Like many of you I’m sure, I am running around like a mad hen to get everything ready for Christmas; Santa is coming tomorrow night! Eeek! But before all the Christmas festivities begin, last night we had another celebration in our house, Aaron’s birthday!
Aaron was born three days before Christmas and usually got the short end of the stick in terms of having an exclusive birthday celebration. So naturally, I always make the extra effort for Aaron to have a real birthday (God he hates the attention). But I just can’t tolerate the ol’ 2 in 1 birthday/Christmas.
We toned it down on the gifts this year so that we cold buy a few things for the house. We tend to go a little overboard buying for each other and I’m beginning to realize how unnecessary this is. Instead I went with some new boxers and his favorite beer to ring in his 35th year! And what is a birthday without cake?! So in honor of Aaron’s birthday and inspired by Santa, I baked a milk and cookies cake!
I couldn’t make up my mind of what cake to make but I loved the idea of the milk and cookies cake for this time of year. This was definitely a good choice. I really liked having the cookie dough in addition to the vanilla bean buttercream; you would think it would be too much but it really wasn’t. This cake was very light and fluffy due to the reverse mixing method which I have never encountered before now but Tessa from Style Sweet CA (where I originally found this recipe) shared a link to The Cake Blog which gives a very detailed explanation as to what this is and how to do it if you’re curious. (Really simple).
Anyways, no time for chit chat today! Have a very Merry Christmas and I will see you all in the New Year! I hope Santa is good to you, and don’t forget to give a little shout out to JC on his big day 😉
Milk and Cookies Cake
Cake:
5 large egg whites
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup whole milk
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
Preheat oven 350 degrees.
Grease and lightly flour two 8-inch cake pans.
In a small bowl mix together egg whites, vanilla and 1/4 cup of the milk, set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the butter and remaining 1/2 cup of milk and stir until mixture is combined and moist.
Add the egg mixture gradually, mixing fully in between batches.
Pour batter evenly between the cake pans and bake for 20-24 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Cool for about 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack and cool completely before assembling with cookie dough and frosting (see below).
Cookie Dough:
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
In a large bowl with a hand mixer on medium speed, beat brown sugar and butter together until fluffy.
Setting the mixer to low, add vanilla, flour and salt and mix until fully incorporated.
Increase the mixer speed gradually while adding milk and mix until you have reached your desired cookie-dough consistency.
Fold in chocolate chips.
Whipped Vanilla Bean Buttercream Icing:
3/4 cup butter, softened
3 tbsp cream cheese, softened
3 cups icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 vanilla bean split and scraped
2-4 tbsp milk
With a hand mixer on medium speed, whip butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Add cream cheese and mix until combined and smooth.
Add icing sugar, vanilla, vanilla bean and milk and mix by hand until partially combined. Then beginning with low speed whip icing until smooth, light and fluffy. Add more milk if too thick, add more sugar if too runny.
Milk Soak:
1/3 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp sugar
Whisk together all ingredients until sugar is dissolved, set aside.
Assembly:
Even out cake layers by trimming uneven sections.
Generously brush on milk soak to each cake layer and place your bottom layer on your cake stand or serving tray.
Spread cookie dough in an even layer and top with middle cake layer then continue with the next cookie dough layer and cake.
Frost with icing and decorate with chocolate chips or as desired. Enjoy!
My 4-year old helped with the placement of chocolate chips, that’s why they look kind of wild! She loved it so I left it as is 🙂
By Three Happy Folk
Adapted from Style Sweet CA
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