Boba, but make it cake

Sept. 3, 2019 5 AM PT

This may look like a cup of boba, but it’s actually a deconstructed birthday cake. (Read about how it came to be here.) A cross between a parfait and a layer cake, it combines balls of dark chocolate cake “boba” with piloncillo pudding “milk tea” and pound cake “ice cubes.” You can prepare all three components ahead of time and assemble them just before serving. I used boba cups that I saved and washed; you can do the same. Cups with boba shop logos and labels heighten the visual deception.

All together, this dessert is decadent, so each cup is meant for friends to share. You’ll end up with cake scraps in the process, which you can snack on as you put together this fun dessert.

Boba Birthday Cake

30 minutes. Makes 4 cups; serves 8 to 12.

Ingredients

Flourless Dark Chocolate Cake
Salted Butter and Condensed Milk Pound Cake
Piloncillo Pudding
Heavy cream, if needed
4 empty clear boba cups (16 ounces each) with lids and straws

Instructions

1. Trim the crusty edges of the chocolate cake and reserve for another use. Cut the cake into 3/4-inch-wide slices, then turn each slice on its side and cut each slice in half lengthwise.

2. Cut each strip into 3/4-inch cubes. Put them on a parchment or wax paper-lined baking sheet and freeze until firm, about 10 minutes.

Dampen your hands while rolling to prevent the cake from sticking to your fingers.

3. Roll each chilled cube into a ball. Return to the lined sheet and freeze again.

A sharp chef's knife will give you clean cuts.

4. Meanwhile, cut the pound cake into 1-inch-thick slices. Trim the edges off each slice to form rectangular slabs of cake, then cut each slice into 1-inch cubes. Freeze on the same lined sheet pan until firm, about 10 minutes.

5. If the pudding is stiff, whisk until smooth and creamy. It should be the consistency of pudding. If it’s too stiff, whisk in a spoonful of cream. Scrape the pudding into a piping bag or large resealable plastic zip-top bag and seal.

You can use a glass cup too if you prefer.

6. Press the chocolate cake balls against the bottom and sides of one cup, coming one-third of the way up the sides. Fill in the center with more cake balls. Repeat with the other cups.

Piping pudding is faster and neater than spooning it into the cup.

7. Snip a large hole in one corner of the bag with the pudding. Pipe into the cups, dividing evenly. Gently tap and shake the cups to help the pudding run down to the bottom. (Don’t worry if it doesn’t fill in all the gaps now; it will with gravity and a little time.)

Save your prettiest cake cubes for the top.

8. Press enough pound cake cubes into the pudding so that the pudding level rises almost to the rims of the cups. Press in the remaining cake cubes to resemble ice cubes floating on top.