60-Minute Birthday Cake
By Tim ChinPublished on November 16, 2021
Yield
Serves 8 to 10
Ingredients
Cake
1¼ cups (6¼ ounces/177 grams) all-purpose flour ¾ cup (5¼ ounces/149 grams) granulated sugar ½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt ¾ cup whole milk 4 ounces (113 grams) bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine⅓ cup (1 ounces/28 grams) Dutch-processed cocoa powder, plus extra for dusting1 tablespoon instant espresso powder 6 tablespoons vegetable oil 3 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extractFrosting
4 ounces (113 grams) cream cheese ½ cup (2 ounces/57 grams) plus 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar 1½ cups heavy cream 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ⅛ teaspoon salt ⅓ cup seedless raspberry jam Dutch-processed cocoa powder, for dusting½ cup plus ⅓ cup fresh raspberriesBefore You Begin
If you do not have a soufflé dish, you can substitute any other circular, microwave-safe, straight-sided dish that is roughly 7 inches in diameter and 3 inches tall with a volume of at least 7 cups. Be sure to microwave your cake at 50 percent power to ensure even cooking. Microwave ovens vary widely in power so we give a large cooking time range for this cake. We developed and tested this recipe with both 1200-watt and 1000-watt microwaves. If your microwave is lower wattage, you may need to extend the cooking time.
Instructions
- Lightly grease 7-inch soufflé dish. Cut 6½-inch round of parchment paper and place on bottom of dish. Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt together in bowl.
- Combine milk, chocolate, cocoa, and espresso powder in large saucepan. Place saucepan over low heat and cook, whisking frequently, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in oil until combined. Whisk in eggs and vanilla until combined (mixture may look curdled). Whisk in flour mixture until combined, making sure to scrape corners of saucepan.
- Transfer batter to prepared dish. Microwave at 50 percent power until toothpick inserted in center comes out with few crumbs attached, 10 to 18 minutes. Let cake cool in dish for 15 minutes. Run thin knife or small offset spatula between cake and dish to separate. Place cake round or second parchment round on top of cake. Place inverted 12-inch plate on top of soufflé dish and then invert cake and plate together so soufflé dish is now on top and cake rests on plate. Carefully remove soufflé dish by lifting straight up. Remove parchment from top and let cool for 5 minutes. Using long serrated knife, cut 1 horizontal line around sides of cake; then, following scored lines, cut cake into 2 even layers and transfer to wire rack and let rounds cool for at least 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, place cream cheese in large bowl and microwave on high power until softened, about 15 seconds. Whisk 2 tablespoons sugar into cream cheese until smooth. In bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip cream, remaining ½ cup sugar, vanilla, and salt on high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold 1½ cups of whipped cream into cream cheese mixture until smooth and combined. Fold in remaining whipped cream until combined. If mixture is looser than traditional frosting, whisk by hand until stiff, up to 30 seconds.
- Line edges of cake platter with 4 strips of parchment to keep platter clean. Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread jam evenly over top, leaving ½-inch border around edge of cake. Top with remaining cake layer, press lightly to adhere, then spread remaining frosting evenly over top and sides of cake. Dust with cocoa and garnish with raspberries. Serve.
for the cake
for the frosting
Yield
Serves 8 to 10Ingredients
Cake
Frosting
Ingredients
Cake
Frosting
Ingredients
Cake
Frosting
Why This Recipe Works
We wanted a birthday cake recipe built for speed, so we turned to the microwave. Yes, the microwave. In an oven, heat transfers slowly to the cake pan and to the top of the cake, gradually moving inward. But the heat of a microwave penetrates an inch into the cake, cooking it directly in a fast, efficient process. For a cake baked in record time, we simply poured our chocolate batter into a soufflé dish and microwaved it at 50 percent power; depending on the microwave, we discovered our cake was done in as little as 10 minutes. We then simply sliced it in half before filling it with a layer of raspberry preserves and topping it with a rich whipped cream cheese frosting.
Before You Begin
If you do not have a soufflé dish, you can substitute any other circular, microwave-safe, straight-sided dish that is roughly 7 inches in diameter and 3 inches tall with a volume of at least 7 cups. Be sure to microwave your cake at 50 percent power to ensure even cooking. Microwave ovens vary widely in power so we give a large cooking time range for this cake. We developed and tested this recipe with both 1200-watt and 1000-watt microwaves. If your microwave is lower wattage, you may need to extend the cooking time.
Instructions
- Lightly grease 7-inch soufflé dish. Cut 6½-inch round of parchment paper and place on bottom of dish. Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt together in bowl.
- Combine milk, chocolate, cocoa, and espresso powder in large saucepan. Place saucepan over low heat and cook, whisking frequently, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in oil until combined. Whisk in eggs and vanilla until combined (mixture may look curdled). Whisk in flour mixture until combined, making sure to scrape corners of saucepan.
- Transfer batter to prepared dish. Microwave at 50 percent power until toothpick inserted in center comes out with few crumbs attached, 10 to 18 minutes. Let cake cool in dish for 15 minutes. Run thin knife or small offset spatula between cake and dish to separate. Place cake round or second parchment round on top of cake. Place inverted 12-inch plate on top of soufflé dish and then invert cake and plate together so soufflé dish is now on top and cake rests on plate. Carefully remove soufflé dish by lifting straight up. Remove parchment from top and let cool for 5 minutes. Using long serrated knife, cut 1 horizontal line around sides of cake; then, following scored lines, cut cake into 2 even layers and transfer to wire rack and let rounds cool for at least 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, place cream cheese in large bowl and microwave on high power until softened, about 15 seconds. Whisk 2 tablespoons sugar into cream cheese until smooth. In bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip cream, remaining ½ cup sugar, vanilla, and salt on high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold 1½ cups of whipped cream into cream cheese mixture until smooth and combined. Fold in remaining whipped cream until combined. If mixture is looser than traditional frosting, whisk by hand until stiff, up to 30 seconds.
- Line edges of cake platter with 4 strips of parchment to keep platter clean. Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread jam evenly over top, leaving ½-inch border around edge of cake. Top with remaining cake layer, press lightly to adhere, then spread remaining frosting evenly over top and sides of cake. Dust with cocoa and garnish with raspberries. Serve.
for the cake
for the frosting
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