If slurping up the last of the cereal milk after enjoying a big bowl of your favorite apple-and-cinnamon-flavored orange and green Os was a highlight of your morning growing up, this recipe is for you. Incorporating Apple Jacks into every element, whether finely crushed or soaked to make cereal milk, this cake is bursting with nostalgic flavor in its moist, lightly spiced cake layer, three-milk soak, and Apple-Cinnamon Cereal Whipped Topping.
Apple-Cinnamon Cereal Poke Cake
Makes 1 (13x9-inch) cake
Ingredients
- 1¾ cups (420 grams) whole milk, plus more if necessary
- 1 cup (40 grams) crushed orange sweetened 3-grain O-shaped apple-and-cinnamon cereal* (see Notes)
- 1½ cups (300 grams) granulated sugar
- 5 large eggs (250 grams), room temperature
- 1 tablespoon (13 grams) vanilla extract
- 2 cups (250 grams) cake flour
- 1 tablespoon (15 grams) baking powder
- 1½ teaspoons (3 grams) apple pie spice
- ½ teaspoon (1.5 grams) kosher salt
- ½ cup (25 grams) finely crushed sweetened 3-grain O-shaped apple-and-cinnamon cereal
- 1 (14-ounce) can (397 grams) sweetened condensed milk
- 1 (12-ounce) can (354 grams) evaporated milk
- Apple-Cinnamon Cereal Whipped Topping (recipe follows)
- Garnish: sweetened 3-grain O-shaped apple-and-cinnamon cereal
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine milk and orange cereal. Refrigerate for 2 hours or up to overnight. Let come to room temperature before using.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray a 13x9-inch baking dish with baking spray with flour.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat sugar and eggs at medium-high speed until pale yellow and doubled in size. Beat in vanilla.
- Strain cereal milk through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding solids.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, pie spice, and salt. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with ¾ cup (180 grams) cereal milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating just until combined after each addition. Fold in finely crushed cereal. Pour batter into prepared pan.
- Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.
- In another medium bowl, combine condensed milk, evaporated milk, and remaining 1 cup (240 grams) cereal milk. (See Notes.)
- Using a fork, poke holes all over warm cake; slowly pour milk mixture over cake. Let cool completely. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Just before serving, spread Apple-Cinnamon Cereal Whipped Topping on top, swirling as desired, and garnish with cereal, if desired.
Notes
*We used Kellogg’s Apple Jacks Cereal.
Notes: You must use just the orange cereal rings to soak in the milk for the cake and the cream for the Apple-Cinnamon Cereal Whipped Topping; otherwise, the milk and cream turn an unappetizing color.
If you don’t have 1 cup (240 grams) cereal milk left to soak the cake, add whole milk until you have 1 cup.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Apple-Cinnamon Cereal Whipped Topping
Makes about 6 cups
Ingredients
- 2 cups (480 grams) heavy whipping cream, plus more if necessary
- 1 cup (40 grams) crushed orange sweetened 3-grain O-shaped apple-and-cinnamon cereal
- 6 tablespoons (72 grams) granulated sugar
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine cream and cereal. Refrigerate for 2 hours or up to overnight. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding solids; add cream to measure 2 cups (480 grams), if necessary.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat cereal cream at medium-high speed until frothy. With mixer on medium speed, add sugar, 1 tablespoon (12 grams) at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Use immediately.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
