milk bar chocolate chip cake

About The Momofuku Milk Bar Chocolate Chip Cake

This Momofuku Milk Bar chocolate chip cake is made with layers of chocolate chip yellow cake, passion fruit curd, buttery coffee frosting, and chocolate crumbs! Although I write that the recipe makes a 6-inch, 3-layer cake, it actually has MANY more layers. Why? The recipe instructs you to layer the first layer of the cake with passion fruit juice, then passion fruit puree, chocolate crumbs, and coffee frosting before starting with another layer of cake. All in all, it equates to about 15 different layers of cake, curd, and crumbs! The recipe comes from Christina Tosi, the famed pastry chef behind Momofuku Milk Bar bakery and her first cookbook, Momofuku Milk Bar.

What is Momofuku Milk Bar?

Momofuku Milk Bar first exploded into the bakery scene in the mid-2010s as a companion bakery to famed restaurant Momofuku in New York City. It quickly became popular thanks to unique desserts like cereal milk-flavored soft serve and multi-layered naked cakes like this chocolate chip cake.

These days, the bakery simply goes by the name “Milk Bar” and has several locations in other cities beyond New York. You can even buy some of their baked goods at Target and Whole Foods!I also don’t think Christina Tosi works in the kitchens anymore—instead, she appears on TV as a judge on several cooking shows like MasterChef.

So what does passion fruit, coffee, and chocolate actually taste like? 

I first made this chocolate cake for my 26th birthday! At the time, I really thought that the combination of chocolate, coffee, and passion fruit was incredibly unique. But it turns out that it’s a common flavor combination in professional pastry kitchens. To wit—in my city of Portland, several donut shops sell a passion fruit cocoa nib donut!

But if you’ve never had the combination before, rest assured that it’s very similar to more common combinations like chocolate strawberry, chocolate raspberry, chocolate orange, and more. The idea behind it is to marry the deep, rich flavors of chocolate with something fruity, tart, and tangy. 

And why is the cake naked?

According to Christina Tosi in Momofuku Milk Bar, her and her team worked hard to pack the layer cakes at the bakery with different flavors, textures, and more. They wanted their hard work (and all the layers!) to be visible instead of hidden underneath frosting! I love it.

Prior to their cakes, naked-style cakes weren’t really much of a thing. I believe Milk Bar pioneered the naked cake trend!

Why You Should Make The Recipe

This Milk Bar chocolate chip cake is a homemade version of a famous bakery dessert.

I personally love tasting famous bakery desserts and taking on the challenge of recreating them at home. Luckily, many of my favorite bakeries sell cookbooks that enable me to do so! Like Milk Bar—this recipe comes from their self-titled cookbook. I love knowing that I can bake a cake (that typically sells for $50!) in my own kitchen.

And indeed—this Milk Bar chocolate chip cake goes above and beyond a traditional layer cake recipe. From its unique combination of flavors to all the different textures in the cake, it really does taste like a pro made it! Amazing.

This Milk Bar chocolate chip cake is a fun recipe for folks looking to level up their baking skills.

Because this recipe comes from a professional bakery, it introduced me to many new baking ingredients and techniques I wouldn’t have picked up on my own. To wit—most cake recipes instruct you to make the layers in individual round cake pans. But this Milk Bar chocolate chip cake instead instructs you to bake the cake batter in a sheet pan, then use a cake ring to stamp out circles for different layers. It’s a new-to-me technique I wouldn’t have otherwise used in my own home baking! Very cool.

This Milk Bar chocolate chip cake can easily be customized to fit within your schedule.

Real talk—I rarely make a layer cake all in one day. Typically, I make several (or all) of its components like the different cakes, fillings, and frostings beforehand before assembling the entire thing. Why? Leaving it all to do in one day easily sucks up the entire day. And I don’t have time for that! It’s much better to plan ahead, make certain things in advance, and save them for assembling later. You’ll find that when you do, a baking project that usually would have taken all day now only takes 30 minutes or less over the course of several days.

Because the Milk Bar chocolate chip cake consists of SIX different components total—cake, passion fruit puree, passion fruit curd, chocolate crumbs, coffee frosting, and mini chocolate chips—the only way to make it at home is to divide up the work over several days. Doing so results in a baking project that takes only 1 hour or less per day, resulting in an epic cake at the end! It makes it really easy to fit into a busy person’s schedule.

And by the way—if this sort of “recipe time management” is your thing, I highly suggest you check out my OWN cookbook, Weeknight Baking. I break down complicated, time-intensive recipes for layer cakes and pies this way so you can more easily fit it into your schedule!

Ingredients And Substitutions

Now that I’ve convinced you to make this Milk Bar chocolate chip cake, here’s everything you need for the recipe:

Shopping List for Milk Bar Chocolate Chip Cake Recipe

  • all-purpose flour
  • cake flour
  • baking powder
  • granulated sugar
  • light OR dark brown sugar
  • confectioners’ sugar
  • Dutch-processed OR natural unsweetened cocoa powder
  • cornstarch
  • kosher salt
  • powdered gelatin
  • grapeseed oil OR other neutral-flavored oil
  • unsalted butter
  • buttermilk
  • whole milk
  • large eggs
  • passion fruit puree
  • instant coffee powder
  • pure vanilla extract
  • mini chocolate chips

And let’s talk about some key ingredients and their potential substitutions:

Passion Fruit Puree

You need ½ cup passion fruit puree to make the passion fruit curd for the Milk Bar chocolate chip cake, plus another ⅓ cup for assembling the cake.

What is passion fruit puree?

Passion fruit puree is literally just the innards (specifically, the juice, pulp, and seeds) of a passion fruit. It is typically yellow in color, and dotted with black seeds.

Where do you buy passion fruit puree?

Although you can “make” your own passion fruit puree by scooping out the insides of a passion fruit, you can also buy passion fruit puree online, in Hispanic grocery stores, or in fancy gourmet shops. The fancy pastry school kid by Monin is usually pretty expensive. I recommend going to a Hispanic grocery store and finding a pouch of Goya passion fruit pulp—these typically only cost between $2 and $3!

Can I use passion fruit juice instead of passion fruit puree?

No, please don’t! Passion fruit juice typically has added preservatives and sugars in it. If you use it in this recipe, your cake will likely turn out too sweet! Even if you find a juice that doesn’t have any preservatives or sugars, the puree is typically watered down. The passion fruit curd recipe does NOT set properly if you use passion fruit juice!

Gelatin

You need ½ teaspoon unflavored powdered gelatin to make the passion fruit curd for the Milk Bar chocolate chip cake.

Can I use gelatin sheets instead of powdered gelatin?

Yes! In fact, Christina Tosi’s original recipe instructs bakers to use gelatin sheets. I just opted for powdered gelatin because it was more readily available in my part of the world. But if gelatin sheets are easier for you to find, go for it! Substitute the ½ teaspoon gelatin powder with 1 gelatin sheet.

Cake Flour

You need 1 ½ cups cake flour to make the chocolate chip cake base for the Milk Bar chocolate chip cake.

Cake Flour versus All-Purpose Flour

In the grocery store, you’ll likely find an aisle of more flour varieties than you would have thought existed: all-purpose, bread, cake, pastry, and many more. These varieties are defined by their protein percentages. Cake flour contains less protein than all-purpose flour. As a result, using cake flour in a cake recipe results in a cake with a softer and more tender crumb. If you need a brand recommendation, my favorite cake flour is Swans Down Cake Flour.

Can I use all-purpose flour instead of cake flour in the Milk Bar chocolate chip cake recipe?

Yes! But it’s not a 1:1 volume substitution. 1 cup of cake flour (4 ounces or 113 grams) tends to weigh less than 1 cup of all-purpose flour (4.5 ounces or 128 grams). So if you’re planning on using all-purpose flour instead, you need to swap out the cake flour with 1 ⅓ cups (6 ounces or 170 grams) all-purpose flour.

Mini Chocolate Chips

You need ¾ cup mini chocolate chips to make the Milk Bar chocolate chip cake base, plus another ¼ cup to assemble the cake.

Can I use regular-sized chocolate chips instead?

Yes! In a pinch, you can use regular-sized chocolate chips. However, Christina Tosi specifically recommends using mini chocolate chips in all her recipes. She claims that doing so ensures more chocolate per bite!

Instant Coffee Powder

You need ¾ teaspoon instant coffee powder to make the coffee frosting for the Milk Bar Chocolate Chip Cake.

What is instant coffee powder?

In the grocery store, you can buy coffee in many forms: in whole beans, pre-ground, or instant. Instant coffee is made with whole beans that have been pre-ground and dehydrated into powder form. Doing so enables you to skip brewing the beans and make coffee instantly!

Can I use ground coffee instead?

Sure! The instant powder is mostly there for flavor. Feel free to just use whatever coffee you have on hand, whether its beans that have been ground up, pre-ground coffee, or even the stuff inside a K-cup or coffee pod.

Can I use instant espresso powder?

Yes! Feel free to use instant espresso powder in place of instant coffee. Doing so won’t affect the flavor of your Milk Bar chocolate chip cake significantly. 

insides of milk bar chocolate chip cake

How To Make Momofuku Milk Bar Chocolate Chip Cake

Real Talk—to make this cake, you need to make four different recipes: one for the chocolate crumbs, another for the passion fruit puree, another for the chocolate chip cake base, and finally, the coffee frosting. If you make all the components all at once, it’s going to take ALL day. Plus, you need to freeze the cake overnight after assembling it, then thaw it before serving. It’s definitely A PROJECT.

Luckily, many of the components can be made ahead of time. If you’re planning on serving the Milk Bar chocolate chip cake for a special occasion on a weekend day like Saturday, I suggest following the schedule below.

Here’s a timeline on how to make Milk Bar chocolate chip cake:

Day 1 (Tuesday): Make The Chocolate Crumbs

However, note that the chocolate crumbs can be refrigerated for up to 1 month, and frozen for much longer.

To make the chocolate crumbs, you’ll need to do the following:

  1. Prep the ingredients for the chocolate crumbs. (Prep Time: 5 minutes)
  2. Make the chocolate crumbs. (Work Time: 5 minutes)
  3. Bake the chocolate crumbs. (Bake Time: 20 minutes)
  4. Store the chocolate crumbs for assembling the layer cake.

Day 2 (Wednesday): Make The Passion Fruit Curd

However, note that the passion fruit curd can be refrigerated for up to 1 week! Unfortunately, it cannot be frozen as it tends to separate when thawed, ruining the curd’s texture.

To make the passion fruit curd, you’ll need to do the following:

  1. Prep the ingredients for the passion fruit curd. (Prep Time: 5 minutes)
  2. Make the passion fruit curd. (Work Time: 10 minutes)
  3. Store the passion fruit curd for assembling the layer cake.

Day 3 (Thursday): Make the Chocolate Chip Buttermilk Sheet Cake

Christina Tosi in Momofuku Milk Bar states that you can refrigerate the cake overnight; however, I dislike refrigerating cakes because I find that it dries them out. Instead, I recommend leaving it out at room temperature (tightly wrapped in two layers of plastic wrap) OR freezing it overnight. Freezing locks in the moisture of the cake. In a pinch, you can freeze the cake for up to 3 months!

To make the chocolate chip buttermilk sheet cake, you’ll need to do the following:

  1. Prep the ingredients for the chocolate chip buttermilk cake. (Prep Time: 5 minutes)
  2. Make the chocolate chip buttermilk sheet cake. (Work Time: 10 minutes)
  3. Bake the chocolate chip buttermilk sheet cake. (Bake Time: 30 minutes)
  4. Store the chocolate chip buttermilk sheet cake for assembling the layer cake.

Day 4 (Friday): Make the Coffee Buttercream Frosting, Assemble The Layer Cake, Then Freeze Overnight

Unfortunately, the coffee buttercream is a little on the finicky side (more on that in the Troubleshooting section below). It needs to be used immediately in order for the cake to work. After making the frosting, follow the instructions to assemble the cake and freeze overnight. Between you and me, making the coffee frosting and assembling the different components of the cake are the most time-consuming parts of the recipe. Plan accordingly!

To make the coffee frosting, you’ll need to do the following:

  1. Prep the ingredients for the coffee frosting. (Prep Time: 5 minutes)
  2. Make the coffee frosting. (Work Time: 20 minutes)

Then, to assemble the cake, you’ll need to do the following:

  1. Prep the tools you need to make the layer cake. (Prep Time: 5 minutes)
  2. Use the cake ring to stamp out two 6-inch circles from the sheet cake, then reserve the remains for the first layer of the cake. (Work Time: 5 minutes)
  3. Make the first layer of the Milk Bar chocolate chip cake. (Work Time: 10 minutes)
  4. Make the second layer of the Milk Bar chocolate chip cake. (Work Time: 10 minutes)
  5. Make the final, top layer of the Milk Bar chocolate chip cake. (Work Time: 5 minutes)
  6. Freeze the assembled cake.

Day 5 (Saturday): Thaw the Cake, Then Serve and Enjoy!

After freezing the cake, you’ll need to pop the assembled cake out of its cake ring, then thaw for at least 3 hours in the refrigerator. I found it was still a little too chilled after 3 hours—I thawed it for an additional hour at room temperature before serving. 

close up of milk bar chocolate chip cake slices

Recipe Troubleshooting and FAQ

FAQ: Baking Tools and Equipment To Make Milk Bar Chocolate Chip Cake

What baking tools do I need to make Milk Bar chocolate chip cake?

To make this recipe, you need a handful of regular baking equipment and specialty baking equipment (which I’ve marked with an asterisk below):

And let’s talk about the specialty equipment below:

What is a quarter sheet pan? Can I use a 9 x 13-inch cake pan instead?

You need a quarter sheet pan to bake the Milk Bar chocolate chip cake.

A quarter sheet pan has the same dimensions as a 9 x 13-inch rectangular cake pan. However, cake pans typically have 2- to 3-inch tall sides. In contrast, a quarter sheet pan typically only has short, 1-inch sides.

And yes! In a pinch, you can use a 9 x 13-inch cake pan instead and achieve the same results.

What is a cake ring? And do I really need one to make the Milk Bar chocolate chip cake?

A cake ring is often used in professional pastry kitchens to create mousse cakes and other fancy desserts. It looks like a cake pan, but with taller sides and no bottom. I used this cake ring to make my Milk Bar chocolate chip cake. I like it because it has especially tall sides, and this recipe makes an especially tall cake! But there are plenty that you can choose from that are cheaper.

Unfortunately, you NEED a cake ring to make the Milk Bar chocolate chip cake recipe. The closest substitution I could think of is to use the sides of a 6-inch springform pan (just make sure it has 2- to 3-inch tall sides, like this Fat Daddio’s or Wilton pan). However, because I’ve never tried it myself, I can’t guarantee the results!

Why can’t I use three 6-inch round cake pans to make the Milk Bar chocolate chip cake?

In the book, Christina Tosi instructs you to bake the chocolate chip cake batter into a sheet cake, use a cake ring to stamp out two 6-inch circles, then use the scraps for the base layer. More traditional recipes would instruct you to divide the batter into three 6-inch cake pans to make the three different layers.

Truthfully, I really have no idea why Christina Tosi instructs you to do it that way in her book. My hunch is that, in a professional bakery, this process makes more space in the kitchen (cake pans are bulkier to store than sheet pans) and they’re able to repurpose the scraps for other baked goods (like their cake truffles).

But I guess if you want to make your life a little bit easier, go ahead and divide the chocolate chip cake batter into three 6-inch cake pans and bake it that way. Just make sure to do it evenly because this cake is unforgiving—since it’s naked, you’ll be able to see any uneven layers in the final cake. I would even weigh the batter with a scale before dividing it. How? I place a bowl on my digital kitchen scale, tare it, then pour the batter into the bowl. I divide the resulting number by three (say, the cake batter weighs 300 grams total), then pour the resulting number into three 6-inch cake pans (in my example, 100 grams per pan), using the scale to weigh everything out once more.

Note that, even if you go this route, you’ll STILL need the 6-inch cake ring to build and assemble the cake. Sorry!

What is acetate paper?

Acetate paper is clear paper made out of plastic. In baking, it functions like parchment paper. Professional pastry chefs line the inside of cake pans and molds with the acetate paper to form the cake, then peel it off before serving. It is stiffer and less adhesive than parchment paper, making it a great tool for making cakes with melty and liquidy fillings like creams, curds, ice creams, and mousse.

The Best Acetate Paper for the Milk Bar Chocolate Chip Cake Recipe

When the Momofuku Milk Bar cookbook first came out in 2011, acetate paper wasn’t widely available outside of pastry kitchens. Instead, you had to order it online from Amazon, where the acetate was sold in sheets similar to printer paper (since acetate is also used for projector slides). These days, Amazon has a much wider selection of acetate sheets for baking. You can get acetate cake collars easily, which are already cut and shaped into the right dimensions for baking.

In the book, Christina Tosi writes that you need two rectangular sheets of acetate paper to make the cake, each 20 inches long and 3 inches tall. You can cut a sheet of acetate paper to that size, or buy a roll of a 3-inch or a 4-inch inch tall acetate cake collar paper and cut a 20-inch length of it. The height of the cake collar doesn’t matter too much—you can even buy a 6-inch or an 8-inch tall roll, which will work well with the recipe since the resulting cake is around 6 inches tall.

However, there are pros and cons. Using a taller roll of acetate paper will eliminate the need to use the two cake collars as instructed in the recipe below. However, it will also make it much harder to build the base and second layer. The taller sides of the acetate paper will get in the way as you try and spread the passion fruit curd and coffee frosting on the different layers!

FAQ: Milk Bar Chocolate Chip Cake Recipe Troubleshooting

Help! My passion fruit curd came out pretty thick and solid after chilling it. Is this normal?

Truthfully, I was a little surprised by the texture of this recipe’s passion fruit curd. It was less creamy, and instead far more solid than the curds I’ve made in the past. And when I spread it while assembling the cake, it was a little like spreading jelly!

But don’t worry. If the texture of your curd sounds similar to mine, rest assured that you’ve done nothing wrong. It works in the cake, I promise!

Help! My coffee frosting looks REALLY weird. It’s still pretty solid and will just NOT come together. I’ve been mixing for at least 10 minutes now. What did I do wrong?

Before updating this post, I spent a lot of time reading other bloggers’ takes on the recipe on the internet. And it seems like we all came to the same conclusion, independently: Christina Tosi’s coffee buttercream for this cake is a hot mess.

Why? The recipe has a really odd amount of sugar, fat, and liquid. Specifically—there’s too much fat, and not enough sugar and liquid to beat the frosting into the more traditional American buttercream frosting that you’re likely used to.

And even in the book, she writes that it takes a long time for the coffee milk to integrate with the butter because you’re just trying to mix in fat with more fat and nothing else. It took me nearly 15 to 20 minutes of beating the ingredients in my stand mixer before it came together. And even then, it was not the creamy, fluffy frosting that she promised. Instead, it reminded me of the slightly-greasy-but-not-too-sweet coffee buttercream frostings you get in Asian desserts.

Personally, I probably would have gone back to the drawing board with this coffee buttercream recipe and developed one that was less finnicky. But if you want the true Milk Bar experience, follow the recipe as instructed. It works—it just takes a long time to do so.

FAQ: Storing Milk Bar Chocolate Chip Cake for Serving Later

How To Store Milk Bar Chocolate Chip Cake

The assembled cake will keep, uncovered in the refrigerator, for up to 1 day. After that, tightly wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an additional 3 days. Leftover slices can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge.

Can you freeze Milk Bar chocolate chip cake?

Yes! You can freeze Milk Bar chocolate chip cake in two ways.

First, you can freeze the assembled cake (still in its cake ring on a sheet pan) for up to 2 weeks. When ready to serve, follow the recipe instructions to thaw the cake in the refrigerator and serve accordingly.

Second, you can freeze any leftover slices. Tightly wrap any leftover slices in two layers of plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil if storing for longer than 1 week. Freeze for up to 3 months. To serve, thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

Best Recipe Tips

Tips For Making the Passion Fruit Curd

  • To use powdered gelatin, you’ll need to activate its properties by “blooming” it in water. To do so, simply sprinkle the gelatin over the surface of a few tablespoons of water. Just make sure to sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the water! Pouring it into a pile on top of the water will NOT bloom it properly since the granules in the center will remain hard. Allow the granules to soften entirely in the cold water for 3 to 5 minutes—the gelatin has bloomed when it has become soft. If it still has hard bits, it needs to bloom longer. If it’s so soft it is falling apart, it’s over-bloomed! Throw out the gelatin and start over.

  • In a pinch, you can use an immersion blender instead of a traditional blender. However, if you go this route, you’ll need to add the butter slowly instead of all at once. In order to do so, cut the butter into 1-inch cubes. Add the cubes slowly, 1 to 2 pieces at a time, only adding the next portion when the previous portion is fully blended into the mixture.

Best Tips for Making the Chocolate Chip Sheet Cake

  • In the cookbook, Christina Tosi warns that there is a ton of liquid and fat in the chocolate chip cake base. She encourages you to make sure that the batter is homogenous at each step (meaning no streaks, discolorations, or any other signs of separation and unincorporation). In fact, the book specifically states that you need to mix the batter on medium-high for AT LEAST 4 to 6 minutes, or until the mixture is “practically white, twice the size of the original fluffy butter-and-sugar mixture, and completely homogenous.” Don’t rush the process!

For Making the Coffee Frosting

  • I mentioned this earlier, but making the coffee frosting is the most time-consuming part of the cake. It takes about 15 to 20 minutes for the coffee frosting to come together! Add the coffee milk slowly, 1 to 2 Tablespoons at a time, to the butter and confectioners’ sugar. Wait until the liquid is fully integrated before adding more. The mixture will look very clumpy—but keep mixing! It will eventually come together. To make the process go by faster, scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl frequently and make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature.

Tips For Assembling the Milk Bar Chocolate Chip Cake

  • In the original recipe, Christina Tosi instructs you to assemble the cake with two acetate cake collars, each roughly around 20 inches long and 3 inches tall. These days, you can easily buy acetate cake collar rolls that are taller and measure either 6 or 8 inches in height. Truthfully, these rolls suit the recipe much better since the resulting cake is around 6 inches tall. So if you opt for a taller cake collar roll, you’ll only need to use one cake collar for the whole cake! But there are some disadvantages to doing so—checkout the Troubleshooting and FAQ section of the blog post for more info!

  • The original recipe is also pretty vague about dividing up the passion fruit puree, passion fruit curd, chocolate crumbs, and coffee frosting between the layers. The book only gives you rough estimates (e.g. “Use half of the passion fruit puree for the bottom layer”) as opposed to giving you exact volume or weight measures for each layers. So the first time I made this cake, it was wildly uneven! I ended up using way more coffee frosting for the first layer, and ran out by the time I needed to frost the rest of the cake. Similarly, I had way too much passion fruit curd and chocolate crumbs in my bottom layer versus the middle layer.

    So when adapting this recipe for Hummingbird High, I made sure to give you EXACT weight measures of the different components needed for each layer. Doing so ensures an even, perfect cake with just the right textures and quantities for each layer! I mean, truthfully, you can probably just eyeball it too. But why not just strive for perfection?

  • After freezing the cake, the recipe instructs you to pop it out of its cake ring before thawing in the refrigerator. Doing so actually more difficult than I anticipated! The acetate cake collar was frozen around the cake ring. I ended up taking an offset spatula and running it between the acetate and the cake ring. I then pressed my fingers around the outside of the cake, rotating it to methodically apply gentle pressure all around.

More Epic Layer Cakes

Get the Recipe: Momofuku Milk Bar Chocolate Chip Layer Cake Recipe

This Momofuku Milk Bar chocolate chip cake is one of the most popular cakes from famed pastry chef Christina Tosi and her bakery, Milk Bar! The cake is made with layers of chocolate chip yellow cake, passion fruit curd, coffee frosting, and chocolate crumbs.
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Ingredients

For the Chocolate Crumbs

  • cup (1.85 ounces or 53 grams) all-purpose flour
  • cup (1.15 ounces or 33 grams) Dutch-processed cocoa powder, sifted if necessary
  • ¼ cup (1.75 ounces or 50 grams) granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3 Tablespoons (1.5 ounces or 43 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

For the Passion Fruit Curd

  • ½ cup (3.5 ounces or 100 grams) passion fruit puree, strained of seeds
  • cup (2.30 ounces or 65 grams) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 Tablespoons cold water
  • ½ teaspoon unflavored powdered gelatin
  • ¾ cup (1 ½ sticks or 6 ounces or 170 grams) cold unsalted butter
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt

For the Chocolate Chip Cake

For the Coffee Frosting

  • ½ cup (1 stick or 4 ounces or 113 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • ¼ cup (1.40 ounces or 40 grams) confectioner's sugar, sifted if necessary
  • ¼ cup (1.95 ounces or 55 grams) whole milk, at room temperature
  • ¾ teaspoon instant coffee powder
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Assembly

  • 1 recipe Chocolate Chip Cake (from above)
  • cup (2.15 ounces or 60 grams) passion fruit puree, strained of seeds
  • 1 recipe Passion Fruit Curd (from above)
  • ½ recipe Chocolate Crumb (from above)
  • 1 recipe Coffee Frosting (from above)
  • ¼ cup (1.40 ounces or 40 grams) mini chocolate chips

Equipment

  • parchment paper
  • air tight containers
  • a stand mixer with a paddle attachment
  • a bench scraper
  • a blender OR immersion blender
  • a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan
  • a 9 x 13-inch quarter sheet pan
  • a 6-inch cake ring with 2-inch OR 3-inch tall sides
  • acetate paper, cut into one 20-inch long x 6-inch tall rectangular strip OR cut into two 20-inch long x 3-inch tall rectangular strips
  • a pastry brush

Instructions
 

Chocolate Crumb Recipe

  • Prep the oven and pan. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 300°F. Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper.
  • Mix the dry ingredients, then add the butter. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Mix on low speed until combined, 30 seconds.
    With the mixer on low, slowly pour in the butter. Beat on low for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the dough starts to come together in small clusters and crumbs.
  • Bake the crumbs. Use a rubber spatula to spread the clusters on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Bake for 20 minutes, using a bench scraper to break them up every 4 to 5 minutes. After 20 minutes, the crumbs should still be slightly most to the touch at that point. They will harden and dry as they cool.
  • Store for assembling the layer cake. Cool the crumbs in the pan on a wire rack completely before storing or using in the recipe. The crumbs will keep, in an airtight container at room temperature, for up to 1 week. The crumbs will also keep, in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 1 month.

Passion Fruit Curd Recipe

  • Blend the passion fruit, sugar, and eggs. Combine the passion fruit puree and sugar in the blender's pitcher. Blend on high until the sugar dissolves, 1 minute. Add the eggs and blend on low until combined, another minute. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the mixture into a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan.
  • Bloom the gelatin. Pour the water into a small bowl or mug. Sprinkle the powdered gelatin evenly over the surface of the water. Let sit for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the gelatin is soft but still keeps its shape and does not fall apart (see Baker's Tips).
  • Cook the passion fruit mixture, then blend with the gelatin, butter, and salt. Bring the the passion fruit mixture to a boil over medium-low heat, whisking continuously. Once it boils, remove it from the heat and use a rubber spatula to scrape the mixture back into the blender's pitcher.
    Add the bloomed gelatin, butter, and salt and immediately blend until the mixture is thick, shiny, and super smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.
  • Store for assembling the layer cake. To store, pour the passion fruit curd into an airtight container. Press a sheet of plastic wrap directly against the surface of the curd to prevent a skin from forming. Cover with a lid and refrigerate for up to 1 week; do NOT freeze.

Chocolate Chip Cake Recipe

  • Prep the oven and cake pan. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously spray a quarter sheet pan with cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper. Spray the parchment, too.
  • Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
  • Beat the butter and sugars. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugars. Beat on medium until light, fluffy, and doubled in volume, 3 to 4 minutes, using a rubber spatula to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl as necessary.
  • Add the eggs, oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and dry ingredients. Reduce the mixer to low and add the eggs one at a time, adding the next egg only after the previous one has been fully incorporated, scraping down the bottom and sides of the bowl after each addition. With the mixer on low, slowly pour in the oil, followed by the buttermilk and vanilla, and beat until the mixture is smooth, 3 to 4 minutes.
    Gradually add the dry ingredients and beat until just combined. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl once more, and beat on low for an additional 30 seconds.
  • Assemble the cake for baking. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and use an offset spatula to smooth its top if necessary. Sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the batter.
  • Bake the cake. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. When done, the top of the cake should bounce back when gently pressed and a skewer inserted into the center of the cake should come out with a few crumbs attached. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before storing or using for assembly.
  • Store for assembling the layer cake. Turn the cake out onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Use the plastic wrap to tightly wrap the entire cake (you may need an additional sheet or two of plastic wrap to cover it completely). The cake will keep, at room temperature, for up to 1 day. The cake will also keep in the freezer, wrapped in an additional layer of aluminum foil, for up to 3 months.

Coffee Frosting Recipe

  • Beat the butter and sugar. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-low until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Reduce the mixer to low and add the confectioners' sugar until combined. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, make the coffee milk. While the butter and sugar is creaming, make the coffee milk. Whisk together the milk, coffee powder, and salt in a small bowl.
  • Slowly add the coffee milk to the butter and sugar. Once the butter is light and fluffy, scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl once more. With the mixer on medium-high speed, slowly add the coffee milk, one tablespoon at a time—do NOT add more coffee milk until the previous addition is fully mixed into the frosting! It will take a long time for the two ingredients to combine. Be patient! At first, the butter will clump and separate when the coffee milk is poured in. Keep beating until light, fluffy, and shiny, about 5 minutes.
    Use immediately for assembling the layer cake.

Assembly

  • First, prep the chocolate chip sheet cake for cutting. Place a piece of parchment paper large enough to hold the chocolate chip cake on your counter. Invert the cake onto it; peel and discard the parchment from the bottom of the cake.
  • Cut the sheet cake into the different layers. Use the cake ring to stamp out 2 full circles and 2 half circles from the cake.
  • The full circles will be your top two cake layers, while the half circles and remaining cake scraps will come together to make the bottom layer of the cake.
  • Prep the cake ring and acetate cake collar. Clean the cake ring and place it in the center of a sheet pan lined with clean parchment paper. Line the inside of the cake ring with the acetate paper (if using two strips of acetate paper, just use one strip).
  • Make the bottom layer of the Milk Bar chocolate chip cake. Nestle the two half circles in the cake ring, pressing their round sides against the cake ring. There will be a gap in the middle of the circles—this is totally okay, I promise!
  • Fill the gap between the two half circles with the remaining cake scraps. Use the back of your hand to press the scraps together to fit into the space. Head's up that you're going to have more scraps than can fit in the gap—that's totally normal, I promise! Simply take the excess scraps and press them down evenly on top of the rest of the cake layer, using the back of your hand to create a flat and even layer.
    At this point, the acetate collar will start to wrinkle from the pressure of the cake. Don't worry about it too much! It will even back out when you add the middle and top layer.
  • Brush the bottom layer with half of the passion fruit puree for assembly. Use a pastry brush to brush half of the passion fruit puree for assembly over the layer. If using a digital scale to weigh out the passion fruit puree, you'll need approximately 1 ounce (30 grams) of passion fruit puree for this layer.
  • Spread the half of the passion fruit curd over the bottom layer. Use the back of a spoon or a small rubber spatula to spread half of the passion fruit curd in an even layer over the cake. If using a digital scale to weigh out the passion fruit puree, you'll need approximately 6.25 ounces (177 grams) of passion fruit curd for this layer.
    Don't worry too much about making the top of the passion fruit curd smooth—you'll cover it with other ingredients in the next step. The more important thing is to try and spread it as evenly as you can across the top of the cake, and ensure that too much of it doesn't get up on the sides of the acetate collar.
  • Sprinkle half of the chocolate crumbs over the passion fruit curd on the bottom layer. Sprinkle half of the chocolate crumbs over the passion fruit curd. If using a digital scale to weigh out the chocolate crumbs, you'll need approximately 3 ounces (85 grams) of chocolate crumbs for this layer. Use the back of your hand to gently press the crumbs in place.
    If you want to go the extra mile, sprinkle slightly more crumbs along the outer edges of the cake. Christina Tosi recommends doing so in a YouTube tutorial of hers—doing so creates more contrast between layers in the final, assembled cake!
  • Spread a third of the coffee frosting over the chocolate crumbs on the bottom layer. Use the back of a spoon or a small rubber spatula to spread ⅓ of the coffee frosting as evenly as possible over the chocolate crumbs. If using a digital scale to weigh out the coffee frosting, you'll need approximately 1.15 ounces (33 grams) of coffee frosting for this layer.
    This is the most difficult process of assembling the layer cake! The coffee frosting will pull some of the crumbs up, and refuse to spread over their rough texture. But similar to the previous step of spreading the passion fruit curd, don't worry about making the frosting smooth. The more important thing is to try and spread it as evenly as you can across the top of the cake, and ensure that too much of it doesn't get up on the sides of the acetate collar.
  • Make the middle layer of the Milk Bar chocolate chip cake. If you're using two acetate cake collars, gently tuck the second strip of acetate between the cake ring and the top ¼ inch of the first strip of acetate. Doing so creates a ring of acetate that is 5 to 6 inches tall, combined—this will be high enough to support the height of the finished cake.
    Set a cake round on top of the frosting. If one of your cake rounds is jankier than the other, use it in the middle and save the pretty one for the top!
  • Repeat the process for brushing the middle layer with the remaining half of the passion fruit puree, the remaining half of the passion fruit curd, the remaining half of the chocolate crumbs, and a ⅓ (1.15 ounces or 33 grams) of the coffee frosting.
  • Make the top layer of the Milk Bar chocolate chip cake. Once you've finished assembling the passion fruit puree, passion fruit curd, chocolate crumb, and coffee layers of the coffee frosting, set the final cake round on top of the frosting.
  • Frost the top layer of the Milk Bar chocolate chip cake with the remaining coffee frosting. Use the back of a spoon or a small rubber spatula to spread the remaining coffee frosting as evenly as possible over the top layer. Again, don't worry about making the frosting smooth! You'll cover it with mini chocolate chips in the next step.
  • Garnish the frosted Milk Bar chocolate chip cake with the mini chocolate chips for assembly. Garnish the frosting with the remaining mini chocolate chips for assembly.
  • Freeze the cake. Transfer the sheet pan with the cake to the freezer. Freeze, uncovered and fully assembled, for a minimum of 12 hours to set the cake and all its fillings. The cake will keep in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.
  • Thaw the cake, then serve. At least 3 hours before you are ready to serve the cake, pull the sheet pan out of the freezer and use your fingers and thumbs to gently pop the cake out of the cake ring.
    Transfer the cake to a serving plate or cake stand. Gently peel off the acetate. Defrost in the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours (or 1 hour at room temperature) before serving.
  • Store the cake. The assembled cake will keep, uncovered in the refrigerator, for up to 1 day. After that, tightly wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an additional 3 days. Leftover slices can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge.

Notes

  • Adapted from Momofuku Milk Bar
  • To use powdered gelatin, you’ll need to activate its properties by “blooming” it in water. To do so, simply sprinkle the gelatin over the surface of a few tablespoons of water. Just make sure to sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the water! Pouring it into a pile on top of the water will NOT bloom it properly since the granules in the center will remain hard. Allow the granules to soften entirely in the cold water for 3 to 5 minutes—the gelatin has bloomed when it has become soft. If it still has hard bits, it needs to bloom longer. If it’s so soft it is falling apart, it’s over-bloomed! Throw out the gelatin and start over.
  • In a pinch, you can use an immersion blender instead of a traditional blender. However, if you go this route, you’ll need to add the butter slowly instead of all at once. In order to do so, cut the butter into 1-inch cubes. Add the cubes slowly, 1 to 2 pieces at a time, only adding the next portion when the previous portion is fully blended into the mixture.
  • In the cookbook, Christina Tosi warns that there is a ton of liquid and fat in the chocolate chip cake base. She encourages you to make sure that the batter is homogenous at each step (meaning no streaks, discolorations, or any other signs of separation and unincorporation). In fact, the book specifically states that you need to mix the batter on medium-high for AT LEAST 4 to 6 minutes, or until the mixture is “practically white, twice the size of the original fluffy butter-and-sugar mixture, and completely homogenous.” Don’t rush the process!
  • I mentioned this earlier, but making the coffee frosting is the most time-consuming part of the cake. It takes about 15 to 20 minutes for the coffee frosting to come together! Add the coffee milk slowly, 1 to 2 Tablespoons at a time, to the butter and confectioners’ sugar. Wait until the liquid is fully integrated before adding more. The mixture will look very clumpy—but keep mixing! It will eventually come together. To make the process go by faster, scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl frequently and make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature.
  • In the original recipe, Christina Tosi instructs you to assemble the cake with two acetate cake collars, each roughly around 20 inches long and 3 inches tall. These days, you can easily buy acetate cake collar rolls that are taller and measure either 6 or 8 inches in height. Truthfully, these rolls suit the recipe much better since the resulting cake is around 6 inches tall. So if you opt for a taller cake collar roll, you’ll only need to use one cake collar for the whole cake! But there are some disadvantages to doing so—checkout the Troubleshooting and FAQ section of the blog post for more info!
  • The original recipe is also pretty vague about dividing up the passion fruit puree, passion fruit curd, chocolate crumbs, and coffee frosting between the layers. The book only gives you rough estimates (e.g. “Use half of the passion fruit puree for the bottom layer”) as opposed to giving you exact volume or weight measures for each layers. So the first time I made this cake, it was wildly uneven! I ended up using way more coffee frosting for the first layer, and ran out by the time I needed to frost the rest of the cake. Similarly, I had way too much passion fruit curd and chocolate crumbs in my bottom layer versus the middle layer. So when adapting this recipe for Hummingbird High, I made sure to give you EXACT weight measures of the different components needed for each layer. Doing so ensures an even, perfect cake with just the right textures and quantities for each layer! I mean, truthfully, you can probably just eyeball it too. But why not just strive for perfection?
  • After freezing the cake, the recipe instructs you to pop it out of its cake ring before thawing in the refrigerator. Doing so actually more difficult than I anticipated! The acetate cake collar was frozen around the cake ring. I ended up taking an offset spatula and running it between the acetate and the cake ring. I then pressed my fingers around the outside of the cake, rotating it to methodically apply gentle pressure all around.
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Weeknight Baking:
Recipes to Fit your Schedule

Over the past several years of running Hummingbird High, I kept a crucial aspect of my life hidden from my readers: I had a full-time, extremely demanding job in the tech world. In my debut cookbook, Weeknight Baking, I finally reveal the secrets to baking delicious desserts on a tight schedule.