How bird's milk cake appeared at Muffin Taffin

In Moscow in 1978, confectioner Vladimir Guralnik built a cake whose name had lived in folklore: bird's milk, a rarity like milk from a bird. At the Praga restaurant he set a light soufflé between thin sponge layers and sealed it with chocolate glaze. Muffin Taffin now keeps that bird's milk cake among its cakes in Budva, Montenegro.

How the soufflé set

The method uses agar, not a loose cream. Agar syrup is whipped until it holds air, spread over a thin sponge sheet, and left to set. A second sheet and a dark chocolate glaze close the cake, so the cut shows a pale, even soufflé.

The same name was already on Polish candies from the 1930s. The Moscow cake was a separate appearance: sponge, agar soufflé, and glaze. Only later did factory kitchens copy it; the first queues were at Praga.

In November, Muffin Taffin cuts the cake for orders. Cooler air helps the glaze keep a clean edge, so sales move in slices as well as whole cakes. Budva in this season wants a denser dessert than summer fruit.

Orders cover a full cake or a smaller piece. The bakery serves it cold, with the soufflé firm and the glaze unbroken, which suits celebrations along the Montenegro coast.