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Ptichye moloko
Soufflé cake with chocolate glaze
Bird's milk cake: vanilla agar soufflé on a thin sponge under a dark chocolate glaze
Ptichye moloko, 'bird's milk', is named for the impossible treat in old fairy tales, and in 1978 Moscow's Praga restaurant turned it into a cake: a cloud of vanilla soufflé on a thin sponge, glazed with dark chocolate. Soviet shoppers queued for hours for the boxed version, and it is still the cake for birthdays and 8 March. The soufflé has always been set with agar, a seaweed jelly, which makes it naturally free of gelatine and gives a clean, springy bite. Chef's tip: boil the agar syrup to exactly 110°C (a thread forms between two fingers); undercooked syrup leaves the soufflé weepy and soft.
- Total time
- 80 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the sponge
- 2 eggs
- 2 ⅛ oz caster sugar
- 2 ⅛ oz plain flour
For the soufflé
- ¼ oz agar-agar powder
- ¾ cup water
- 13 ½ oz caster sugar
- 3 egg whitesabout 100 g, at room temperature
- 7 oz unsalted buttervery soft
- 5 ½ oz sweetened condensed milk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
For the glaze
- 3 ½ oz dark chocolatechopped
- 1 ⅜ oz butter
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Sponge: heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan) and line the base of a 22 cm springform tin. Whisk 2 eggs and 2 ⅛ oz caster sugar for 6 minutes until thick and pale, fold in 2 ⅛ oz plain flour, spread in the tin and bake 12–15 minutes until springy and golden. Cool, then put the sponge back in the cleaned, lined tin and line the sides with acetate or baking paper.
20 minStep 2: Soak ¼ oz agar-agar powder in ¾ cup water for 15 minutes.
15 minStep 3: Beat 7 oz unsalted butter with 5 ½ oz sweetened condensed milk and 2 tsp vanilla extract for 5 minutes until fluffy and pale. Leave at room temperature.
5 minStep 4: Bring the agar to the boil over a medium heat, stirring, add 13 ½ oz caster sugar and boil without stirring until the syrup reaches 225°F, about 5–7 minutes; it will be thick and bubbling with large, slow bubbles.
7 minStep 5: Meanwhile whisk 3 egg whites with ½ tsp citric acid or lemon juice to stiff peaks. With the mixer running, pour in the hot syrup in a thin stream down the side of the bowl, and whisk 2–3 minutes more until glossy, thick and lukewarm.
3 minStep 6: Quickly whisk in the butter cream a spoonful at a time on low speed until smooth. Work fast: agar starts to set at about 104°F. A common mistake is letting the meringue cool too long, which leaves lumps of set jelly.
Step 7: Pour onto the sponge, level and chill for 2 hours until firm.
120 minStep 8: Melt 3 ½ oz dark chocolate with 1 ⅜ oz butter over a pan of barely simmering water, cool for 5 minutes, then pour over the soufflé and tilt to cover. Chill 30 minutes more and slice with a hot, dry knife.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 400 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 50 g
- Fat
- 21 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ptichye moloko take?
- About 80 minutes in total: 50 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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