This is the second of the two Milk Bar-inspired cakes I made for Erik’s birthday, and my personal favorite. I hate to pick favorites, but when I looked at the container of cake I was eating out of for dinner last night, one slice was distinctly shorter than the other.
Why you’ll love this cake
- A velvety, spongy cake crumb: A tight-crumbed buttermilk cake speckled with chocolate chips turns slightly spongy at the edges in the best way!
- Tons of texture: Silky coffee-speckled frosting creates a glossy anchor for thick layers of cocoa crumbs that are grittier, softer and saltier than chocolate chips. The grittiness contrasts so well with the soft cake!
- Peach puree: The original inspiration for this cake uses passion fruit, which is a bit more difficult to source. In the summer, fresh peaches provide an incredible source of fruity sweetness and light acidity. It goes shockingly well with the other components!
Tips and tricks
- You’ll think you have an absurd amount of pureed fruit for one cake, but don’t fear! This is what brings it all together: a generous dump of this between layers ensures a smear of fruit in each forkful.
- For the coffee frosting, I prefer a more traditional buttercream like this whipped coffee frosting or a not-too-sweet coffee buttercream.
- For step-by-step photos on how to assemble one of these cakes, check out the Milk Bar pretzel cake post.
Milk Bar Chocolate Chip Peach Cake
This Milk Bar-inspired cake features plush buttermilk cake layered with peach puree, chocolate-y crumbs and a smooth coffee-spiked frosting. It's a texture party full of chocolate and light fruity notes. One of my favorite cakes I've ever made!
Ingredients
For the chocolate crumbs
- 2/3 cup white whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For the chocolate chip cake
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/3 cup canola oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose or white whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips or regular semisweet chocolate chips, chopped into small pieces
For the peach puree
- 3 medium fresh peaches or 1.5 cans sliced peaches, in 100% juice
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- Juice from half a medium lemon
- 1.5 tablespoons cornstarch
For the coffee frosting
- 1/2 cup 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup almond milk
- 3/4 teaspoon instant coffee powder regular coffee works in a pinch
- 1/4 teaspoon table salt
Instructions
For the crumbs
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees Farenheit. In a bowl, add all ingredients except for the butter and combine using an electric mixer.
- Add the butter and mix on low speed until the mixture starts together in small clusters and clumps. It should resemble wet sand at this point.
- Spread the crumbs on a parchment-lined sheet pan and bake for 15-20 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes. The crumbs should still be slightly most to the touch when you take them out of the oven; they will harden and dry as they cool.
- Cool completely before layering in the cake. Stored in an airtight container, they will keep fresh for one week at room temperature or one month in the refrigerator.
For the cake
- With an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugars in a large bowl on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the eggs, and mix on medium-high again for 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl once more.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, oil and vanilla (I used a fork to whisk these in a glass measuring cup). On low speed, stream the buttermilk mixture into the butter mixture. Increase speed to medium or medium high and continue beating for 4 to 6 minutes, until the mixture is completely homogenous.
- Once the mixture is completely homogenous, continue mixing at low speed and add the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix until just combined, and finish off the mixing by hand with a rubber spatula until there are no streaks of dry ingredients. Be careful not to overmix at this point, or you will end up with tough, rubbery cake. At this point, I folded in about 1/3 of my chocolate chips (the original recipe calls for sprinkling all the chips on top of the cake, which I thought was weird).
- Line a 9×13” pan with parchment paper and generously grease with cooking oil or butter. Transfer cake batter to the pan and tap the pan on the countertop to even out the layer. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips evenly over the cake batter.
- Bake the cake for 30 to 35 minutes. The cake will nearly double in size, but will remain buttery and dense. At 30 minutes, gently poke the edge of the cake with your finger: the cake should bounce back slightly and the center should no longer be jiggly. Leave the cake in the oven for an extra 3 to 5 minutes if it doesn’t pass these tests.
- Take the cake out of the oven and cool on a wire cooling rack, or, in a pinch, in the fridge or freezer. The cooled cake can be stored in the fridge, wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 5 days.
For the peach puree
- Peel and quarter peaches; add to a blender with lemon juice. Puree until smooth.
- In a small pot, whisk together the sugar and cornstarch. Stir in puree, turn on pan over medium heat and whisk constantly until the mixture simmers and thickens.
- Transfer the mixture to a heatproof container, and put in the fridge until the puree has cooled completely, at least 30 minutes. The puree can be refrigerated for up to one week.
For the frosting
- In the bowl of a freestanding electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine butter and powdered sugar. Cream together on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes, until fluffy and pale yellow.
- While the butter and sugar is creaming, combine the milk, coffee powder and salt in a small bowl.
- Once the butter has finished creaming, scrape down the sides of the bowl using a rubber spatula. Turn on the mixer to medium-high speed and gradually, tablespoon by tablespoon, add the coffee mixture. It’s important to add this mixture slowly to help the liquids incorporate together. Eventually you’ll end up with a super shiny, fluffy frosting: it should be a consistent pale brown if you used instant coffee and a speckled brown if you used coffee grounds. Use immediately.
To assemble
- Cut the cake into two 6″ rounds using a 6″ cake ring or pan as a guide. I pressed my 6” cake pan gently into the cake, and then used a knife to do the actual cutting.
- Clean off the cake ring and place it on a plate or cutting board lined with wax paper, or just a sheet of wax paper (I didn’t use a plate to save space in my packed freezer—if you don’t use a plate, just be careful to support the bottom when moving the cake). Line the inside of the ring your choice of sturdy structural material (acetate, priority mail envelopes, sturdy paper, etc). Line with parchment paper or wax paper if you are not using acetate.
- Line the bottom of the cake ring with the cake pieces left from cutting out the rounds to form the bottom cake layer. Mash down the scraps with your fingers until the layer is as flat as you can get it.
- Spoon 1/2 of the peach puree in an even layer on top of the cake. Reserve about ½ cup of the crumbs (more or less) for the top of the cake, and sprinkle half of the remaining crumbs evenly across the puree—this should be a thick layer. Spread 1/3 of the coffee frosting across the crumbs—it’s okay if this frosting layer is spotty; it doesn’t have to be perfect.
- Place one of the full rounds of cake on top of the frosting. If one of your 2 cake rounds is prettier than the other, save it for the top. Repeat the puree, crumb and frosting process. Place the last round of cake down (this layer will not be soaked). Spread the last 1/3 of coffee frosting across this layer and top with reserved crumbs.
- Freeze cake for at least three hours, or up to overnight. Remove from cake ring, peel off your wax paper or acetate and allow to come to room temperature—approximately 2-3 hours—before serving!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Harriet
Love this recipe & will try it soon. Question-your recipe states you put peach puree on top of first layer 7 then you put the peach curd. how’d you make the peach puree?
erika
Hi Harriet–whoops, that was a huge typo! I realized that I had been using curd/puree interchangeably throughout the recipe, which is really confusing. I’ve gone through and changed all mentions of curd to puree and fixed that instructions line. Thanks for catching and for the comment! Hope you love the cake!
Alex @ Brain, Body, Because
How do all of your cakes always look so absolutely gorgeous? Like, I want to marry them.
I don’t think that I have ever tried the chocolate/peach combo before, but I could definitely see it working. Actually, I could see the chocolate/anything combo working 🙂
laurasmess
I can’t believe that you made ANOTHER MOMOFUKU CAKE!! Ah, I’m going to die from not being able to try this heavenly bakery!!!! Hm. Actually, no, silly me. I can just try your recipes, as I’m sure they’re even better than the real thing 🙂 On face value I have to say that the pretzel one is calling me, but judging from your Instagram photo I should probably start with this one. Yum! xx
Kristi @ My San Francisco Kitchen
Ahhh this looks amazing!!
Kammie @ Sensual Appeal
Wow. Look at this beauty!!
tahnycooks
this looks absolutely divine! you rock, girl!
erika
Thanks lady 🙂
Julia | JuliasAlbum.com
Erika, your photography is beautiful! I am really enjoying your blog. Pinned this recipe for a chocolate chip peach cake – would love to try it!
erika
Thanks so much Julia! Huge compliment coming from you–I think your photography is GORGEOUS!
Melissa
BEAUTIFUL!! You are one talented cookie! I’ve been on a peach kick lately & I can’t seem to get enough. The picture showing all the layers is absolutely perfect!
erika
Thanks Melissa!! <3 Ugh I know, peaches are so good. Unfortunately, most of the ones I've eaten this summer have been somewhat sub-par...where do you get good peaches in Texas?!
Natasha @ The Cake Merchant
I’ve always been too intimidated to try a Momofuku cake. I can’t believe you made two, and they look amazing! Can I come over for dessert?
erika
Natasha, if there’s anyone who could make a momfuku cake look impeccable, it’s you. You should most def come over for dessert, and then make one of your own!! 🙂
Two Red Bowls
This is seriously amazing. Like everyone else has said, I’m in awe of anyone who does a Momofuku recipe at home! There’s just so much involved (and the inverting gif on your last post? I’d have cake all over the floor!) Momofuku desserts are definitely on my list of life goals — hope I can pull it off half as well as you do!
erika
Haha! That’s why I got my sister to do the inverting for me 😉 PLEASE make one soon! They are so.good.
Nancy @ gottagetbaked
Damn girl, I bow down to you for not only making one but TWO Momofuku cakes! You can’t be asleep at the wheel for these – talk about a crazy amount of work! But you pulled it off beautifully – these cakes are works of art. I’d never have thought to pair peach, coffee and chocolate together but if you say this was your fave out of the two, I definitely have to give it a try (after working up some endurance by marathon training or something, lol). Sounds like you made sure Erik had the best birthday ever. I loved your two Momofuku cake posts!
erika
Thanks so much Nancy 🙂
Kaylie @ Skinny Muffin
Girl! Your posts just keep getting better and better! LOVED the “moving/video” picture last time and LOVE the writing on your photo this time! SO COOL. Teach me your wayyyyys!
erika
Awww thanks girl 🙂 That took me FOREVER so thanks for showing the love! It’s all photoshop, all day 🙂
veganmiam.com
Your photos look gorgeous! I’ve tried Momofuku recipe before and veganized it without any issues! I have never been to his restaurant or cafe before.
erika
Really!! I would love to try a vegan version of one of these cakes! Is it on your blog?
Choc Chip Uru
When you know, you know, like when I saw this post, I knew I was going to salivate like there was no tomorrow 😛
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
erika
Haha! Love it.
Lilly Sue
This cake looks ridiculous! I love the crumbs- Mmmm!!! I guess I have two cakes to try now!
erika
Haha thanks Lilly 🙂