Birthday Layer Cake {Better Late Than Never}

Are you ready for another Momofuku Milk Bar cake?

I’d almost given up on getting this posted. I made this for Miriam’s 5th birthday. Early Last summer. As in, almost a year ago. It got to the point where I almost decided it was too late to post it. But then a friend reminded me that there is no expiration date for cake. Wiser words were never spoken.

So here it is: The Milk Bar Birthday Layer Cake. Like the Carrot Layer Cake, this has several components. But this one is a little simpler, at least in my opinion. And remember that, like the carrot cake, most of the components can be made in advance.

This cake is an homage to the birthday cake that so many of us grew up with—funfetti cake from a box mix topped with canned frosting. Except better. A whole lot better.

Miriam really wanted butterflies on her cake. I’m not really a cake decorator, so I totally winged it (pun sooo not intended!)—I rolled out some gum paste, cut out butterflies with cookie cutters, and painted them with food coloring. Along with some twirly candles, it made for a fun, bright, whimsical cake—so perfect for her!

Birthday Layer Cake

Birthday Cake

55 g (4 tablespoons, 1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

60 g (1/3 cup) vegetable shortening

250 g ( 1 1/4 cups) granulated sugar

50 g (3 tablespoons tightly packed) light brown sugar

3 large eggs

110 g (1/2 cup) buttermilk

65 g (1/3 cup) grapeseed oil

8 g (2 teaspoons) clear vanilla extract

245 g (2 cups) cake flour

6 g ( 1 1/2 teaspoons) baking powder

3 g ( 3/4 teaspoon) kosher salt

50 g (1/4 cup) rainbow sprinkles

Nonstick cooking spray

25 g (2 tablespoons) rainbow sprinkles

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Combine the butter, shortening, and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the eggs, and beat on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

3. With the mixer on low speed, stream in the buttermilk, oil, and vanilla. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat for 4 to 6 minutes, until the mixture is very light and fluffy. Don’t rush the process—there should be no streaks of fat or liquid. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

4. On very low speed, add the flour, baking powder, salt, and the 50 g (1/4 cup) sprinkles. Mix for 45 to 60 seconds, until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

5. Spray a quarter sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray and line with parchment paper. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan, spreading evenly with a spatula. Sprinkle the remaining 25 g (2 tablespoons) sprinkles over the top of the batter.

6. Bake the cake for 30 to 35 minutes. At 30 minutes, gently poke the edge of the cake with your finger. The cake should bounce back slightly, and the center should no longer jiggle. If the cake is not ready, leave in the oven for another 3 to 5 minutes, or until done.

7. Remove the cake from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Or if you’re in a rush, you can put it in the fridge or freezer to cool quickly. The cooled cake can be store in the fridge, wrapped well in plastic, for up to 5 days.

Makes 1 quarter sheet cake

Birthday Cake Soak

55 g (1/4 cup) whole milk

4 g (1 teaspoon) clear vanilla extract

Whisk the milk and vanilla together in a small bowl.

Birthday Cake Frosting

115 g (8 tablespoons, 1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

50 g (1/4 cup) vegetable shortening

55 g (2 ounces) cream cheese

25 g (1 tablespoon) glucose

18 g (1 tablespoon) corn syrup

12 g (1 tablespoon) clear vanilla extract

200 g (1 1/4 cups) confectioners’ sugar

2 g (1/2 teaspoon) kosher salt

0.25 g (pinch) baking powder

0.25 g (pinch) citric acid (sour salt)

1. Combine the butter, shortening, and cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until smooth and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

2. With the mixer on the lowest speed, stream in the glucose, corn syrup, and vanilla. Increase speed to medium-high and beat for 2 to 3 minutes, until smooth and glossy white. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

3. Add the confectioners’ sugar, salt, baking powder, and citric acid, and mix on low speed until incorporated. Increase speed to medium-high and beat for 2 to 3 minutes, until very white and smooth. Use immediately, or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Makes about 430 g (2 cups)

Birthday Cake Crumb

100 g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar

25 g (1 1/2 tablespoons tightly packed) light brown sugar

90 g (3/4 cup) cake flour

2 g (1/2 teaspoon) baking powder

2 g (1/2 teaspoon) kosher salt

20 g (2 tablespoons) rainbow sprinkles

40 g (1/4 cup) grapeseed oil

12 g (1 tablespoon) clear vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 300°F.

2. Combine the sugars, flour, baking powder, salt, and sprinkles in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, and mix on low speed until well combined.

3. Add the oil and vanilla, and mix until small clusters form.

4. Spread the clusters on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. bake for 20 minutes, breaking them up occasionally.

5. Remove from the oven, and let cool completely—the clusters with harden when cool. Store in an airtight container 1 week at room temperature or 1 month in the fridge or freezer.

makes about 275 g (2 1/4 cups)

Assembling the Birthday Layer Cake

1 recipe Birthday Cake (above)

1 recipe Birthday Cake Soak (above)

1 recipe Birthday Cake Frosting (above)

1 recipe Birthday Cake Crumb

1 (6-inch) cake ring

2 (3″ by 20″) acetate strips

1. Put a piece of parchment on the counter. Invert the cake onto it and peel off the parchment. Use the cake ring to cut out 2 circles from the cake, as if you were using a giant cookie cutter (you can see a picture of my doing this for the carrot layer cake near the bottom of THIS post). These will be your to two cake layers. the bottom cake layer will be made from the remaining scraps.

2. Clean the cake ring and place it on a clean piece of parchment paper on a sheet pan or cutting board. Line the inside of the cake ring with one acetate strip.

3. Put the cake scraps into the ring, and use the back of your hand to push the scraps into an even layer.

4. Using a pastry brush, apply a good amount of the birthday cake soak (the recipe calls for using half the soak, but I found that to be too much—it leaked out of the bottom of the cake).

5. Use the back of a spoon to spread 1/5 of the frosting in an even layer over the cake.

6. Sprinkle 1/3 of the birthday crumbs evenly over the top of the frosting. Use the back of your hand to pat them in place.

7. Use the back of a spoon to spread a second fifth of the frosting as evenly as possible over the crumbs.

8. With your index finger, gently tuck the second acetate strip between the cake ring and the top 1/4 of the first strip, so that you have a clear ring of acetate 5 to 6 inches tall. Set a cake round on top of the frosting, and repeat the process for the first layer (soak, frosting, crumbs, frosting).

9. Top with the remaining cake round. Cover with the last fifth of the frosting. Garnish with the remaining birthday crumbs.

10. Cover with plastic wrap, and transfer to the freezer. Freeze for a minimum of 12 hours to set the cake and filling. The cake can remain frozen like this for up to 2 weeks.

11. At least 3 hours before you want to serve the cake, remove the cake from the freezer. Using your fingers and thumbs (pushing on the bottom of the cake to push it up), pop the cake out of the cake ring. gently peel off the acetate strips, and transfer the cake to a cake stand or serving platter. Let it defrost in the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours.

The cake can be kept in the fridge, wrapped well in plastic wrap, for up to 5 days.

*Recipe from Momofuku Milk Bar, by Christina Tosi

Confetti Semifreddo

My ice cream maker is one of my favorite kitchen appliances. But before I had one, I often made semifreddos when I wanted something cold and creamy for dessert.

I created this one because my kids love pretty much anything with sprinkles (who doesn’t?). They can be left out, though, for a more elegant presentation.

1 1/3 cups heavy cream

1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste (or pure vanilla extract), divided

4 large egg yolks

1 large whole egg

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup rainbow sprinkles

1. Combine the heavy cream and half a tablespoon of vanilla bean paste in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat with the whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Alternately, you can beat it in a large bowl with a handheld electric mixer or by hand with a whisk. Set aside in the fridge.

2. Prepare an ice bath in a very large bowl or your sink.

3. In a large heatproof bowl over simmering water, combine the egg yolk, whole egg, sugar, and remaining vanilla bean paste. Whisk constantly until the mixture thickens and leaves visible tracks.

4. Remove from the heat, and transfer to the ice bath. Continue whisking until cooled.

5. Fold about 1/3 of the whipped cream into the egg mixture, then fold in the remaining cream. Add the sprinkles, and mix gently to distribute them evenly. Transfer to a container, cover well with plastic wrap, and freeze until set (at least 4 hours).

Vanilla Bean Cheesecake

There are so many different flavored cheesecake recipes out there. They all sound amazing, and I keep on wanting to try them. And yet… and yet I keep making the same flavor over and over, nearly every time I make a cheesecake.

This is for all you other lovers of vanilla out there. It’s a good one.

FOR THE CRUST

1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

Pinch of salt

1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted

FOR THE CHEESECAKE

2 pounds cream cheese, at room temperature

1 1/3 cups granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste

4 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup heavy cream

1/3 cup sour cream

Sour Cream Topping (below)

MAKE THE CRUST:

1. Butter a 9-inch springform pan or removable-bottomed pan (make sure that the sides are at least 2 3/4 inches high), and wrap the bottom of the pan in a double layer of foil.

2. Stir the crumbs, sugar, and salt together in a medium bowl. Add the melted butter, and stir with your fingers until completely combined.  Pour into the prepared pan and pat it into an even layer over the bottom and about halfway up the sides (I used the bottom of a measuring cup). It’s okay if the sides are not perfectly even. Place the pan into the freezer while you preheat the oven.

3. Center a rack in the oven, and preheat to 350°F.

4. Place the pan with the crust on a baking sheet, and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, and set aside to cool on a rack while you make the cheesecake.

MAKE THE CHEESECAKE:

1. Place the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer witted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until soft and creamy, about 4 minutes. Add the sugar and salt, and continue to beat for another 4 minutes. Beat in the vanilla bean paste. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for a full minute in between each one. Reduce the speed to low and mix in the heavy cream and sour cream. Stir with a rubber spatula to make sure that there is nothing unmixed at the bottom of the bowl.

2. Bring a kettle or pot of water to a boil. Put the foil-wrapped pan into a roasting pan that is large enough to hold the pan with some space around it. Scrape the cheesecake batter into the crust. Put the roasting pan into the oven and very carefully pour enough boiling water into it to come halfway up the sides of the springform pan.

3. Bake the cheesecake for 1 1/2 hours. The cheesecake will be browned (and possibly cracked), and may have risen a little above the rim of the pan. Turn off the oven, and prop the door slightly open with a wooden spoon. Leave the cheesecake in the oven for another hour.

3. Remove the roasting pan from the oven. Carefully lift out the cheesecake, and remove the foil. Leave on a wire rack to come to room temperature.

4. When the cake is completely cool, spread with the sour cream topping. Cover the top lightly and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, although overnight is better.

SOUR CREAM TOPPING

1 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, mixing well.

Makes 16 servings

*Cheesecake recipe adapted from Baking: From my Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan

My Cheesecake didn’t crack!

Tabbouleh Veggie Burgers

I got the idea for these burgers when I was making different bulger-based veggie burgers a few weeks ago. Bulger is traditionally used in tabbouleh, a lemony salad filled with lots of herbs. I knew that the flavors in tabbouleh would make a great summery veggie burger.

I served these for dinner over mixed greens drizzled with a garlicky tahini sauce, with a homemade pita on the side. I was originally planning on serving these in the pitas, but for some reason my pitas ended up pocketless. I’m not sure if it was the recipe or if it was an error I made (possibly rolling the dough too thin?). However, they were still delicious—so soft and fresh. You can find the recipe on one of my favorite baking blogs, A Pastry Affair.

This recipe makes a lot of burgers, but the leftovers reheat wonderfully (I reheat them in the toaster oven). I ate the leftovers for lunch on leftovers pitas (I cut the pitas in half, making two half moons, and just used it as I would a bun), drizzled with sriracha. This was actually my favorite way of eating them!

If you do not like feta, or want these to be dairy-free, you can leave the feta out. Feel free to add more herbs, if you would like.

1 cup bulger

2 cups water

1 (28 oz.) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

3 large eggs

1/2 cup chopped parsley

1/4 cup chopped mint

2 scallions, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 cup crumbled feta

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

Optional: Tahini Garlic Sauce, for serving (recipe below)

1. Place bulger and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.

2. Puree the chickpeas and eggs together in a food processor until smooth.

3. In a large bowl, combine the cooked bulger, the chickpea mixture, parsley, mint, scallions, garlic, lemon juice, feta, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. Divide into 8 large burgers.

4. Heat a large skillet (I used cast iron) over medium heat. Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom.

5. Add the burgers to the pan, 2 or 3 at a time. Cook until browned and crisp on the outside, about 6 minutes per side. Add more oil to the pan as needed between batches.

Makes 8 servings

Tahini Garlic Sauce:

I made half a recipe of this sauce, but if you make the whole thing the leftovers are great as a dip for pita, vegetables, and falafel.

2 to 3 cloves garlic, very finely minced

Salt

1 cup tahini

1/2 cup lemon juice (or more, to taste)

Water

In bowl whisk together the garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and tahini. Whisk in the lemon juice; the mixture will stiffen up. Whisk in water, a little at a time, until the sauce has the consistency of a runny yogurt (you may need to use up to 3/4 cup of water for this). Add additional salt and/or lemon juice to taste, if desired.

Makes 1 1/2 to 2 cups

*Tahini sauce adapted from Mediterranean Harvest, by Martha Rose Shulman

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Carrot Layer Cake

There are several reasons why I chose to make this cake for my birthday:

-It’s a Momofuku Milk Bar cake. Which means that there a about 275 components to make (totally not exaggerating here) before you even start assembling the thing. And that, my friends, is my idea of fun. I also happen to  love the method of assembling these cakes.

-Carrot cake just seemed very appropriate for a spring birthday.

-Liquid cheesecake. Enough said.

-The idea of a graham cracker flavored frosting completely intrigued me.

Please don’t get intimidated by the length of this recipe, though. It’s really not that difficult, and since everything can be made in advance you can really spread the work out a lot. I was planning on having my cake on a Sunday. The Monday before, I made the milk crumb. I made the liquid cheesecake on Tuesday, baked the cake on Wednesday, and made the graham crust and frosting on Thursday. Then I assembled and froze the cake on Friday, and took the cake out of the cake ring and transferred it to the fridge on Saturday night.

This is the third Milk Bar cake that I’ve made (I still need to get the other ones on the blog, especially the birthday layer cake that I made last summer), and this one is by far my favorite of them. I didn’t find it overly sweet, like some of their cakes can be, and the flavors just went so well together.

Notes:

-You only need half the graham crust recipe for the frosting. You can make half a recipe, but I made the whole thing and froze half to use in an ice cream I plan to make next week. You also only half of the milk crumb recipe, but the leftovers are great for snacking on. Or you can use them in Blueberry & Cream Cookies.

-I am going to type out the recipe in the order that I made it, but you can obviously do it in whatever order you’d like.

-After the recipe are photos of the cake being put together, if you would  like to see a visual of the assembly (they’re not perfect—I had to take them at the same time I was assembling it—but it should give you an idea).

-You will need a quarter sheet pan, a 6-inch cake ring, and 2 (3″x20″) acetate strips.

Milk Crumb

40 g (1/2 cup) milk powder

40 g (1/4 cup) all-purpose flour

12 g (2 tablespoons) cornstarch

25 g (2 tablespoons) granulated sugar

2 g (1/2 teaspoon) kosher salt

55 g (4 tablespoons, 1/2 stick) butter, melted

20 g (1/4 cup) milk powder

90 g (3 ounces) white chocolate

1. Preheat oven to 250°F.

2. Combine the 40 g (1/2 cup) milk powder, the flour, cornstarch, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Toss with your hands to mix. Add the melted butter and toss, using a spatula, until the mixture starts to come together and form small clusters.

3. Spread the clusters on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely.

4. Crumble any crumb clusters that are larger than 1/2 inch in diameter, and put crumbs in a medium bowl. Add the 20 g (1/4 cup) milk powder and toss together until it is evenly distributed throughout the mixture.

5. Melt the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water (being VERY careful not to let any water touch the chocolate). Pour the melted white chocolate over the crumbs and toss until your clusters are completely coated. Continue tossing them every 5 minutes until the white chocolate hardens and the clusters are no longer sticky.

The crumbs can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer for up to 1 month.

*Makes about 260 g (2 1/4 cups)

Liquid Cheesecake

225 g (8 ounces) cream cheese

150 g (3/4 cup) granulated sugar

6 g (1 tablespoon) cornstarch

2 g (1/2 teaspoon) kosher salt

25 g (2 tablespoons) whole milk

1 large egg

1. Preheat oven to 300°F.

2. Place the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed for 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Add the sugar and mix for 1 to 2 minutes, until the sugar is completely incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

3. Whisk together the cornstarch and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk in the milk in a slow, steady stream. Whisk in the egg until everything is thoroughly combined.

4. With the mixer on medium-low speed, stream in the egg mixture. Paddle for 3 to 4 minutes, until the mixture is smooth and loose. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

5. Line the bottom and sides of a 6″x6″ baking pan with plastic wrap (I used a 6″ round Pyrex, and had to bake it a bit longer, but it worked fine). Pour the cheesecake batter into the pan, put the pan in the oven, and bake for 15 minutes. Gently shake the pan. The cheesecake should be firmer and more set at the edges, but still jiggly and loose in the center. If the cheesecake is jiggly all over, cake for 5 minute intervals until it is done. If the cheesecake rises more than 1/4 inch or begins to brown, take it out of the oven immediately. Cool completely before using.

The cheesecake can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Makes about 325 g ( 1 1/2 cups)

Carrot Cake

115 g (8 tablespoons, 1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

120 g (1/2 cup tightly packed) light brown sugar

100 g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar

2 large eggs

40 g (1/4 cup) grapeseed oil

200 g (1 1/4 cups) all-purpose flour

4 g (1 teaspoon) baking powder

1.5 g (1/4 teaspoon) baking soda

1.5 g ( 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

5 g (1 1/4 teaspoons) kosher salt

225 g (2 1/2 cups) shredded peeled carrots (about 2 to 3 medium-sized carrots)

Nonstick cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Combine the butter and both sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, and cream together on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the eggs, and mix on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

3. On low speed, stream in the oil. Increase the speed to medium-high and paddle for 4 to 6 minutes, until the mixture is almost white, twice the size of your fluffy butter and sugar mixture, and there are no streaks of fat. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl.

4. On very low speed, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Mix for 45 to 60 seconds, just until the batter comes together and all the dry ingredients have been incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

5. Remove the bowl from the mixer, dump in the shredded carrots, and fold them into the batter with a spatula.

6. Spray a quarter sheet pan with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper. Using a spatula, spread the cake into an even layer in the pan.

7. Bake the cake for 25 to 30 minutes. At 25 minutes, gently poke the edge of the cake with your finger. The cake should bounce back slightly and the center should no longer be jiggly. Bake for another 3 to 5 minutes if necessary.

8. Remover the cake from the oven and cool completely in the pan on a wire rack (or place it in the fridge or freezer to cool quickly).

The cooled cake can be stored in the fridge, wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 5 days.

Makes 1 quarter sheet pan cake

Graham Frosting

Graham Crust:

190 g (1 1/2 cups) graham cracker crumbs

20 g (1/4 cup) milk powder

25 g (2 tablespoons) granulated sugar

3 g (3/4 teaspoon) kosher salt

55 g (4 tablespoons, 1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted (plus additional if needed)

55 g (1/4 cup) heavy cream

1. Toss the graham crumbs, milk powder, sugar, and salt with your hands in a medium bowl until ingredients are evenly distributed.

2. Whisk together the butter and heavy cream. Add to the dry ingredients and toss well, until evenly distributed. the mixture should hold its shape if squeezed tightly in your hand. If it’s not moist enough to do so, melt an additional 14 to 25 g (1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons) butter and mix it in.

Use immediately, or store in an airtight container for 1 week at room temperature or 1 month in the fridge of freezer.

Makes about 340 g (2 cups)

Graham Frosting:

1/2 recipe Graham Crust (above)

85 g (1/3 cup) whole milk

2 g (1/2 teaspoon) kosher salt

85 g (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature

15 g (1 tablespoon tightly packed) light brown sugar

10 g (1 tablespoon) confectioners’ sugar

.5 g (1/2 teaspoon) ground cinnamon

.5 g (1/8 teaspoon) kosher salt

1. Combine the graham crust, milk, and salt in a blender, and pure until COMPLETELY smooth, 1 to 3 minutes depending on your blender.

2. Combine the butter, sugars, cinnamon, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, and cream together on medium-high speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

3. On low speed, mix in the contents of the blender. After 1 minute, turn the mixer up to medium-high and beat for another 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.If the mixture is not a uniform pale tan, beat for another minute or so at medium-high speed, and scrape down the bowl again.

Use immediately, or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Makes about 230 g (1 cup)

Assembling the Carrot Layer Cake

1 recipe Carrot Cake (above)

Whole milk

1 recipe Liquid Cheesecake (above)

1/2 recipe Milk Crumb (above)

1 recipe Graham Frosting

1 (6″ by 3″ cake ring)

2 (3″ by 20″) acetate strips

1. Place a piece of parchment paper on the counter. Invert the cake onto it, and peel the parchment from the bottom of the cake (you may need to run a knife around the cake before releasing it from the pan). Use the cake ring to stamp out 2 circles from the cake (as if you were using a giant cookie cutter; see photo below). These are your top 2 cake layers. The remaining cake scraps will be your bottom layer.

2. Clean the cake ring and place it in the center of a sheet pan or cutting board lined with a clean piece of parchment paper. Use 1 acetate strip to line the inside of the cake ring.

3. Put the cake scraps inside the ring and use the back of your hand to push them down into an even layer. Don’t worry if it doesn’t look nice—once it’s covered up no one will ever know.

4. Using a pastry brush, brush the cake layer with a good dose of milk (not too much, or it will leak out of the bottom of the cake).

5. Use the back of a spoon to spread half the liquid cheesecake in an even layer over the cake.

6. Sprinkle 1/3 of the milk crumbs over the cheesecake. Tap them gently with the back of your hand to anchor them in place.

7. Use the back of a spoon to spread 1/3 of the graham frosting as evenly as possible over  the crumbs (I found it really hard to spread frosting over the cheesecake and crumbs, so I just dolloped it evenly over them).

8. With your index finger, gently tuck the second acetate strip between the cake ring and the top 1/4 inch of the first strip of acetate (see photo below), so that you have a clear ring of acetate 5 to 6 inches tall. Set another cake round on top of the frosting, and repeat the process from the first layer (the rest of the cheesecake, half of the remaining milk crumbs, and half of the remaining frosting).

9. Top with the last cake round. Cover the top of the cake with the remaining frosting, smoothing it out (or swirling it, if you prefer). Garnish with the remaining milk crumbs, gently nestling them into the frosting.

10. Cover with plastic wrap, transfer the sheet pan or cutting board to the freezer, and freeze for a minimum of 12 hours to set the cake and filling. You can keep the cake in the freezer like this for up to 2 weeks.

11. At least 3 hours before you are ready to serve the cake, remove it from the freezer, and using your fingers and thumbs (pushing against the bottom of the cake), pop the cake out of the cake ring. Gently peel off the acetate, and transfer the cake to a cake stand or serving plate. Allow the cake to defrost in the fridge for at least 3 hours.

Cake can be kept, wrapped well in plastic, for up to 5 days.

*Recipe from Momofuku Milk Bar, by Christina Tosi