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Marina’s Bird’s Milk Cake

Moist Chocolate Cake filled with Luscious Custard Cream. The layer of Extra Glossy Chocolate Ganache on Top Brings this Cake Over the Top – just the way any Chocolate Cake Should Be.

Moist Chocolate Cake filled with Luscious Custard Cream. The layer of Extra Glossy Chocolate Ganache on Top Brings this Cake Over the Top. Just the way any Chocolate Cake Should Be. by LettheBakingBeginBlog.com

Easter’s coming up and everyone’s looking for that one great recipe of a cake that will just blow everyone away. You’re in luck today because I think I’ve got just the recipe for you! The moistest chocolate cake, filled with silky custard, covered in drizzling chocolate ganache glaze & topped with fluffy mounts of custard lightened with whipped cream. Oh and one more drizzle of chocolate on top!

Moist Chocolate Cake filled with Luscious Custard Cream. The layer of Extra Glossy Chocolate Ganache on Top brings this cake over the top. Just the way any chocolate cake should be. by LettheBakingBeginBlog.com

I have been wanting to make this cake, for-eeveer! My aunt has been making a variation of this cake (finally posted it HERE) for pretty much every family celebration we had in the last… at least 2 years. Then I found Midnight Sin Chocolate Cake by  Not so Humble Pie. Her recipe produced such wonderfully moist and delicious chocolate cake, that I knew I had to do something with it. That’s how an idea, to combine her Chocolate cake & the custard from my aunt’s cake into one.

Moist Chocolate Cake filled with Luscious Custard Cream. The layer of Extra Glossy Chocolate Ganache on Top Brings this Cake Over the Top. Just the way any Chocolate Cake Should Be. by LettheBakingBeginBlog.com

When you combine the two, something magical happens. The custard combined with the chocolate cake makes for an incredible combination, but when the cake is left alone for a day, the custard gives off moisture to the cake, making the already moist chocolate cake even moister. It’s almost fudge-like when you bite into it.
This cake is definitely going into my recipe box as a favorite!

Moist Chocolate Cake filled with Luscious Custard Cream. The layer of Extra Glossy Chocolate Ganache on Top brings this cake over the top. Just the way any chocolate cake should be. by LettheBakingBeginBlog.com

For this recipe, I have tried to make a little video tutorial on how to decorate the cake, because describing it, while possible, is not as effective a seeing it. So let me know how you like it!

Marina’s Bird’s Milk Cake

Ingredients for Chocolate Cake:

  • granulated sugar
  • salt
  • dutch processed cocoa powder
  • baking soda
  • boiling water
  • canola oil (I used extra virgin olive oil)
  • vanilla extract
  • ground coffee
  • all-purpose flour
  • egg yolks
  •  eggs
  • sour cream or buttermilk

Custard: 

  • granulated sugar
  •  milk
  • egg yolks
  • grams butter
  • Vanilla Extract

Lightened Custard (for decorating)

  • custard (leftover custard that’s left after filling the cake)
  • Whipped Topping or whipped heavy cream

Ganache: 

  • heavy whipping cream
  • semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate
  • corn syrup or glucose

Special Equipment:

  • 9 inch round cake pans
  • cake strips
  • adjustable cake ring
  • Mixer

Make the custard first:

Combine egg yolks and sugar in a medium-sized pot and whisk until smooth. Add milk and whisk again. Cook over medium heat, constantly stirring until it begins to thicken and covers the back of the spoon. When you run your finger over the back of the spoon, the custard should not run into wiped space. Add vanilla extract & stir.

Moist Chocolate Cake filled with Luscious Custard Cream. The layer of Extra Glossy Chocolate Ganache on Top brings this cake over the top. Just the way any chocolate cake should be. by LettheBakingBeginBlog.com Moist Chocolate Cake filled with Luscious Custard Cream. The layer of Extra Glossy Chocolate Ganache on Top Brings this Cake Over the Top. Just the way any Chocolate Cake Should Be. by LettheBakingBeginBlog.com

Add butter to the custard and stir until butter is completely melted and incorporated into the custard. Cover with plastic wrap, touching the custard (to prevent forming of skin) and allow to come to room temperature.

While the custard is cooling, let’s make the cake:
In a cup whisk together eggs, egg yolks & sour cream. Set aside.
Moist Chocolate Cake filled with Luscious Custard Cream. The layer of Extra Glossy Chocolate Ganache on Top brings this cake over the top. Just the way any chocolate cake should be. by LettheBakingBeginBlog.com

If you have espresso powder, combine the espresso powder with the boiling water. Or brew 2 tablespoons of ground up coffee with 1 cup water. Drain coffee and make sure there’s 1 cup of liquid. If there’s not, add enough to make 1 cup. Set aside.
Moist Chocolate Cake filled with Luscious Custard Cream. The layer of Extra Glossy Chocolate Ganache on Top brings this cake over the top. Just the way any chocolate cake should be. by LettheBakingBeginBlog.com

Combine sugar, cocoa powder, salt & baking soda with the espresso boiling water mixture  and stir until almost no lumps appear. Cook over medium high heat, constantly stirring until it comes to a boil. This step will make the darkest chocolate color it can be. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.Moist Chocolate Cake filled with Luscious Custard Cream. The layer of Extra Glossy Chocolate Ganache on Top brings this cake over the top. Just the way any chocolate cake should be. by LettheBakingBeginBlog.com

Add the chocolate mixture to the mixer and with beater blades, beat on low speed for 2-3 minutes, to remove additional heat from the mixture. Add oil & vanilla extract and beat until combined and smooth. Add flour and beat again until smooth. Add the egg mixture and beat until combined once more. Try to use minimal amount of beating after the flour is added, we do not want any gluten development as it will make the cake gummy.
Moist Chocolate Cake filled with Luscious Custard Cream. The layer of Extra Glossy Chocolate Ganache on Top brings this cake over the top. Just the way any chocolate cake should be. by LettheBakingBeginBlog.com

Pour batter into 2 9 inch round cake molds lined with parchment paper & sprayed with non stick spray, or if you do not have the non stick spray, butter the pan, add 1 tbsp flour then shake around to cover the pan, shake out the excess.
Put on wet cake strips around the pan. This will make sure the cakes rise evenly so that we do not have to level the cakes after they bake.
Bake in preheated 350F oven for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If using an 8-inch cake mold, add 5-7 minutes to the baking time.
Moist Chocolate Cake filled with Luscious Custard Cream. The layer of Extra Glossy Chocolate Ganache on Top brings this cake over the top. Just the way any chocolate cake should be. by LettheBakingBeginBlog.com

Once baked, remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Then, run a knife around the inside of the cake mold and unmold the cake by turning it over onto a cooling rack. Remove parchment paper and allow to cool completely.
Moist Chocolate Cake filled with Luscious Custard Cream. The layer of Extra Glossy Chocolate Ganache on Top brings this cake over the top. Just the way any chocolate cake should be. by LettheBakingBeginBlog.com

Cut each cake horizontally into 2 layers. This will ensure maximum absorption of the custard once layered.
Moist Chocolate Cake filled with Luscious Custard Cream. The layer of Extra Glossy Chocolate Ganache on Top brings this cake over the top. Just the way any chocolate cake should be. by LettheBakingBeginBlog.com


See the rest of interactions in picture from below, or scroll all the way to the bottom for a video. 

Moist Chocolate Cake filled with Luscious Custard Cream. The layer of Extra Glossy Chocolate Ganache on Top brings this cake over the top. Just the way any chocolate cake should be. by LettheBakingBeginBlog.com

Place the first cake layer in the middle and tighten the adjustable cake ring around the cake.

Moist Chocolate Cake filled with Luscious Custard Cream. The layer of Extra Glossy Chocolate Ganache on Top brings this cake over the top. Just the way any chocolate cake should be. by LettheBakingBeginBlog.com

Put second cake layer on top, press it in, then alternate cream & cake until all cake is used up, and you have about 1.5 cups of frosting left over ( the video says 2, but I think it was more like 1.5 cups). Refrigerate leftover custard until further instructions. 

Moist Chocolate Cake filled with Luscious Custard Cream. The layer of Extra Glossy Chocolate Ganache on Top brings this cake over the top. Just the way any chocolate cake should be. by LettheBakingBeginBlog.com

Refrigerating the cake overnight will prevent the cream from running out the sides and help with further decorating.

Moist Chocolate Cake filled with Luscious Custard Cream. The layer of Extra Glossy Chocolate Ganache on Top brings this cake over the top. Just the way any chocolate cake should be. by LettheBakingBeginBlog.com

NEXT DAY: 

Moist Chocolate Cake filled with Luscious Custard Cream. The layer of Extra Glossy Chocolate Ganache on Top brings this cake over the top. Just the way any chocolate cake should be. by LettheBakingBeginBlog.com
Screen Shot 2014-04-15 at 10.09.55 AM

Combine leftover custard & 8 oz of whipped topping or 1 cup of whipped heavy cream. Carefully fold it together until well combined.

Moist Chocolate Cake filled with Luscious Custard Cream. The layer of Extra Glossy Chocolate Ganache on Top brings this cake over the top. Just the way any chocolate cake should be. by LettheBakingBeginBlog.com

Cover the cake with frosting, smoothing out the sides and top with spatula and a scraper.

Moist Chocolate Cake filled with Luscious Custard Cream. The layer of Extra Glossy Chocolate Ganache on Top brings this cake over the top. Just the way any chocolate cake should be. by LettheBakingBeginBlog.com

Fit pastry bag with a star tip.

Moist Chocolate Cake filled with Luscious Custard Cream. The layer of Extra Glossy Chocolate Ganache on Top brings this cake over the top. Just the way any chocolate cake should be. by LettheBakingBeginBlog.com

Drape the pastry bag over a tall glass and fill it with leftover Lightened Custard. Twist the end and put upside down into the glass. Leave in fridge until we need to use it.
Moist Chocolate Cake filled with Luscious Custard Cream. The layer of Extra Glossy Chocolate Ganache on Top brings this cake over the top. Just the way any chocolate cake should be. by LettheBakingBeginBlog.com

Make the Ganache, following this recipe & instructions.
Pour about 1/2 of ganache in the middle of cake, bring it closer to the edges with spatula, then add the other half, reserving only about 1 tablespoon for later.

Moist Chocolate Cake filled with Luscious Custard Cream. The layer of Extra Glossy Chocolate Ganache on Top brings this cake over the top. Just the way any chocolate cake should be. by LettheBakingBeginBlog.com

Screen Shot 2014-04-15 at 10.12.23 AM

 

Moist Chocolate Cake filled with Luscious Custard Cream. The layer of Extra Glossy Chocolate Ganache on Top brings this cake over the top. Just the way any chocolate cake should be. by LettheBakingBeginBlog.com

 

Moist Chocolate Cake filled with Luscious Custard Cream. The layer of Extra Glossy Chocolate Ganache on Top brings this cake over the top. Just the way any chocolate cake should be. by LettheBakingBeginBlog.com

 

Moist Chocolate Cake filled with Luscious Custard Cream. The layer of Extra Glossy Chocolate Ganache on Top brings this cake over the top. Just the way any chocolate cake should be. by LettheBakingBeginBlog.com

 

Moist Chocolate Cake filled with Luscious Custard Cream. The layer of Extra Glossy Chocolate Ganache on Top brings this cake over the top. Just the way any chocolate cake should be. by LettheBakingBeginBlog.com

 

Moist Chocolate Cake filled with Luscious Custard Cream. The layer of Extra Glossy Chocolate Ganache on Top brings this cake over the top. Just the way any chocolate cake should be. by LettheBakingBeginBlog.com
Moist Chocolate Cake filled with Luscious Custard Cream. The layer of Extra Glossy Chocolate Ganache on Top brings this cake over the top. Just the way any chocolate cake should be. by LettheBakingBeginBlog.com

 

Or, instead of looking at pictures, watch a video of how you to decorate this cake.

Here are some other great Cake recipes:

 

Marina's Bird's Milk Cake

4.75 from 20 votes

Moist Chocolate Cake filled with Luscious Custard Cream. The layer of Extra Glossy Chocolate Ganache on Top Brings this Cake Over the Top - just the way any Chocolate Cake Should Be.

Author: Marina | Let the Baking Begin!
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Ukrainian
Keyword: milk cake recipe
Calories: 979 kcal
Prep Time: 2 hours
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 12 servings

Ingredients

  • Marina's Bird's Milk Cake

Chocolate Cake:

  • 546 g 2 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 4.5 g 1 tsp salt
  • 69 g 3/4 cup dutch processed cocoa powder
  • 5 g 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 237 ml 1 cup canola oil (I used extra virgin olive oil)
  • 10 ml 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 g (2 tsp instant expresso powder or 2 tbsp ground coffee
  • 218 g 1 3/4 cups bleached all purpose flour
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup sour cream or buttermilk

Custard:

Lightened Custard (for decorating)

  • 1 cups custard leftover custard that's left after filling the cake
  • 8 - oz Whipped Topping or 1 cup whipped heavy cream

Ganache:

  • 100 milliliters heavy whipping cream
  • 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate
  • 3 Tbsp corn syrup or 2 Tbsp glucose

Special Equipment:

  • 2 - 9 inch round cake pans
  • 2 cake strips
  • 1 adjustable cake ring
  • Mixer

Instructions

Make the custard first:

  1. Combine 15 egg yolks and 1 cup sugar in a medium-sized pot and whisk until smooth. Slowly add 1 cup hot milk while continuously whisking. Cook over medium heat, constantly stirring until it begins to thicken and covers the back of the spoon. When you run your finger over the back of the spoon, the custard should not run into wiped space. Add 1 tbsp of vanilla extract & stir. Do not overcook or the custard will curdle.

  2. Add 400 grams of butter to the custard and stir until butter is completely melted and incorporated into the custard. Cover with plastic wrap, touching the custard (to prevent forming of skin) and allow to come to room temperature.

While the custard is cooling, let's make the CAKE:

  1. Egg mixture: In a cup whisk together 2 eggs, 4 egg yolks & 1/4 cup of sour cream. Set aside.

  2. Make the espresso: If you have espresso powder, combine the espresso powder with the boiling water. Or brew 2 tablespoons of ground-up coffee with 1 cup water. Drain coffee and make sure there's 1 cup of liquid. If there's not, add enough to make 1 cup. Set aside.

  3. Combine 2 3/4 cups sugar, 3/4 cup cocoa powder, 1 tsp salt & 1 tsp baking soda with the espresso boiling water mixture and stir until almost no lumps appear. Cook over medium-high heat, constantly stirring until it comes to a boil. This step will make the darkest chocolate color it can be. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

  4. Add the chocolate mixture to the mixer and with beater blades, beat on low speed for 2-3 minutes to remove additional heat from the mixture. Add 1 cup oil & 2 tsp vanilla extract and beat until combined and smooth. Add 1 3/4 cups flour and beat again until smooth. Add the egg mixture and beat until just until combined.

  5. Pour batter into two 9 inch round cake molds lined with parchment paper & sprayed with non-stick spray, or if you do not have the non-stick spray, butter the pan, add 1 tbsp flour then shake around to cover the pan, shake out the excess.

  6. Put on wet cake strips around the pan. 
Bake in preheated 350°F oven for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If using an 8-inch cake mold, add 5-7 minutes to the baking time.

  7. Once baked, remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Then, run a knife around the inside of the cake mold and unmold the cake by turning it over onto a cooling rack. Remove parchment paper and allow to cool completely.
  8. Cut each cake horizontally into 2 layers with a long serrated knife.

To Assemble:

  1. Line edges of the serving platter with 4 strips of foil for each cleanup. The pieces must be wide enough to go about 1/2 inch under the cake and cover the edges of the platter. 
Take away about 1.5 cups of cream before you start to layer the cake with the remainder of it.

  2. Place the first cake layer int he middle of the platter and tighten the adjustable cake ring around the cake. Add a couple tablespoons of the cream and spread it around.
  3. Put the second cake layer on top, press it in, then alternate cream and cake until both are used up. You want your last layer to be the cake.
  4. Refrigerate the cake overnight.

NEXT DAY:

  1. Run a thin knife around the inside edge of the cake ring to loosen the cake. Remove the cake ring.

Make the Lightened Custard

  1. Combine the reserved 1 cups of custard with 8 oz of whipped topping or 1 cup of whipped heavy cream. Carefully fold both together until just combined.

  2. Cover the outside of the cake in this cream in a thin layer, smoothing the top and sides. Refrigerate the cake for 15 minutes.

To decorate:

  1. Fit a pastry bag with a french star tip.
  2. Fill it with leftover Lightened Custard. Refrigerate until ready to use.
  3. Make the Ganache, following this recipe & instructions.
  4. Reserve 1 tablespoon of ganache. Put it in a ziplock bag and set it aside. 
Pour the ganache over the cake carefully brining some of it close to the edges, allowing for it to drizzle down the sides.
Pipe stars all around the top of the cake going in rings starting from the edges and working towards the middle.

  5. Snip the corner off the ziplock bag with the 1 tablespoon of ganache and drizzle over the piped stars. 
Refrigerate the cake until ready to serve.

Nutrition Facts
Marina's Bird's Milk Cake
Amount Per Serving
Calories 979 Calories from Fat 585
% Daily Value*
Fat 65g100%
Saturated Fat 27g169%
Cholesterol 436mg145%
Sodium 565mg25%
Potassium 297mg8%
Carbohydrates 94g31%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 71g79%
Protein 11g22%
Vitamin A 1512IU30%
Calcium 131mg13%
Iron 4mg22%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Moist Chocolate Cake filled with Luscious Custard Cream. The layer of Extra Glossy Chocolate Ganache on Top brings this cake over the top. Just the way any chocolate cake should be. by LettheBakingBeginBlog.com

 

Marina | Let the Baking Begin

Welcome to Let the Baking Begin! I'm Marina and my love and passion for eating only the most delicious foods drive me to share that love here on Let the Baking Begin (since 2009). With over 20 years of experience in the kitchen, you know the recipes are tested and retested until perfect. I'm so happy to have you here. Enjoy! Read more...

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  • Glenna

    I’m interested in making the Marina’s Bird’sMilk Cake but I do dot have a cake ring. What do you suggest for alignment of layers and non-seepage of custard? I’d like to make this for Christmas.

    · Reply
    • Hi Glenna,
      I don’t have any suggestions. There’s nothing else I can think of that would work. If anything, the cake ring is linked to amazon, you can order it and still get it before Christmas. Sorry, I couldn’t be of more help.

      · Reply
    • olga

      you can definitely use plastic file just cut the right size make sure you secure it with staples or make a ring out of heavy foil, or even acetate and support with heavy foil.

      · Reply
      • Glenna

        Thank you Olga … great idea! To make it Christmasy I will sprinkle pomegranate seeds on the top or freeze some raspberries and separate the frozen seeds as a topping along with some fresh rosemary.

        · Reply
  • Tina Kim

    My custard ended up just absorbing into the cake and was left with a cake with no discernible layers. It was delicious but would have loved more obvious custard layers. What do you think went wrong?

    · Reply
  • Laken

    The cake is delicious but I had a lot of fails while making it. The cake once out of the oven, sank a little. I didn’t under cook it and it was cooked through, and I didn’t over mix it, but it sank. Then the cake was so moist that it was very hard to cut into layers, both from the cake itself sinking, and the moist cake. I may try freezing the cake layers to make it easier to cut next time. The whipped frosting was a bit too thin and hard to work with. I used heavy whipping cream instead of cool whip. I may try to use cool whip next time to see if it holds shape better. But besides the assembly issues, the cake is delicious.

    · Reply
    • I’m sorry you had trouble with the recipe.
      If the cake sank or was too moist, next time add a little more flour. As I mentioned in the recipe, a little bit too much or too little of flour makes a huge difference in the consistency or the cake, that’s why it is best to weigh your flour.

      I’m glad the you enjoyed the flavor or the cake though

      · Reply
  • Olga y

    I have to say this is my favorite cake ever. Perfect balance of sweet and chocolate and yummy custard. Thank you so much

    · Reply
  • Mac Salleh

    hey marina, I was wondering whether I could use the custard recipe for filling for my vertical trifle cake. Is it runny.Cheers

    · Reply
    • This cake is more on the lose side, so if you use it for a trifle cake, I would make sure to assemble the cake in a cake ring so that the cream has a chance to get absorbed by the cake layers and doesn’t just come out the sides.

      · Reply
  • Tara

    For those who may have had some trouble with this recipe, here’s what I came away with.
    -the layers for 9″ are only an inch or so thick to begin with. I ended up doubling the recipe and making another batch of cake.
    -i sifted the flour to get a more consistent batter without over mixing.
    -i live at 6200ft above sea level in the mountains, so I raised my oven temp to 365, but kept the baking time the same.

    Custard tips:
    -the custard section only yields 2 cups, so double your custard ingredients unless you’re frosting it with something else.
    -err to just below medium heat and absolutely don’t stop stirring. Use a spatula so you can get the mixture moving on the very bottom of the pan. Cook until bubbling, or it looks like the consistency of runny conditioner.
    -my custard i did not cook long enough because I was afraid of over cooking it. If your custard is runny/won’t set, go back to the stove with it and add a mixture of flour and water. 1:2 ratio, 2 Tbsp flour and 4 Tbsp water for every cup of custard. Whisk until incorporated, then continue stirring for another 5 minutes or so.
    -Do an ice bath with the pot after your done. To cool it faster. Don’t forget to put plastic wrap on the surface of the custard to avoid a skin though. Not the end of the world if you forget.
    -for the frosting bit, I whipped my whipping cream.until it had stiff peaks, then folded in the custard that was now cooled to room temp.
    -if you want it more stiff, add a quarter cup of powdered sugar at a time, or 2 tbsp flour at a time and mix until incorporated. Repeat until desired stiffness.
    -Keep in mind that if its aaaalmost there with stiffness, you can throw it in the fridge for a bit while you work on dishes and it’ll be perfect for your frosting needs.

    Ganache
    – never used corn syrup before in a ganache and didn’t with this one. I melted chocolate and added hot whipping cream, about a 1:3 ratio.
    – stir with a wooden spoon instead of plastic or metal when making ganache

    Hope this helps some of you.

    · Reply
    • Clancy

      Tara, you are rude to add your personal insights about how this cake should have been made. A few tweaks I can understand, but step by step, me thinks not.
      When someone, such as Marina, takes the time to create, bake and post a recipe, readers should be grateful, not condescending.
      Perhaps you should create your own baking blog? Then you can then create your own recipes instead of tearing other bakers’ recipes apart.

      · Reply
      • Tina Kim

        Tara’s tips were actually very helpful to me. I don’t think she was trying to be rude or change anything. Recipes don’t work for everyone perfectly all the time and the fact that someone took the time to jot down the modifications that worked for her is actually pretty thoughtful.

        · Reply
      • Sue

        What an ignorant and spoiled response. I am glad for Tara’s insights – especially considering how many other people had issues. There’s nothing worse than putting effort and money into making something only to have it not work out, and for someone to put effort into helping us all out is a saviour in our books.

        · Reply
  • Amy

    I’m planning on making this recipe today. I was just wondering, can I leave the assembled cake in the cake ring (without any whipped cream icing) in the fridge for about 36 hours? Or will the custard completely disintegrate into the Cake? Please let me know!

    · Reply
  • Chelsea

    Moist and delicious. Perfect for a boston cream fan.

    · Reply
  • Vanessa Papali

    Dear Marina,
    Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe ! I made this cake for my brother-in-law ‘s birthday and it was a SMASHING hit. I was attempting to make the custard cream with so many egg yolks for the first time and hence was nervous about the cream layers setting. But it set perfectly well. I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed making the cake and was over the moon about how it turned out. I love your blog and can’t wait to try all your recipes

    · Reply
  • Trista

    I attempted the batter twice and both times it turned out as more of a gooey brownie than a cake. Despite being in the oven for nearly 45 minutes each time, it just wouldn’t cook through for me. The custard however was fantastic. So we just ended up calling it an “Easter Brownie” instead of a Bird’s Milk Cake.

    · Reply
    • Tina

      Did Marina ever get back to you as to why this happened? The same exact happened to me today!

      · Reply
      • If the cake looks brownie-like, it means that it needs to be baked a bit longer. Just keep baking until the middle is baked through and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

        Each oven is different so it could be that yours is running a littler cooler than it should be, which just means that you need to either increase the baking temp from what the recipe says, or increase the bake time .

        · Reply
  • Cheryl

    I want to make this next month for my daughters birthday. Is there a way to print just the recipe? It will be 52 pages if I try to print out as shown (with pictures and the end between adds) Help please!

    · Reply
    • Hi Cheryl,
      I will keep it on my calendar to fix it by next week, so you can print it.

      · Reply
      • Cheryl

        If you could do that for me would be wonderful! Thank you so much for your time!

        · Reply
        • All done 😀 From 52 pages down to 3!

          · Reply
          • Cheryl

            Thank you again, she is going to love it! Well, I think we all will!

  • Cheryl Lebow

    Is there any way to print out Marina’s Bird’s Milk cake recipe without all the adds and extra pictures? It said it was going to be 52 pages on my printer! I don’t have room on my kitchen counter to have my lap top while trying to make this cake, but want to make it for my daughters birthday in November.

    · Reply
  • sherry

    can this be made in a 9x13in cake pan?

    · Reply
    • Do you have a 9×13 cake ring to assemble the cake in? The frosting in this one is pretty runny so you will need some kind of a ring to assemble it in. If you do have a 9×13 cake ring, I would double the recipe if you still want it to be the same height as the pictured cake.

      Also, as an alternative option, bake the cake layers from this recipe and use the frosting from this cake here – Bird’s Milk Cake (CUSTARD BUTTERCREAM). The frosting from this other cake is pretty much the same ingredients, but because you use room temperature butter and not melted butter, it comes up stiff enough to frost the cake without the cake ring.

      If you double the cake portion, make sure to double the frosting as well.

      · Reply
  • Alisa Ewert

    Today is special day for my family and i was looking for best dish ever, This blog has perfect guideline for new dish

    · Reply
  • Joan wise

    Can I make the custards 1 day ahead ? This is look beautiful and scrumptious. Thank you.

    · Reply
  • Jamie Hobbs

    Hi Marina,
    I’m just confused about the amount of butter in the custard. 400 grams is 3.5 cups, right? That just seems like a bit much to me. Thank you!

    · Reply
    • It is 400 grams, since this is in a way runny buttercream – meaning that you could whip room temperature butter and gradually add the custard and you would get custard buttercream.

      · Reply
  • Adeline

    Hi Marina, what will be the measurement if I will do it with 12″ x 3″ aluminum pan?
    Hoping for your response. Thank you.

    · Reply
  • Catherine

    Hi Marina,

    Looks delicious, I’m trying it this weekend.
    Just one question: I’m confused that you boil the coffee/chocolate mixture WITH the baking soda. Wouldn’t this set off the baking soda, meaning that there is no active raising agent left if the mix when you bake it? I’ve never seen it used in this way

    Thanks in advance!

    · Reply
    • Irene

      can you use gluten free flour mix in stead of bleached all purpose flour. Thanks

      · Reply
      • unfortunately I have never done it myself, so can not tell you how successful you’ll be with this kind of replacement 🙁

        · Reply
  • Katie

    This looks amazing! I was wondering how much custard this recipe yields. My husband LOVES Birds Eye Custard and I was hoping to just use it instead of the recipe you’ve provided (this also saves me on eggs).

    Thanks! Can’t wait to make this cake!!!

    · Reply
    • This recipe makes about 5 cups of custard.
      Just a word of caution, with a different custard the cake will not be what it is meant to be 😉

      · Reply
      • Katie

        Marina, it worked. I will note the consistency was NOT the same so it looked like a total fail but the cake was DELICIOUS!!! I will be attempting this again with your custard recipe though. Thank you soooo much for sharing. My normally cake hating husband was very pleased!

        · Reply
        • Hi Katie, thanks for your feedback, glad you enjoyed it even with a substitution! Do try this custard though, my family loves it, I think you guys will too 😉

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  • Joan rebecca

    OMG! I made this cake over the weekend for our anniversary.I love custard and chocolate like crazy. My first chocolate cake, it tasted absolutely delicious. The hubby kept saying it’s really good, it’s really really good. Thank you so much for an amazing recipe. This will be my go to chocolate cake recipe here after.

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  • Colleen

    Hello! this looks delicious but would it be a problem or effect the taste to drastically if i were to leave out the espresso and coffee or substitute it with some thing else?

    · Reply
    • You can leave it out, just make sure to replace it with warm water. The espresso is to intensify the flavor of the chocolate, but you can’t really taste coffee in the cake.

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  • Anna

    Hi marina cake looks delicious i want to make it for Easter . Question do u have to have the cake strip or can I bake the cake without the

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  • Viktoria

    thank you fir the recipe, I can’t seem to find the printable version.

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  • Jehn

    Hi, when did you say to add the espresso again? I don’t see it in the steps? Is that the boiling water? Thank you.

    · Reply
    • Yes, where it says boiling water. I edited it to say “espresso boiling water mixture” for clarification 🙂

      · Reply
  • Katie G

    I tried to make the cake and once I took it out of the oven it fell and pretty much turned into a brownie. What am I doing wrong?

    · Reply
    • Hi Katie,
      I’m sorry you had trouble 🙁 Unfortunately, I’m not sure what could have gone wrong. The cake settles a little bit once out of the oven, but I wouldn’t say that it collapses.

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  • Tanya

    Hi Marina, wow what a beautiful presentation. I love how you decorate your pastries and cakes! What pastry decorating tips set would you recommend for those of us just starting out?

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  • maritza

    Hello Marina,For How Many People This Cake Is?

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  • Alla

    I wanted to ask what brand of flat scraper do you use?

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  • Kristin

    I’ve been eyeing this cake since it’s been posted and made it this week for a colleague that is leaving. While each of the components turned out tasting heavenly, nothing worked quite right for me.

    *My custard was not entirely smooth (though the itsy bitsy lumps weren’t noticeable in the final product) and didn’t thicken up quite like I expected. The flavor was on point, so I didn’t care too much.
    *The cake – I baked mine in 9 inch cake rounds with cake strips, not in springform pans like your pictures show. No problems getting the cakes out of the pans, but they did not bake properly. I’m not sure if it was because the pans were too small (I was definitely worried the batter was going to overflow during baking) or if it was an issue from the magi-cake strips, but I baked my layers for about 40 minutes and they were still not done the whole way. It seemed like they didn’t rise as much as they should have, either – I would definitely go with springform (or a higher-walled set of pans) if I attempt this exact recipe again. The flavor of the cake was out-of-this-world-chocolatey and awesome! The texture just wasn’t right, and I think a lot of that had to do with the cake strips. Moist as could be, but not right. I’m still getting the hang of the strips.
    *For the lightened custard, I combined my remaining custard with 8oz of whipped heavy cream. I must have been impatient and didn’t whip my cream long enough, because there’s no way that my lightened custard would have been pipeable.
    *After not being able to pipe stars on the cake, I didn’t bother making the ganache (and the cake was so rich that I don’t think anyone noticed it missing) but have the recipe jotted down for use with another cake I like.

    All in all, it is a delicious, rich and chocolatey creation that is just WONDERFUL, but I’ll be sure to use deeper cake pans (or another proven chocolate cake recipe from my arsenal) if I try this again. Thank you for the tasty recipe, Marina! It has definitely inspired me.

    Oh – and I didn’t have any problems assembling my cake with my springform ring instead of a cake ring – I was just very careful when spreading out my custard.

    Now, what to make with all these egg whites…?

    · Reply
    • Hi Kristin,

      The custard – I think you overcooked it, so it became thin again. The custard is not to be boiled, but heated until it thickens slightly. The eggs curdle creating little bits and pieces if you overcook it. If you do try it again, only cook until you can make a streak on the spoon that doesn’t flood back.

      Cake – It sounds you like you underbaked the cake. Next time bake it until the toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and it should be fine. The cake is supposed to be very very moist, but definitely not liquid. The magi-strips make the cake not form a dome but do not affect the rise or the texture of the end result. This cake originally came with chocolate biskvit layers but I changed it to this one. So if you have a trustworthy chocolate biskvit cake recipe you can use that one, but I can tell you the cake is much more delicious with this one, so I say give it a try again 🙂

      Lightened custard – Yeah, you do have to whip your heavy cream until proper consistency or it’s not going to work. But, if it still keeps being runny, just make more heavy whipped cream and keep adding it until the cream is light and fluffy.

      As far as egg whites – you can make, meringue baskets, boccone dolce, or the the zefir that I just posted recently 🙂

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  • Betty

    Dear Marina, thank you for the wonderful recipe! I am really looking forward to baking this cake. You write in the recipe “1/4 sour cream or buttermilk”. Do you mean 1/4 cup?

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  • nastia

    trying to print this cake recipe and have been going up and down 3 times cant find the print button please direct me thanks. ana

    · Reply
    • Sorry this recipe has no print version, so you can just highlight the recipe itself, then click print and choose option ‘highlighted text’ to print only the part with the recipe and not the foreword before it.

      · Reply
  • Susan Hanvey

    This cake looks so moist and delicious. I will definitely give it a go for a special occasion .
    Sue

    · Reply
    • Oh thanks Susan, it’s definitely a show stopper. One of my aunts has been making this cake for all family holidays for years now and we continue to ask her to make it still. It’s really good 🙂

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  • This cake looks so devine! Keep it up girl!

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  • Traci Storts

    I am excited about making this cake. I am confused about the 100 mlx heavy cream for the Ganache though. Can you explain?

    · Reply
    • Apologies 🙂 its mls, not mlx 🙂

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  • Alex

    Hi! This cake looks delicious… do you think this would hold at all under fondant??

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  • Heather Gavin

    Planning on making this for my husband’s birthday. We are eating at Buca De Peppo, do you think I should ask them to refrigerate the cake until we get to dessert?

    · Reply
    • Refrigirating the cake wouldn’t be a bad idea, since it’s not a butter based cream, it doesn’t need to come to room temperature and would probably taste better cold anyway 🙂

      · Reply
      • Heather Gavin

        Awesome! Thanks for getting back to me so soon!

        · Reply
        • No problem Heather! Let me know how it all goes and how you like it 🙂

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  • Luba

    I made this chocolate cake but with a basic custard filling+extra creamy cool whip and cherries, like a black forest cake. This chocolate cake is super moist! I didn’t even need to wait for the cake to soak up the cream, could eat it right away. Great recipe. Thank you for sharing.

    · Reply
    • Thanks Luba for your feedback and for sharing your idea! When I made this cake for the first time I was so excited because I loved the flavor and moistness of this chocolate cake. I am glad you liked it too 🙂

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  • Pat a Cake

    Hi, I am so tempted to make this cake as it looks really scrumptious. Just a quick question that is there any other recipe for custard filling that will work as my husband can’t tolerate so many eggs and the recipe is asking for approx 20 eggs. Thanks a lot!

    · Reply
  • redheadedmess@yahoo.com

    My frosting is a bit thin and wont hold shape to do the top. How can I correct this?

    · Reply
    • Was the custard and the whip cream chilled before combining? Depending on how thin it is, you might want to add more whip cream until it holds shape.

      · Reply
      • Pat a Cake

        Hi Marina,
        I want to make this cake but just want to know is there any other recipe for custard filling that doesn’t call for this many eggs… I have all ingredients but I don’t want to use huge amount of eggs??? Thanks a million! 🙂

        · Reply
        • Hi!
          You could use this custard, but I can not guarantee that it will taste the same 🙂 although I am sure it won’t be bad 🙂

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  • alena

    thank you marina! you are such a doll (: thank you for your many wonderful recipes…your website is my #1 website when I need to make deserts! I also told my friends about you too and they are obsessed! lol

    · Reply
    • Oh wow Alena! Thanks for such wonderful comment! It is because of people like you that I still continue to post recipes! Thank you!

      · Reply
  • Alla

    When do we add espresso. ( I either missed it or it wasn’t in directions)

    · Reply
    • It’s right before the third set of pictures within the instructions. You add it to the 1 cup boiling water.

      · Reply
  • sara

    i made this cake for my mom for mother’s day and she said it was the best cake she has ever had! and even though it was a two-day process, i didn’t find it difficult or stressful to bake. thank you so much for this recipe! ♥♥

    · Reply
    • That’s so awesome! Happy Mothers day to your mom! Thanks for your feedback!

      · Reply
  • Oksana

    Hello dear! Can I replace the cake rings with a 9 inch springform? Or it’s not the same?

    · Reply
    • Somebody did this on Instagram and they said that there’s too much space left between the cake & the springform so the cream oozes out. But, if you want to, you can add 2 tablespoons flour to the milk when you make the custard and it will be thick enough that you will not need springform. It will be a little bit different texture (check out my last picture of this cake on Instagram) but nevertheless good.

      · Reply
  • Carol Poluan

    Wow! What a beautiful cake 🙂

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  • Lea @ Lea's Cooking

    Wow! Love it!!! Love the video and step by step pix. Definitely on my list to make 🙂

    · Reply
  • yy

    how much vanilla do i put in custard? please clarify

    · Reply
    • 1 Tablespoon of Vanilla.

      · Reply
  • Marina

    Great video! Beautiful cake! I can almost taste it. Thank you for continuing to share your amazing recipes!

    · Reply
    • You’re welcome, I truly enjoy doing this, so knowing that people appreciate my work makes it even more worth it 🙂 Thank you!

      · Reply
  • Nadia

    Wow Marina this cake is scrumptious! Beautiful pictures! Thank you so much for such a hard work for step by step pictures and video on how to decorate the cake! This will be my easter cake! Yum

    · Reply
    • That’s great! Thanks for your wonderful comment! Let me know how it all goes and how you enjoy the cake 🙂

      · Reply
  • Nataliya

    Thank you. Looks really good. I have Q. Can I do this cake white? I dont really like chocholate cakes

    · Reply
  • Robert Noeth

    OMG Marina you are completely off the hook! I think I love you! This is an amazing cake!! I was going to make your Napoleon Cake for Easter. NOW I’m confused and I can’t think any more.You bewitched me. Napoleon or Bird Milk? Um…BIRD MILK! ALL HAIL MARINA!!!
    Warmest regards,
    Bob

    · Reply
    • Bob lol))) I think you should make both! that way you don’t have to decide 🙂 You still have enough time to prep for both, if anything you can give half of each cake away, but I highly doubt you’ll want to 😉

      · Reply
  • Steph

    ABSOLUTELY STUNNING! Don’t even think I can find a cake as awesome as this in any bakery. Thanks for keeping such a beautiful blog!

    · Reply
    • Thanks Steph so much for your wonderful comment!

      · Reply

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