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Prep Time: 0 Minutes Cook Time: 30 Minutes |
Ready In: 30 Minutes Servings: 10 |
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Bird's milk is a type of custard/cream. This Russian recipe uses a lemon flavoured Bird's milk custard, made with Farina hot cereal (or cream of wheat). One of my favourite cakes. This one is tried and true. Ingredients:
for the dough |
2 sticks + 3 tbsp. margarine or butter, melted |
2 cups sugar |
6 eggs |
1 tsp. baking soda |
1/2 tsp. white vinegar |
2 cups all-purpose flour |
3 tsp. cocoa powder |
for the bird's milk custard cream |
2 sticks + 5 tbsp. butter, softened |
1 1/2 cups sugar |
2 cups milk |
4 heaping tbsp. farina hot cereal, or cream of wheat (sold next to oatmeal) |
juice and zest of 2 lemons |
for the chocolate glaze |
2 tbsp. sour cream |
2 tsp. cocoa powder |
3 tbsp. sugar |
1 tbsp. butter |
shredded coconut for decorating |
Directions:
1. For The Cake:
2. Melt margarine or butter. Transfer melted butter to a large bowl. Stir in sugar. Combine well.
3. With a hand-held mixer, beat the eggs into the butter mixture one at a time. Do not overbeat.
4. Add 1/2 tsp. vinegar to 1 tsp. baking soda. Let it fizz for a second. Add the baking soda to the egg mixture. Stir in flour gradually. Mix until smooth.
5. Divide the dough into 2 equal parts. Stir in 3 tsp. cocoa powder into 1 part of the dough. Transfer dough to 2 greased round baking pans (pie pans).
6. Bake in preheated 325F oven for about 30 minutes, or until the wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove pans to a rack and let cool for about 10 minutes. Run a knife around the cakes and invert onto a cutting board. Let the cakes cool completely. When cooled, cut each cake in half lengthwise down the middle (refer to pictures). You will have 4 layers of cake now, 2 white and 2 chocolate. Meanwhile, make the custard.
7. For The Bird's Milk Custard Cream:
8. Heat up 2 cups of milk in a medium saucepan until almost boiling. Reduce the heat a little and whisk in gradually 4 heaping tbsp. of Farina. Keep whisking and stirring until smooth, bring to a light boil. Cook and stir fo a bout 1 minute. Stir in the sugar. Cook for another minute, or until sugar is melted. Remove from heat, cover with a lid and let sit until thickened and completely cooled off.
9. Add the zest and juice of 2 lemons to the cooled Farina. Beat the butter in a large bowl until creamed. Stir in the lemon-farina mixture. Beat until smooth. Place the Bird's Milk Cream in the fridge for about 20 minutes.
10. To assemble the cake, place a white layer on a large plate or cake holder cut side up. Spread with Bird's Milk Cream. Top with a chocolate layer, spread with cream again. Finish layering the rest of the cake and cream this way, finishing with the cream on top.
11. For The Chocolate Glaze:
12. Whisk together 2 tbsp. sour cream, cocoa powder and sugar. Heat this mixture in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir for a few minutes until sugar is melted and the mixture is lightly thickened. Stir in 1 tbsp. butter and cook another minute. Cool the glaze slightly. Spread chocolate glaze on top of cake. Reserve a little for the sides. Spread the sides with a little glaze. Pat some shredded coconut on the sides of the cake, and sprinkle some on top.
13. Let the cake sit in a fridge for about 1 hour before serving.
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