What's in a Milk Bar Cake Class?
Author & Photographer: Katelyn Wang
I have always been a big fan of Milk Bar – a dessert haven founded in New York by pastry chef Christina Tosi. The iconic cereal milk soft serve topped with cornflake crunch, accompanied by one or maybe three corn cookies is probably my definition of an ideal way to end the night. Upon the opening of a Milk Bar flagship in Los Angeles last September, I knew I had to experience the making of the famous Birthday Cake myself. I immediately grabbed two of my closest friends and my older brother to come experience the magic of Milk Bar with me!
While Milk Bar offers a variety of classes focused on different sweet treats – from their holiday Peppermint Bark Cake to the famous Milk Bar Pie – we opted for the classic layered birthday cake. The Milk Bar Birthday Cake is known for its unfrosted sides and confetti cake layers sandwiched between heaps of icing – the perfect way to turn any day into a celebration. The classes are offered in New York and Washington DC in addition to Los Angeles, and with the new NYC flagship recently opened on Saturday, November 16th, the possibilities continue to grow.
The morning of our class, we walked into the LA location’s Milk Bar Lab and Classroom to find stations set up with a pre-baked sheet of funfetti cake, a cake ring, and a bent spoon we later found out would serve as our secret weapon for frosting. After putting on our aprons and selecting our colorful, printed bandana in signature Christina Tosi fashion, it was time to get to work. With the actual baking process was already completed for us, the class focused on the assembly and decoration of the famous birthday cake. After each being given a container of vanilla milk and tub of icing, we couldn’t wait to get started!
From the sheet pan of cake, we were instructed to cut two circles with two additional half circles that would later form a complete third layer. The remaining pieces of cake were used to fill any gaps in the layers throughout assembly. Before beginning, we lined the six-inch cake ring with a piece of acetate to keep the layers intact and ensure an easy removal at the end. After placing our first layer into the mold, we soaked the cake layer with 2-3 tablespoons of vanilla milk to keep it moist. Then, we spread a thick layer of icing across the top surface of the cake using our bent spoon.
We went on to pick out the larger crumbs from the container of birthday cake crumbs so we could save them for the final decorations on top. Half of the remaining crumbs were placed on top of our icing layer, which was then covered by another layer of icing. Given the cake’s reputation to be incredibly sweet and truly for the real sugar-lovers, it made sense that our icing would not come to a halt after just one layer. The second portion of crumbs were saved for the layer in between the top two layers of cake.
These same steps were repeated until our three-layer cake was fully assembled. Finally, after the final layer of frosting, our creative expression came into play as we each arranged our cake crumbs in various shapes and designs.
With our cakes finished and our spirits high, we ordered some savory pepperoni bombs to enjoy while the instructors set up the room for the second portion of our class – the truffle party! The larger group split up into three smaller groups to each form an assembly line of birthday cake truffle- making. The remaining collective cake scraps were mixed with vanilla milk and rolled into bite-sized balls of yummy, sweet goodness. We dipped them in melted white chocolate, tossed them into a bowl of smaller cake crumbs, and placed them into individual bags to bring home.
I left Milk Bar incredibly full, and feeling happy that I got to share this special experience with my loved ones. Since there was no real baking involved, the emphasis of the class was less on technique and measurements, and instead, just a fun afternoon with friends. In other words, it is great for people who want to have the memory and experience of baking without necessarily having to do the challenging parts. I would definitely recommend this class to anyone who is a Milk Bar lover like me, no experience necessary!!