake sales. i've never even had a bake sale. travesties!
"ENOUGH. get to the cake"
in mi opinión, every flavor and texture component in a cake should serve a purpose.
it's just like accounting balance sheets.
something heavy should be met with something light. something rich balanced with something tart, fresh, or salty.
and nothing, Nothing, will feel sickeningly sweet.
so here is a clean and simple buttery cake base.
the rich espresso buttercream filling is cut with the brightness of apricot preserves.
the almond mascarpone cream is a bit tangy and super light.
creamy dreamy.
and the toasted almonds = prettiness and cRunCH.
it's creamy dreamy. things are balanced all over the place. can this just count for doing my taxes?
Barely Brown Butter Cake
from momofuku milk bar
things about this cake:
this was my first time making momofuku's 'barely brown butter cake'.
It worked splendidly for this cake, especially because it's the perfect size for a 6 inch layer cake, but I will say that it isn't my favorite crumb of all time. i want my cake MOIST (muaha, sorry). and this cake, though tasty, was a touch drier than i would prefer. this could also very well be a result of other variables.. my wacko oven, baking time, something weird i did, etc, but i can't know for sure until i try it again. i just would never want to lead you astray.
i will write the recipe as it's written, but i totally encourage using your favorite basic white/yellow cake as the base for this cake.
4 tbsp (55g) unsalted butter
2 tbsp (40g) brown butter
1 1/4 cups (250g) granulated sugar
1/4 cup (60g) light brown sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup (110g) buttermilk
1/3 cup (65g) grapeseed oil
1/2 tsp (2g) vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (185g) cake flour
1 tsp (4g) baking powder
1 tsp (4g) kosher salt
preheat the oven to 350 degreesF. combine butters and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream together on medium-high for 2-3 minutes. scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the eggs, and mix on medium-high for 2-3 minutes. scrape sides once more.
stream in buttermilk, oil, and vanilla while the paddle swirls on low speed. increase the speed to medium-high and paddle 5-6 minutes, until the mixture is practically white, twice the size of your original fluffy butter-sugar mixture, and completely homogenous. if it doesn't look right after 6 minutes, just keep mixing.
stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
on very low speed, add the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. mix for 45-60 seconds, just until the batter comes together and any remnants of dry ingredients have been incorporated. scrape down the sides of the bowl. mix on low speed for another 45 seconds to ensure that any little lumps of cake flour are incorporated
pam spray a quarter sheet pan and line it with parchment. using a spatula, spread cake batter in an even layer in the pan. bake for 30-35 minutes. the cake will rise and puff, doubling in size, but will remain slightly buttery and dense. take the cake out of the oven and cool on a wire rack.
Espresso Buttercream
1 cup (8 oz) salted butter, room temperature
2 1/2cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 1/2 tbsp instant espresso powder
2 tsp vanilla extract
in a small bowl, add the espresso powder to the heavy cream and stir to dissolve. in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until creamy and smooth. add in the powdered sugar a bit at a time, beat to combine. add in the espresso/cream mixture and vanilla extract. and beat until combined and fluffy. taste and adjust to your flavor preferences.
Almond Mascarpone Cream
8 ounces mascarpone cheese
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tsp almond extract
in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine all ingredients and beat just until stiff peaks form.
Also need: 1/2 cup apricot preserves
toasted almond slices
now
To Assemble
:
1st layer cake
apricot preserves
espresso buttercream
2nd layer cake
apricot preserves
espresso buttercream
3rd layer cake
almond mascarpone cream to cover top and sides
press toasted almonds into sides
see more on the momofuku method for assembling cake
.
