We could all use a little more naked baking in our lives. No, not THAT kind of naked baking. That’s… um… potentially hazardous. I’m referring to the naked cake trend, where the outside of the cake is left unfrosted and the layers underneath are the real stars of the show. Christina Tosi of the Milk Bar in New York City is credited with starting this minimalist trend, although her creations are anything but boring. This is one of her recipes, one I’ve been meaning to try for quite some time now (because, hello, passion fruit!) Taylor’s birthday this past week turned out to be the perfect opportunity.
I thought a naked cake would be perfect for frosting-averse Taylor, although upon eating this he claimed that it’s really a trick because I stuck all the frosting inside instead. And while it might appear that way, in reality the fillings are more varied than just a thick swath of buttercream between each tender layer. Passionfruit curd, for one, an ultra bright and tart flavor that breaks up the sweetness and butter, not to mention the delightful chocolate crumbles, which were maybe my favorite part of the whole thing. In reality, the proportional makeup of this cake is more something like: Cake: 60% Passionfruit Curd: 15% Chocolate Crumb: 15% Frosting: 10% Whereas a typical cake might be 70% cake and 30% frosting. So really, it’s much less frosting than a typical cake.
The method of assembling the cake is easier than it looks, so long as you have the right equipment, namely acetate strips and a 6″ cake ring (though you can also use a removable bottom cheesecake pan like this one). There really is no substitute for the acetate (parchment/foil/waxed paper simply won’t produce the same results). Trust me on this one. Get the right supplies beforehand and your cake will be perfect. The final cake comes out of its acetate wrapper looking like a geologic core sample of sugar, each layer a perfectly preserved band of texture and flavor.
I did have two small issues with this recipe, with the passion fruit curd and the coffee buttercream. First, I found the passion fruit flavor overpowering. And this is from someone who adores passion fruit. Now, it may be due to the passion fruit puree that I used, which was more of a concentrate than a fresh puree. So maybe my curd came out stronger than it should have. Still, if I made this cake again I’d reduce the passion fruit layer by about a third, either less curd overall or less passion fruit in the curd. I’d also reduce the gelatin a smidgen (I used powdered gelatin as I had no gelatin sheets), as I found the curd a bit thick and hard to spread after a night in the fridge. Although, I’ll admit that’s better than the alternative.
My other issue was with the coffee buttercream. The recipe does say to have patience, but this really took that request to an extreme. My mother-in-law and I sat there watching the mixer turn the butter/coffee-milk mixture into something that looked like chopped liver (seriously). The coffee milk simply refused to incorporate into the butter until it had been beaten for, oh, a good 30 minutes or more with some extra sugar for good measure. It eventually turned fluffy like I expected it to 20 minutes ago, although I wouldn’t go so far as to describe it as “wildly fluffy” like Ms. Tosi does. I think a higher proportion of sugar might be a bit more practical, and would give the buttercream a bit more friction to come together. I mean, I add milk and cream to my buttercreams all the time, sometimes well in excess of the 1/4 cup used here, and I have never experienced this chop-liver effect before. Which is why I’m thinking maybe it’s the lack of sugar that makes it so difficult. I’d also make more of it, as there wasn’t nearly enough for the 3 layers as called for in the recipe (especially when trying to spread it on top of the loose crumbs). Any coffee flavor was overpowered by the passionfruit, which was a shame.
Now, don’t let the sprawling, multi-part recipe scare you. In reality, this was one of the easier cakes I’ve put together, especially because everything except the buttercream can be made ahead of time. If you did it all in one day then sure, it’d be exhausting, but put in 30-60 minutes a day and in 4 days you’ll have yourself one stunning, stark naked cake. Here’s what I did (and these pieces can be mixed and made in just about any order, this is just how I happened to do it). Day 1: Make the chocolate crumbles. These will keep in an airtight container for up to a week (though put them out of reach otherwise you might be tempted to snack on them because they’re so good). Day 2: Make the passionfruit curd. It needs to chill for a bit anyway to properly set, so really, you have no choice but to make it ahead of time. Day 3 AM: Make the cake. It’s a one-bowl cake recipe, poured into a single quarter sheet pan, so vastly easier than the majority of layer cakes out there. You’ll be cutting out your layers from this single sheet cake. It’ll keep covered in the refrigerator or even in the freezer for longer if necessary. Day 3 PM: Make the buttercream & assemble. If you use the recipe as written, give yourself a bit more time than you think you’ll need. It doesn’t come together quite as quickly as a typical buttercream. The assembled cake then gets frozen overnight. Day 4: Unmold and thaw. The frozen cake needs at least 3 hours in the fridge before serving. After that, however, you are free to devour at will. Total Time: 18 hours
