Milk Bar's New Pancake Cake Boasts a Frosting ‘Butter Pat'

The fact that the word "cake" appears in the name of one of our most beloved breakfast foods hasn't escaped the notice of any child, ever, nor, let's be honest, any adult, either.

But while a pancake can certainly be sweet, and is frequently topped with several of the add-ons you'd find in a traditional dessert cake, from fruit to chocolate to whipped cream, it is still quite different, in character, texture, and consistency, from its bakery case counterpart.

What if the two could meet somewhere in the middle, though, with a slice-it-up party cake possessing some of the celebratory syrupy flair of its flatter cousin, while keeping the crumb-fun texture of something that's made in an oven and not atop a griddle or stove?

That can happen, and, moreover, is happening, at Milk Bar in the earliest days of 2022, just when we're all craving a little something special to help us ease into the new year.

For the bespoke-minded bakery, which got its start in West Hollywood but now has gone nationwide, has created the Pancake Cake, part of its diner-inspired sweet series.

The 6-inch cake, which is priced at $59, boasts the all-important pancake layers "stacked between brown sugar cookie butter, maple frosting, and brown butter crumb."

On top? That looks like a cute butter pat, but it is actually frosting. A maple syrup glaze is the finishing touch.

But wait: There are other finishing touches, if you buy yours in the store (rather than going the delivery route): Milk Bar will have French Toast Soft Serve at its Melrose shop, if you want another breakfast-perfect addition to enjoy alongside your Pancake Cake.

Breakfast + dessert? Sometimes we eat cereal when we want a sweet, and sometimes we nosh on ice cream first thing in the morning.

Now there's a temptation that possesses the panache of both pancakes and traditional cake, with maple richness and buttery depth to spare.

Let's call it the first 2022 mash-up we can all get behind, with our forks raised high and breakfast-meets-dessert cravings at the ready.