Milk Bar Birthday Cake (Print version)
Nostalgic vanilla funfetti cake with rainbow sprinkles, creamy frosting, and buttery birthday crumb topping.
# What you'll need:
→ Cake
01 - 2 1/2 cups cake flour
02 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
03 - 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
05 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
06 - 1/3 cup vegetable shortening, room temperature
07 - 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
08 - 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
09 - 3 large eggs
10 - 1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature
11 - 1/3 cup whole milk
12 - 2 teaspoons clear vanilla extract
13 - 1/4 cup rainbow sprinkles
→ Birthday Cake Crumb
14 - 1/2 cup cake flour
15 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
16 - 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
17 - 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
18 - 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
19 - 2 tablespoons rainbow sprinkles
20 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
21 - 1 tablespoon clear vanilla extract
→ Frosting
22 - 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
23 - 1/4 cup vegetable shortening, room temperature
24 - 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
25 - 1 tablespoon clear vanilla extract
26 - 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
27 - 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
28 - 1 to 2 tablespoons whole milk
→ Assembly
29 - 1/4 cup whole milk
30 - 1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
# Method:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a quarter sheet pan (9x13 inches) and line with parchment paper.
02 - Whisk together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl until thoroughly combined.
03 - In a stand mixer, beat butter, shortening, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until fully incorporated.
05 - Reduce mixer speed and add buttermilk, whole milk, and vanilla extract. Mix until combined.
06 - On low speed, add the dry ingredient mixture and mix just until incorporated. Avoid overmixing. Fold in rainbow sprinkles by hand.
07 - Pour batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 28-32 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan.
08 - Lower oven temperature to 300°F. In a bowl, combine flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and sprinkles. Add melted butter and vanilla. Mix with a fork until small clusters form.
09 - Spread crumb mixture on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, stirring halfway through. Cool completely.
10 - In a stand mixer, beat butter, shortening, and cream cheese until smooth and combined. Add vanilla and salt. Gradually beat in powdered sugar until fluffy. Add milk as needed for spreadable consistency.
11 - Mix whole milk and vanilla in a small bowl for soaking. Using a 6-inch cake ring, cut two full circles and two half circles from the cooled cake sheet.
12 - Place a full cake round inside a lined 6-inch cake ring set on a cake board. Brush with vanilla milk soak. Spread one-fifth of frosting over the cake and sprinkle with one-third of the crumbs.
13 - Add half-circles to fill gaps, brush with milk soak, spread frosting, and sprinkle crumbs. Repeat with remaining cake round, milk soak, frosting, and finish with remaining crumbs and sprinkles on top.
14 - Refrigerate cake in the ring for at least 1 hour, or overnight. Remove from ring, transfer to a serving platter, and bring to room temperature before serving.
# Expert advice:
01 -
- The frosting alone is worth the effort and tastes exactly like the bakery version everyone loves
- That vanilla milk soak is the secret weapon that keeps every single bite impossibly moist
- Breaking apart the birthday cake crumbs feels therapeutic and makes the whole house smell like joy
02 -
- The cake ring technique seems intimidating but it creates those perfect professional edges that make people think you bought it from Milk Bar
- Chilling the assembled cake for at least an hour is what makes cutting clean slices possible instead of getting a messy landslide
03 -
- Room temperature ingredients are not optional here because cold butter creates lumps that ruin the silky texture we are after
- Sift your powdered sugar twice if you have the patience because it makes the frosting impossibly smooth