Ptichye Moloko (Bird's Milk Cake)

Name: Ptichye Moloko (Bird's Milk Cake)
Cook time: 160 min
Total time: 160 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: Russian
Ingredients: 2 large Eggs; 60g Granulated Sugar; 60g All-purpose Flour; 30g Unsalted Butter, melted and cooled; 1 tsp Vanilla Extract; 6 large Egg Whites; 300g Granulated Sugar; 150ml Water; 10g Agar-Agar Powder; 200g Unsalted Butter, softened; 200g Sweetened Condensed Milk; 1 tsp Vanilla Extract; 1/4 tsp Citric Acid, or 1 tsp lemon juice; 150g Dark Chocolate, 50–60% cacao; 50g Unsalted Butter; 1 pinch of Salt; 1 pinch of Salt

Ptichye Moloko (Bird's Milk Cake) is a light, elegant dessert featuring a tender sponge base topped with a cloudlike, marshmallow-y agar soufflé and finished with a glossy chocolate glaze. The contrast of airy filling, soft cake, and rich chocolate makes each bite both delicate and indulgent—classic comfort with a refined touch.

Ptichye Moloko (Bird's Milk Cake) is a light, elegant dessert featuring a tender sponge base topped with a cloudlike, marshmallow-... Show more

Traditional Russian Recipe

Health Grade

E · Indulgent

Rating

4.2

Time

2 hrs30 min

Price

0,65 €

Calories

461 kcal

vegetarian

holiday/special occasion

eastern european

gourmet

Method

Prep the pan

Line the base of a 22 cm round springform pan with parchment. Set out Unsalted Butter: leave 200 g on the counter until very soft for the soufflé, and melt the remaining 30 g for the sponge, then let it cool until just lukewarm. Heat the oven to 350° F.

Make the sponge

In a bowl, beat eggs, Granulated Sugar, Vanilla Extract, and salt with a stand mixer or hand mixer until the mixture is pale, thick, and leaves a ribbon on the surface, 3 to 4 minutes. Sift in All-purpose Flour and fold gently just until no dry streaks remain. Stir a spoonful of the batter into the cooled melted butter, then fold that back into the bowl so the batter stays airy.

Bake the base

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth it into an even thin layer. Bake until the cake is lightly golden, springs back when touched, and a tester comes out clean, 12 to 15 minutes. Let the sponge cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then loosen the edge and let it cool completely.

Beat the cream

While the sponge cools, beat the softened butter until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add Sweetened Condensed Milk in 2 to 3 additions, beating well after each, then mix in the remaining vanilla until silky and fully combined. Set this butter cream nearby; it should stay soft and spreadable, not cold and firm.

Hydrate the agar

In a small saucepan, whisk water and agar-agar powder together until no lumps remain. Let the mixture stand for 10 minutes so the agar hydrates evenly before cooking.

Ready the pan

Leave the cooled sponge in the bottom of the springform pan, or return it there if you removed it to cool. Line the inside of the ring with a strip of parchment or acetate if you have it; that makes the tall soufflé sides much neater when you unmold the cake.

Cook the syrup

Set the agar mixture over medium heat and stir until it comes to a full boil and the agar is fully dissolved. Add the remaining sugar for the soufflé and cook, stirring often, until the syrup reaches 230° F on a kitchen thermometer and falls from the spoon in a thin steady thread, 4 to 6 minutes. Keep it hot, but do not let it darken or sit off the heat for long, because agar starts setting quickly.

Whip the whites

While the syrup is finishing, crack and separate 6 eggs for the soufflé, placing the whites in a large perfectly clean bowl and saving the yolks for another use. Add Citric Acid and the remaining pinch of salt, then whip to soft peaks, 3 to 4 minutes. The whites should look foamy and glossy and hold a peak that gently bends over.

Stream in syrup

With the mixer running on medium-low, pour the hot agar syrup into the whites in a thin steady stream, aiming between the beaters and the side of the bowl. Increase to high and beat until the meringue becomes very thick, glossy, and just warm instead of hot, 6 to 8 minutes. Work without delay here—the mixture begins setting as it cools.

Fold in cream

Add the butter-condensed milk cream in 2 additions and beat or fold just until smooth and uniform. Stop as soon as the soufflé mixture looks silky and thick; overmixing can knock out air and make it start setting in the bowl.

Fill and chill

Immediately pour the soufflé over the sponge base and smooth the top with the back of a spoon. Tap the pan lightly on the counter to level it and release any large air bubbles. Chill until fully set and springy to the touch, at least 1 hour.

Melt the glaze

Place Dark Chocolate and the remaining butter in a heatproof bowl over barely simmering water, or microwave in short bursts, stirring until smooth and shiny. Let the glaze cool for 2 to 3 minutes so it stays fluid but is not hot enough to melt the soufflé.

Glaze the cake

Pour the chocolate glaze over the chilled cake and tilt or spread it quickly into an even layer all the way to the edge. Return the cake to the refrigerator until the top is set but still slices cleanly, 15 minutes.

Unmold and serve

Warm the outside of the pan very briefly with your hands or a towel dipped in hot water, then release the ring and peel away the parchment or acetate. Slice with a thin knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry between cuts for the neatest layers, and serve chilled.

Ingredients

Method

For 12 servings

Adjust servings

Nutrition

Per Serving.

Calories

461 kcal

23% of Daily kcal

Protein

6.1 g

12% RDI

Fat

27 g

15g sat fat

Carbs

50 g

18% RDI

Sugar

42 g

85% RDI

Fiber

2.2 g

7% RDI

Salt

0.5 g

10% RDI

Quality Profile

Scored against dietary guidelines.
Tap rows for a deeper breakdown.

Composite score - weighted by current nutrition science

E · 2.6 / 10

Comments

Click to rate

Ingredients

For 12 servings

Adjust servings

For the sponge base (22 cm round)

2 large Eggs
60g Granulated Sugar
60g All-purpose Flour
30g Unsalted Butter, melted and cooled
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 pinch of Salt

For the soufflé (Bird’s Milk)

6 large Egg Whites
300g Granulated Sugar
150ml Water
10g Agar-Agar Powder
200g Unsalted Butter, softened
200g Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/4 tsp Citric Acid, or 1 tsp lemon juice
1 pinch of Salt

For the chocolate glaze

150g Dark Chocolate, 50–60% cacao
50g Unsalted Butter

Ptichye Moloko (Bird's Milk Cake)

Method

Prep the pan

Make the sponge

Bake the base

Beat the cream

Hydrate the agar

Ready the pan

Cook the syrup

Whip the whites

Stream in syrup

Fold in cream

Fill and chill

Melt the glaze

Glaze the cake

Unmold and serve

Ingredients

Method

For the sponge base (22 cm round)

For the soufflé (Bird’s Milk)

For the chocolate glaze

Nutrition

Calories

Protein

Fat

Carbs

Sugar

Fiber

Salt

Quality Profile

Comments

Ingredients

For the sponge base (22 cm round)

For the soufflé (Bird’s Milk)

For the chocolate glaze

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