Momofuku Apple Cider Cake
I believe Momofuku Milk Bar needs no introduction! Supported and run by Christina Tosi, the new Masterchef judge, the Milk Bar has known a burst of success over the last couple of years and its recipes have been labeled as complex and difficult to master. But I took this as a challenge and commited myself to making various Momofuku recipes, starting with this Raspberry Lemonade Cake and these Cornflake Cookies. There’s more coming for sure!
I’ve always wanted to make an apple cake that would strike me with its spiced, apple flavor and I finally did it. This Momofuku Apple Pie Cake does taste like an upgraded apple pie – the layers of brown butter sponge cake, liquid cheesecake, apple pie filling and pie crust frosting come together into a moist, rich, fragrant, buttery, delicious cake that we simply devoured!
This cake was so much fun to make, even though I was nervous about the sponge cake. Having some experience with Momofuku sponge cakes before, I knew what to expect, but this particular batter was no where near the fluffy, airy texture I was expecting. For a second I thought I should throw away the batch and try again, but then I just decided to bake it and see what happens. And it turned out great, just as moist, fluffy and soft as I knew Momofuku cakes were. Plus, the taste was amazing – brown butter aka beurre noisette is a great touch and it adds a lovely, delicate flavor to it. Beside the use of apples, brown butter was the second main reason I chose to make this cake. I’m a butter person so to speak, but beurre noisette is my weakness, that stuff is delicious!
According to Momofuku Milk Bar official page, this cake takes inspiration from a deep fried apple pie which proved to be a huge success after the bar’s opening. So they took its taste and combined it with the idea of a cake and voila – Momofuku Apple Pie Cake. There’s no need to travel to New York to eat Tosi’s signature cakes, you can make your own versions at home.
The layers of the cake are:
- Brown butter sponge cake
- Apple cider syrup
- Liquid cheesecake
- Apple pie filling
- Pie crust crumbs
- Pie crust frosting
I recommend making the elements before hand and then just layer them together. Time management is easy in this case as the layers last well in the fridge even separated.
Momofuku Apple Cider Cake
Ingredients
Brown butter sponge cake:
- 55 g butter
- 40 g brown butter
- 200 g white sugar
- 60 g light brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- 110 ml buttermilk
- 65 ml vegetable oil (grapeseed or canola)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 185 g all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Apple cider syrup:
- 60 ml apple cider
- 1 teaspoon light brown sugar
- 1 pinch cinnamon powder
Liquid cheesecake:
- 225 g cream cheese
- 150 g white sugar
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Pie crust crumbs:
- 240 g all-purpose flour
- 20 g white sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 115 g butter (melted)
- 20 ml water
Apple pie filling:
- 1 lemon (juiced)
- 2 Granny Smith apples (peeled, cored and diced)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 150 g light brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon powder
- 1 pinch salt
Pie crumb frosting:
- ½ recipe pie crumb (see above)
- 110 ml milk
- 1 pinch salt
- 40 g butter (softened)
- 40 g powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Brown butter sponge cake:
- Preheat your oven to 350F and line a 35x25cm pan with baking paper.
- Combine the two types of butter and sugars in a bowl and mix on high speed for 2 minutes.
- Add the eggs and continue mixing for another 2 minutes until creamy and pale.
- Gradually stir in the buttermilk, oil and vanilla and mix on high speed for 5-6 minutes until the mixture is white, double in volume. If it doesn’t look double in volume after 5-6 minutes, continue mixing a few more minutes until it’s ready.
- Fold in the flour, baking powder and salt and mix on low speed for a few seconds.
- Spoon the batter in the prepared pan and bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until the top of the cake looks set and it springs back when lightly touched.
- Allow the cake to cool down then cut 2 16-cm discs of sponge cake.
- Line a 16cm cake ring with acetate sheets. Take the sponge cake leftovers and place them at the bottom of the cake ring to forma third layer of sponge cake. Place aside both the cake ring and the 2 discs of sponge.
Apple cider syrup:
- Combine the ingredients in a bowl and mix well until the sugar is dissolved.
Liquid cheesecake:
- Mix the cream cheese in a bowl for 2 minutes until fluffy. Add the sugar and mix well for another 2 minutes.
- In a small bowl, mix the egg, milk, vanilla, salt and cornstarch. Gradually pour this mixture over the cream cheese and mix well.
- Spoon the mixture in a deep dish baking pan lined with baking paper.
- Bake in the preheated oven at 350F for 15 minutes or until the cheesecake looks set, but not golden brown on the edges.
- Allow to cool down in the fridge before using. Mix with a whisk when ready to use.
Pie crust crumbs:
- Mix the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl.
- Add the butter and water and mix well until the mixture form small clusters.
- Spread the pie crumbs in a baking tray lined with baking paper and bake in the oven at 350F for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
- Allow to cool in the pan then split the crumbs in half. Reserve one half for layering the cake and the other to use in the frosting.
Apple pie filling:
- Pour 1-2 cups of water in a bowl. Add the lemon juice.
- Cut the apples in small cubes and place them in the lemon juice water to prevent them from browning.
- Drain the apples and combine them in a saucepan with the butter, sugar, cinnamon and salt.
- Place over low to medium heat and cook for 10-12 minutes until thickened and soft. Don’t cook too much as the apples tend to turn too soft as they cook longer. They need to be cooked, but still slightly firm.
- Allow to cool down completely.
Pie crumb frosting:
- Mix the pie crumbs, milk, salt and vanilla in a bowl. Allow to soak up then mix with a spatula to form a paste.
- In a bowl, mix the butter and sugar for 3-4 minutes until fluffy and light. Add the pie crumb paste and mix just until combined.
- Place aside until needed.
To assemble the cake:
- Cut two 16-cm discs of brown butter sponge cake.
- Line a 16cm cake ring with acetate sheets. Take the sponge cake leftovers and place them at the bottom of the cake ring to form a third layer of sponge cake.
- Brush the first layer of sponge cake with apple cider syrup. Top with ½ of the liquid cheesecake, followed by half of the pie crust crumbs and half of the apple pie filling.
- Arrange another disc of sponge cake on top then repeat the same steps: apple cider syrup, liquid cheesecake, pie crust crumbs, apple pie filling.
- Cover with the remaining disc of brown butter sponge and brush it with apple cider syrup.
- Top the cake with the pie crust frosting and refrigerate for a few hours until set.
- Decorate the cake with a few pie crust clusters and walnuts.
Want to bake like a pro? Learn professional layered cakes step by step with our online courses and ebooks – from Red Velvet to Caramel Carrot Cake. Browse the courses →
