Milk Bar Birthday Cake (Printable)
A playful layer cake featuring moist vanilla sponge, tangy frosting, and buttery rainbow crumb inspired by classic funfetti flavors.
# 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
# How To Make It:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line a quarter sheet pan (9x13 inch) with parchment paper.
02 - In a bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined.
03 - In a stand mixer, beat butter, shortening, and sugars on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce speed; add buttermilk, milk, and vanilla extract. Mix until combined.
05 - On low speed, add dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated. Gently fold in rainbow sprinkles.
06 - Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake 28 to 32 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan.
07 - Lower oven to 300°F. In a bowl, combine flour, sugars, baking powder, salt, and sprinkles. Add melted butter and vanilla; mix with a fork until small clusters form.
08 - Spread crumb mixture on a lined baking sheet and bake 15 minutes, stirring halfway through. Cool completely.
09 - In a stand mixer, beat butter, shortening, and cream cheese until smooth. Add vanilla and salt. Gradually beat in powdered sugar until fluffy. Add milk as needed for spreadable consistency.
10 - Mix milk and vanilla extract in a small bowl until combined.
11 - Using a 6-inch cake ring, cut two full circles and two half circles from the cooled cake sheet.
12 - Place a cake round inside a lined 6-inch cake ring set on a cake board. Brush with vanilla milk. Spread one-fifth of frosting over the cake and sprinkle one-third of the crumbs. Repeat layering with half-circles to fill in, milk soak, frosting, and crumbs.
13 - Top with final cake round, soak with vanilla milk, and finish with remaining frosting and crumb-sprinkle mixture.
14 - Chill cake in the ring for at least 1 hour, up to overnight. Remove ring, transfer to a platter, and serve at room temperature.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- Its essentially the love child of a bakery masterpiece and that boxed funfetti cake you secretly loved as a kid
- The vanilla milk soak keeps every layer impossibly moist even days later
- People will think you spent hours on something that actually comes together with surprisingly manageable steps
02 -
- The cake ring method might seem fussy but it creates those perfect professional looking layers every time
- Let your cake cool completely before cutting or it will tear and youll learn some new words
- The vanilla milk soak is what transforms this from good cake into unforgettable cake
03 -
- Sift your powdered sugar before adding to frosting to avoid any lumps in your silky smooth finish
- If you dont have a cake ring, carefully trim your cake layers to size and use springform pans instead