Celebrating 3rd Bake-Along Anniversary with Momofuku Milk Bar's Chocolate Cake with Milo Milk Crumbs

THREE is the magic number for today!

THREE years ago, the THREE of us, Joyce from Kitchen Flavours and Lena from Frozen wings and me started bake-along. It was just the THREE of us participating this event initially and gradually, we have many friends who came along and baked with us. It has been THREE years of baking now and we are still happily baking together...

Throughout our bake-along, I have enjoyed all our bakes and always remember the memorable Milo cupcakes that I had baked for our 2nd bake-along anniversary. This year, Joyce, Lena and I have agreed to bake a chocolate cake for our anniversary celebration and I like to bake something with Milo again ...

Chocolate cake? Yeah!
Chocolate cake with many many many chocolate? Yeah!
Chocolate cake with many many many chocolate and Milo? Yeah! Yeah Yeah!

ok ok... I should keep calm now and think carefully which chocolate cake recipe to bake. Seriously, there is heaps of chocolate cake recipes to choose everywhere!!! I could have baked three chocolate cake recipes and bake like a crazy woman but I actually have my mind set on this and only one... This chocolate cake recipe from Momofuku Milk Bar Cookbook. All because everything including their bakers in Momofuku Milk Bar Cookbook looks so COOL! I imagine a lot whenever I browse this book, wishing that I'm eighteen again and baking in Momofuku milk bars... LOL! Keep dreaming!!!

ok ok... Back to reality... The truth is mishaps in baking do happened!!! You will see what I mean... One of two chocolate cake layers that I baked for this post fell apart as I was removing it... Ouch! I was telling myself that I have to stay cool and composed!!! ... just like the bakers in the pictures in Momofuku Milk Bar Cookbook??? LOL! Well, I managed to transform all that I have baked and made into this wonderful triple layer chocolate cake with milo milk crumbs. Interestingly, I did it even without wasting the cake that feel apart! Honestly, I'm surprised that this cake has turned out to be more than being COOL! It is extremely GOOD and unique! Every mouthful of the cake is exploding with a good balance of sweet, salty (yes, salt makes chocolate cake extra delicious), sticky, smooth, moist, milky, malty, cakey and fudgy. All except that it is not creamy! Yes that it is not creamy at all as it doesn't contain any whipped cream, butter cream or even chocolate ganache. Although the effort of making this cake is tremendous, it is definitely a fun thing to do baking and constructing this cake. Ultimately, enjoying this cake is truly gastronomic and fulfilling.

Momofuku Milk Bar's Chocolate Cake with Milo Milk Crumbs? Yeah! Yeah Yeah!

... Can I say more than three Yeahs??? LOL!

Momofuku Milk Bar's Chocolate Cake with Milo Milk Crumbs

First of all, I have to make this chocolate fudge sauce ...

As mentioned in the book, this sauce is also great with ice cream :)

Next, I'm making the chocolate cake batter.

The second last mixing step requires the addition of fudge sauce.

It is important to leave the cakes to cool for 10 minutes before removing them from the tins...

... but I didn't !!! Ouch!

ok ok... I did stay cool and didn't stop at this stage and so carried on to bake more...

I proceed on baking the milk crumbs.

Stir in Milo ...

... and melted chocolate :)

Last thing to do... Make Milo soak.

This is how I assembled my cake...

Adding the final cake layer.

See I told you that three is the magic number... as I have ridiculously ended baking this 3-layer cake...

Finish by sticking the sides with fudgy cake crumbs ... Ta Dah!

Wishing bake-along a Happy Birthday and many more years of baking!

The best part of all celebrations... Enjoying the cake!

We love love love this chocolate cake. It is uniquely delicious! One slice is never enough!

This is how I bake my chocolate cake with milo milk crumbs with some minor mishaps and these are the recipes that I have used to bake my chocolate cake with Milo milk crumbs and they are mostly adapted from the book, Momofuku Milk Bar Cookbook by Christina Tosi.

Fudge Sauce

Makes 1/3 cup

20g chocolate, preferably with 70% cocoa, roughly chopped
(I used Callebaut ones with 70% cocoa)
12g cocoa powder, preferably Valrhona

a pinch of salt
60g glucose
15g sugar
40g pouring cream (with 35% fat)

Combine chocolate, cocoa powder and salt in a bowl. In a saucepan, combine the glucose, sugar, and heavy cream and stir constantly while bringing it to a boil over high heat. When mixture boils, pour it into the chocolate mixture and allow mixture to sit for a minute.

Whisk mixture gently first to allow both mixture to combine. Then, continue to whisk vigorously for 2-4 mins until the mixture is smooth and glossy. Use the sauce now or store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Do not freeze. Tip: You can warm the sauce slightly in a saucepan or using microwave with low power if it is too firm to handle.

Update on 14 May 2014: I have received a feedback from a reader that this amount of fudge sauce is not enough for her cake. Personally, I think that this amount is just right for me but feel free to make double of this amount if you like more of these sticky chocolaty sauce. Cheers!

Chocolate cake

Makes two 14 cm cake layers

75g butter, at room temperature
150 g sugar
2 eggs
75ml buttermilk

30ml vegetable oil, preferably rice bran oil

2/3 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp fudge sauce, see above
100 g cake flour, preferably 7-8% protein
45g cocoa powder, preferably Valrhona

1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350°F or 160°C fan forced. Grease and lined two 14 cm round baking tins (preferably loose bottom or springform for easy removal) with baking paper.

Using an electric mixer with paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar with medium-high speed for 2-3 mins or until slightly lighter in colour. While beating, add the eggs gradually and beat mixture for another 2-3 mins until well combined.

Lower mixing speed. Add buttermilk, oil, and vanilla gradually in a stream. Then, increase mixing speed to medium and mix for 3 to 5 mins or until the mixture looks white, slightly curdled but twice the size of the original butter-and-sugar mixture and completely homogeneous. Please note that at this stage, mixing at too high speed can cause mixture to splatter everywhere.
Lower mixing speed to low, add fudge sauce and mix until fully incorporated. Stop mixing and remove the mixing bowl from the mixer.

Using a spoon or spatula, stir in sifted flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt until batter is well combined

Divide batter into two portions. Pour and spread each portion evenly into each prepared tin. Bake for 25 mins until the skewer tested come out clean. Although the cake will rise and doubled in size, it will cool and sink to become buttery and fudgy. Allow cakes to cool slightly in their tins for 10 mins - This is important!!! Remove cakes from the tins and cool them completely on a wire rack or in a fridge. Cooled cake can be stored in plastic wrap for up to 5 days.

Milo Soak

Makes 1/4 cup
60 ml milk, slightly warmed
3 tbsp Milo (or Ovaltine or any malted chocolate drink powder)

Whisk milk and Milo in a small bowl until the Milo is completely dissolved. Use immediately.

Milo Milk Crumbs

40g milk powder
20g flour
6g cornflour
10g sugar
1/4 tsp salt
30g butter (melted or soften)
30g Milo (or any malted chocolate drink powder)
45g chocolate, preferably with 70% cocoa, roughly chopped, melted
(I used Callebaut ones with 70% cocoa)

Preheat oven to 250°F or 100°C fan forced.

Combine milk powder, flour, cornstarch, sugar and salt in a bowl. Toss them to combine. Add melted butter and mix again to combine. At this stage, mixture starts to come together and forms clusters. Spread the clusters on a baking tray lined with baking paper and bake for 20 mins. The crumbs should be sandy and kitchen should smell like buttery. Cool crumbs completely.

Place crumbs in a bowl. Add Milo and toss them until combined. Pour melted chocolate over the crumbs and toss until the clusters of crumbs are well coated with chocolate. Continue to toss every 5 mins until the chocolate hardens slightly and the clusters are firmer. To assemble the cake, use crumbs immediately when they are semi-firm. Any extra crumbs can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer for up to 1 month.

To Assemble the Cake:

Cut out four strips of baking paper and place them on the cake stand or plate to form a square outline. Slice each cake into two layers. Place one cake layer on the cake stand or plate. Brush the cake with milo soak. Sprinkle a third of the crumbs on the cake and drizzle the cake with 2 tbsp the fudge sauce. Place the other cake on top with its dome side up, pressing gently to sandwich the cakes together.

Brush the cake with milo soak. Repeat the layering with crumbs, fudge sauce, final layer of cake, crumbs and lastly generous amount of fudge sauce on top - but remember not to use all. Using a spatula, spread thin layers of fudge sauce on the side of the cake. If your 4th layer of cake is perfectly intact, break it into coarse crumbs and stick them on the sides of the cake. Mine had fallen apart and so I didn't have to do this... LOL! Allow chocolate in the crumbs to set, then carefully pull away the paper strips. Serve in room temperature or extra fudge sauce if you like.

Happy Baking
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