A cake for when you're craving something simple like white bread or castella: a rich, milky génoise (sponge cake) frosted with a light mascarpone cream
Work in this order: cake layers → milk syrup → mascarpone cream.
Warm the butter, milk, and vanilla extract in a heatproof container in the microwave to 45–50°C. If it seems to be cooling down, keep it in a warm water bath.
In a bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, salt, and honey together lightly.
Warm the mixture over a water bath to around 38°C, whisking constantly so no part of the egg cooks.
Once it’s warmed through, take it off the water bath and whip with a hand mixer on high speed for about 4–5 minutes; the time can vary a little depending on your mixer.
When the eggs have more than doubled in volume and turned ivory, switch to low speed and mix slowly for 1 minute to even out the air bubbles.
Stop when the batter leaves a trail on the surface as you lift the beaters.
Add the sifted cake flour.
Fold gently with a spatula, cutting through the batter. Sweep the sides and bottom of the bowl to check for any pockets of flour.
Stir a small amount of the batter into the butter mixture from step 2 to make a “sacrificial batter.” Adding liquid directly to the batter can deflate the foam, so you sacrifice a little batter to loosen the liquid first, then combine it with the main batter.
Fold the sacrificial batter back into the main batter until no butter is visible.
Pour the batter into the pan and tap it on the counter twice to knock out large bubbles.
Run a skewer or toothpick through the batter to even out the bubbles, then bake in an oven preheated to 160°C for 30 minutes.
Drop the baked cake onto the counter twice to give it a jolt, then turn it upside down and cool on a cooling rack for 5 minutes.
Turn it right side up again and let it cool completely.
The top and bottom have a less pleasant texture, so slice them off thinly, then cut the cake into 3 layers.
Heat the milk and sweetened condensed milk in a pot or saucepan over medium-low heat.
When the milk starts to boil, reduce the heat to low. Stir with a wooden spoon and simmer for another 30 seconds, then turn off the heat.
Transfer the finished milk syrup to a small bowl and let it cool completely.
In a bowl, combine the mascarpone cheese, sugar, sweetened condensed milk, and a third of the heavy cream and loosen with a hand mixer. Too much cream at once makes the lumps hard to break up, so start with just a third.
Add the rest of the heavy cream and whip on high speed. In warm weather, set the bowl over ice water or an ice pack for a more stable cream.
Whip until the cream shows ridges and is thick enough not to drip off the beaters when lifted. Stop when the tip bends slightly so you don’t overwhip.
Have the 3 cake layers ready.
Brush the milk syrup over a layer with a pastry brush.
Layer in this order: milk syrup → whipped cream → cake layer. Repeat once more.
Spread a thick coat of cream over the top and sides of the cake with an offset spatula.
Turn the cake turntable as you scrape away the excess cream to smooth it.
Make a natural pattern on top with the offset spatula.
Tips
Recommended for anyone who loves a rich milky flavor. It’s not flashy, but it’s a cake you’ll keep thinking about.
You can decorate the snow-white cake with cherries, blueberries, or any fruit you like.
Keep the génoise sealed at room temperature and use it within 2 days of baking; tightly wrapped, it keeps in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.
Always refrigerate whipped cream cakes and eat them within 2–3 days. Cakes with syrup-brushed génoise get even moister after resting for a day.
Milk Flavor Cake
Equipment: oven, mixing bowl, kitchen scale, sieve, pot
Ingredients (1 batch)
- unsalted butter 20g
- egg 150g
- cake flour 95g
- sugar 90g
- salt 1g
- honey 7g
- milk 20g
- vanilla extract 3g
- milk 60g
- sweetened condensed milk 40g
- heavy cream 360g
- mascarpone cheese 70g
- sweetened condensed milk 50g
- sugar 10g
Instructions
1. Work in this order: cake layers → milk syrup → mascarpone cream.
2. Warm the butter, milk, and vanilla extract in a heatproof container in the microwave to 45–50°C. If it seems to be cooling down, keep it in a warm water bath.
3. In a bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, salt, and honey together lightly.
4. Warm the mixture over a water bath to around 38°C, whisking constantly so no part of the egg cooks.
5. Once it's warmed through, take it off the water bath and whip with a hand mixer on high speed for about 4–5 minutes; the time can vary a little depending on your mixer.
6. When the eggs have more than doubled in volume and turned ivory, switch to low speed and mix slowly for 1 minute to even out the air bubbles.
7. Stop when the batter leaves a trail on the surface as you lift the beaters.
8. Add the sifted cake flour.
9. Fold gently with a spatula, cutting through the batter. Sweep the sides and bottom of the bowl to check for any pockets of flour.
10. Stir a small amount of the batter into the butter mixture from step 2 to make a "sacrificial batter." Adding liquid directly to the batter can deflate the foam, so you sacrifice a little batter to loosen the liquid first, then combine it with the main batter.
11. Fold the sacrificial batter back into the main batter until no butter is visible.
12. Pour the batter into the pan and tap it on the counter twice to knock out large bubbles.
13. Run a skewer or toothpick through the batter to even out the bubbles, then bake in an oven preheated to 160°C for 30 minutes.
14. Drop the baked cake onto the counter twice to give it a jolt, then turn it upside down and cool on a cooling rack for 5 minutes.
15. Turn it right side up again and let it cool completely.
16. The top and bottom have a less pleasant texture, so slice them off thinly, then cut the cake into 3 layers.
17. Heat the milk and sweetened condensed milk in a pot or saucepan over medium-low heat.
18. When the milk starts to boil, reduce the heat to low. Stir with a wooden spoon and simmer for another 30 seconds, then turn off the heat.
19. Transfer the finished milk syrup to a small bowl and let it cool completely.
20. In a bowl, combine the mascarpone cheese, sugar, sweetened condensed milk, and a third of the heavy cream and loosen with a hand mixer. Too much cream at once makes the lumps hard to break up, so start with just a third.
21. Add the rest of the heavy cream and whip on high speed. In warm weather, set the bowl over ice water or an ice pack for a more stable cream.
22. Whip until the cream shows ridges and is thick enough not to drip off the beaters when lifted. Stop when the tip bends slightly so you don't overwhip.
23. Have the 3 cake layers ready.
24. Brush the milk syrup over a layer with a pastry brush.
25. Layer in this order: milk syrup → whipped cream → cake layer. Repeat once more.
26. Spread a thick coat of cream over the top and sides of the cake with an offset spatula.
27. Turn the cake turntable as you scrape away the excess cream to smooth it.
28. Make a natural pattern on top with the offset spatula.
https://hong-recipe.pages.dev/en/recipes/milk-flavor-cake/
Hong's Recipe