This cake is somewhat my revisitation of the classic Milkbar Birthday Cake, but making it as light as a cloud. I still look back at my time at Milkbar fondly, just because it was a great vibe. Everyone was outgoing, friendly, and quirky, it always felt like we were a bunch of misfits and goofballs, and I loved every second of it(darn pandemic, cutting things short). That being said, I do prefer making my cakes with chiffon as my sponge of choice, just because they are light, airy, and more reminiscent of the cakes I grew up eating from my local Asian bakeries. So I figured, why not make the entire cake as light as possible? Vanilla chiffon cake with tons of whipped egg whites, a vanilla funfetti mousse, like eating a sweetened cloud due to being 90% whipped cream, it would just be a fun time. While the cake is essentially three components, being cake, soak, and mousse, it comes together as a nod to Milkbar, but a very different eating experience(texturally, my cake basically should be like inhaling sweet vanilla clouds), so if you love funfetti cake, this is a fun take on it, even if it is somewhat different than what my dessert queen, Christina Tosi has perfected in her birthday cake.

Makes a 6-inch cake, or 8 servings:
For the vanilla chiffon cake:
4 eggs, separated
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
a pinch of salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup whole milk

In a bowl, whisk the egg white with sugar and vanilla to stiff peaks. In another bowl, sift in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Pour into that the oil and whole milk first, then fold into that the stiff whipped egg whites to form your batter. Pour the batter into a lined quarter sheet tray and bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes. Allow the cake to cool before unmolding.

For the vanilla soak:
1 cup whole milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
a pinch of salt

In a bowl, mix together. Keep refrigerated.

For the funfetti mousse:
1/4 cup whole milk
1 tsp gelatin powder + 1 tbsp cold water
a pinch of salt
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp custard powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup rainbow sprinkles
1 cup heavy cream, whipped stiff

In a bowl, whisk the egg yolk, sugar, custard powder, and salt. In a pot, heat up the milk and gelatin, and once the gelatin is fully dissolved, and pour half over the egg yolk while whisking. Then add the egg yolk-milk mixture back into the pot with the rest of the milk, and whisk on medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Pass the custard through a sieve to remove lumps and mix in the vanilla. Allow it to cool before folding in the sprinkles, then the heavy cream to finish.

For assembly:
Start by lining a 6-inch ring mold with acetate and placing onto a sheet tray. Place down your scrap layer of cake and add on 1/3 of the soak. Spread on 1/3 of the mousse. Repeat for the next two layers. Freeze the cake solid, 2-3 hours, before attempting to unmold to finish.