I have already made a funfetti cake or two before, but I wanted to do an entirely different take on them with a more subtle and minimalistic approach. I wanted this almost completely buttercream-covered cake with just a slight sprinkle(all puns intended) of color on top, and then when you cut into it, there are just layers of rainbow sprinkle-studded cake. I also made sure to give the cake a vanilla soak, since if Milkbar taught me anything, it’s that soaking your cake should be a standard, as soaked cake will NEVER dry out. However, there are two major differences between this cake, and the basic betch cake I made back in November of last year. The first is the sponge – instead of just an American-style batter, I went with an ultra fluffy chiffon cake. I wanted a crumb that is super soft and tender, almost to the point of melting in the mouth. And the other difference, and this is the real innovation in the recipe, is the buttercream. I took soft milk candies(which are a delightful Asian candy that I grew up on), and subbed out the sugar in my French buttercream recipe with those. The end result is a velvety, silky buttercream that is not too sweet, but has a pleasant, almost dulce de leche-like aroma to it. That milk candy French buttercream is definitely one of my favorite parts of the cake, just because it is the perfect accompaniment to a fluffy, soft cake. Of my three renditions on Milkbar’s birthday cake, I would say this is my favorite, just because it is the closest to my own style and take on it!

For the chiffon cake:
6 egg whites
3/4 cups granulated sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
a pinch of salt
3 egg yolks
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup rainbow sprinkles in two parts

In a bowl, whip the egg whites with granulated sugar, baking powder, vanilla extract, and salt until they form stiff peaks. In another bowl, whisk together the egg yolks with canola oil and milk. Sift your flour into the bowl containing the egg yolks and add in one part of the rainbow sprinkles. Fold the egg whites through the egg yolk-flour mixture to form your batter. Pour the batter into a parchment-lined quarter sheet tray and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle the second part of the rainbow sprinkles on top of the batter. Bake at 350 degrees F for 22 minutes. Allow the cake to cool down before cutting out 2 6-inch rounds and forming a third round with the scraps.

For the soak:
3/4 cups milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
a pinch of salt

Mix together everything to form your soak. Keep refrigerated until time to assemble.

For the milk candy French Buttercream:
6oz milk candies
1/4 cup water
3 egg yolks
3 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
a pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract

In a pot, melt down the milk candies with water. Once the candies are fully melted into the water, pour the liquid into the egg yolks and whip until combined. Whisk in the other ingredients until combined again to form your buttercream.

To assemble:
Rainbow sprinkles
Edible glitter

Start with the scrap layer round first. Add in 1/3 of the soak onto the scrap layer, then spread on 1/4 of the buttercream. Then repeat with another round of cake, soak, and buttercream, then again. Spread the buttercream that is already on the cake so that it will be flat. Freeze the cake for 1 hour. Then cover the cake in 3/4 of the remaining buttercream and spread again until completely even – I used a cake scraper to do so. Transfer the last of the buttercream into a piping bag with a round tip and pipe droplets of the buttercream as a border on top of the cake. Finish the top of the cake with sprinkles and glitter. Freeze for another hour before transferring to a serving surface.