birthday cake batter latte
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY FAVORITE MAN!
Today is J’s birthday, so I had to put something sprinkly, funfetti-y, and festive on the site in honor of his Big Day. J isn’t hyper about his birthday, so that’s where I come in: the hype man, the one who blows it out of proportion in a hopefully positive way, because I want to make him feel as special as he is to me as a whole.
If there’s a birthday in your life – yours or otherwise! – or if you just feel like celebrating another Friday that hath cometh, this lovely Birthday Cake Batter Latte is your ticket to multihued joy. The cake batter syrup is seriously the shit: it tastes just like a bite of sweet vanilla cake. And, would go quite well with one, too.
Hey, why not go a little over the top? It’s the weekend, after all!
For Cake’s Sake
Like I said, this cake batter syrup? Otherworldly. The keys to creating an authentic cake flavor are lots of vanilla extract and actual cake batter extract. The latter is reminiscent of a sugar cookie essence, but the former balances it out tremendously well to remove the sharpness of its saccharine nature.
To make the syrup, combine sugar and water in a saucepan, stirring over medium heat until the granules dissolve. Drop in a couple tablespoons of butter and swirl until the butter melts completely. Move the pan off the heat and finish with the two extracts and a touch of salt.
Two notes: One, the syrup will separate as it sits due to the butter, so this is normal. Simply whisk the syrup back to its normal constitution and you’re good to go. Two, leftover syrup keeps well in the fridge, sealed up, for around two weeks.
Now, to the latte. If you have a means of making espresso, you’ve got yourself a proper latte. If you don’t have an espresso machine, brew up about 1/2 cup of strong coffee. The result is more like a cafe au lait, and still tasty, but not quite the same.
Heat your choice milk however you prefer. I typically use the steam wand on my Breville, but a stovetop method or a portable milk frother are great, too. If using the stovetop, be sure to heat it to steaming and no longer.
Once you’ve got all your components squared away, put your fun little mug together!
Spoon in the syrup – 2-3 tablespoons should be good, more or less depending on your preferred sweetness level – then pour in your shots or brewed coffee and stir to combine. Add the milk, and finish with a metric buttload of whipped cream and LOTS of funfetti sprinkles.
Seriously, go cray cray, the sprinkles are the funnest part!
I’m off to do a little birthdaying the rest of the day. Hope you have a fabulous weekend, kids!
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Fun with funfetti:
Baked Birthday Funfetti Doughnuts
birthday cake batter latte
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cake batter extract
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup milk of choice
- 2 shots espresso
- whipped cream and confetti sprinkles, to top
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, dissolve the sugar in 1/2 cup of water, about 4-5 minutes. Toss in the butter and stir until melted, about another minute. Move the pan off the heat and stir in the vanilla and cake batter extracts and the salt. Leftover syrup will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
- In another saucepan, warm the milk on the stovetop until steaming. You can also froth it with your espresso machine or portable milk steamer.
- Add 2-3 tablespoons of the cake batter syrup to the bottom of your favorite mug. Stir to combine, then top with milk. Garnish with lots of whipped cream and sprinkles, as desired.
Leave a Reply