Chocolate Chip Cookies and Milk Cake
So excited to finally get this cake on the blog! I wasn't able to bake as much this week because I was out in Chicago and Philadelphia for most of it, working. (Not cake work, unfortunately. Oh, how I wish that was the case! This was for my other job, which is in media research - I moderate focus groups for television shows.) Anyway, I got back Thursday, stocked up on some ingredients and started baking.
This cake had obvious appeal to me because my other dessert love is a good chocolate chip cookie. I was also really intrigued by the milk frosting, which is made by boiling milk and flour over the stove, turning it into a custard-like consistency, and then adding it to whipped butter and caster sugar.
I wish I could say I loved the frosting, but in all honesty, I only liked it. I think part of my review might be tainted by the fact that I burnt TWO batches of the flour and milk because I made the mistake of trying to bake while both my kids were around - one of which is a 2-year-old, who thinks she can do anything and everything by herself. (Usually I bake while my son is at school and my daughter is napping, or after they're both in bed.) So, almost immediately into making the frosting, I wasn't a fan - simply because it was taking way longer than I had planned for. Luckily, on my third try, I finally got the flour and milk consistency right and started heading in a more positive direction.
The cake itself is really light and fluffy in texture and the taste resembles that of a white cake box mix. Make sure to use cake flour, and to sift it well. This step, along with eight egg whites and more than a cup of buttermilk, really helps to give you that perfect white cake texture (as long as you don't over bake it!).
This guy is my baking buddy and has started being a real help in the kitchen!
This is what your flour and milk mixture should look like after it's cooled - resembles custard.
The boiled milk frosting definitely gives you the flavor of milk, and because it's so light and fluffy, it complements the richer cookie dough filling nicely. It's not a frosting I would use on just any cake, but it certainly is the perfect addition to this one.
Chocolate Chip Cookies and Milk Cake (by Sprinkle Bakes, sprinklesbakes.com)
Yield: one, 3-layer, 9" round cake (I used 8" pans and cooked it for 35 minutes)
Ingredients:
Cake Layers
6 cups cake flour, sifted
5 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 1/4 cup granulated sugar
8 egg whites, room temperature
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
12 ounces mini chocolate chips
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Filling
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup mini chocolate chips
Boiled Milk Frosting and Chips Decor
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups whole milk
2 cups (1 pound) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups castor sugar*
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
1/2 cup regular sized semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions:
For the cake layers
1.) Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Coat three 9" baking pans with vegetable shortening or flour based baking spray and line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper. I like to spray the parchment paper and sprinkle with a dusting of flour too.
2.) Mix the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
3.) Beat the butter, oil and granulated sugar together in a separate large bowl until light and fluffy (I used my stand mixer). Add egg whites one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the flour and buttermilk alternately with the mixer on low speed; beginning and ending with the flour. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Gently fold in the mini chocolate chips.
4.) Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for 35-40 minutes (mine was 35), or until the cakes spring back when pressed in the centers. Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes, and then turn out onto wire cooling racks to cool completely. Level the tops of the cooled and chilled cakes.
For the filling
1.) Beat the brown sugar and butter together in a bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in the vanilla extract.
2.) Add the flour and salt and mix until combined. Add the cream a little at a time until the mixture is spreading consistency (you may not use all of the cream). Fold in the chocolate chips.
3.) Place a cake layer on a serving plate or cake stand. Cover the layer with half of the cookie dough filling and top with a second cake layer. Cover the second cake layer with the remaining frosting. Place the last cake layer on top.
For the frosting
1.) In a medium saucepan, whisk together the flour and 1/2 cup of the milk until smooth. Set over medium-high heat and let cool for 3 minutes or until slightly hot. Whisk in remaining milk and salt. Whisk constantly until the mixture has thickened to the consistency of unset pudding (this can take up to 10 minutes). Remove from heat and pour the mixture into a shallow dish. Place in the refrigerator until cool.
2.) When cool, the mixture will be thick like custard. In a large bowl (or a bowl of a stand mixer) beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add vanilla and mix well. Beat in cooled flour mixture one tablespoon at a time on medium-high speed. When all the flour mixture is added, beat on high speed until light and fluffy, about 6 minutes.
3.) Rub a little frosting between your fingers. If the sugar granules remain, beat for 4 more minutes, or until granules cannot be detected with fingers.
*If you can't find caster sugar, you can make a close substitute at home by placing regular granulated sugar in a food processor and blending until fine. This finer sugar is recommended for boiled frosting because it dissolves easily.