Ptichye Moloko Recipe (Bird’s Milk)
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Yana wrote in with her mother Vera’s recipe for Ptichye Moloko; a classic and famous Russian desert. What I love about this recipe is the texture; a mousse-like creamy base and a thin velvety layer of coco loveliness.
Everyone in my family really enjoyed it. Ptichye Moloko is an adult jello, but you can also make a quick, kid friendly version, by using a flavored Jell-O instead of the chocolate (just make sure the jello is room temp before pouring it over the cream).
Thank you Yana and Vera for sharing this amazing family recipe with us.
Ingredients for the Ptichye Moloko cream base:
2 packets (14 grams) unflavored gelatin
1 cup milk
1 cup sugar
16 oz tub of sour cream
16 oz tub of cool whip, refrigerated (not frozen)
Ingredients for the Ptichye Moloko Chocolate topping:
5 Tbsp Cocoa powder, unsweetened
5 Tbsp sugar
1 packet (7 grams) unflavored gelatin
5 Tbsp milk
1 cup cold water
How to make the cream base:
1. In a small sauce pan, combine 2 packets unflavored gelatin with 1 cup milk. Whisk together over medium heat. Continue whisking until it just begins to steam, remove from heat (DO NOT BOIL). Set aside to cool.
2. Spray an 11×13 glass baking dish with cooking spray (this prevents the jello from sticking to the dish).
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer on medium speed whisk together 1 cup sugar, 16 oz tub of sour cream and a 16 oz tub of cool whip until well blended.
4. With the mixer on, slowly add the warm milk mixture.
5. Immediately pour into the prepared baking dish. Smooth the top as evenly as possible since the chocolate layer is thin. Cover and refrigerate to cool. Now start working on the chocolate topping.
How to make chocolate topping:
1. In a small sauce pan, combine 5 Tbsp coco powder, 5 Tbsp sugar, 1 packet unflavored gelatin. Next, whisk in 1 cup cold water and 5 Tbsp milk.
2. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil while mixing continuously. If you don’t continue whisking, the chocolate may lump and you have to start over (don’t walk away from the mix). The mix should be smooth and well blended. Set the chocolate mix aside and let it cool for 1 hour.
3. Slowly pour the chocolate portion onto the cream base. Chill in the fridge for at least 5 hours.
Ptichye Moloko Recipe (Bird's Milk)
Ingredients
Ingredients for the cream base:
- 2 packets, 14 grams unflavored gelatin
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup sugar
- 16 oz tub of sour cream
- 16 oz tub of cool whip, refrigerated (not frozen)
Ingredients for the Chocolate topping:
- 5 Tbsp Coco powder, unsweetened
- 5 Tbsp sugar
- 1 packet, 7 grams unflavored gelatin
- 5 Tbsp milk
- 1 cup cold water
Instructions
-
In a small sauce pan, combine 2 packets unflavored gelatin with 1 cup milk.
-
Whisk together over medium heat. Continue whisking until it just begins to steam, remove from heat (DO NOT BOIL).Set aside to cool.
-
Spray an 11 x 13 glass baking dish with cooking spray (this prevents the jello from sticking to the dish).
-
In the bowl of an electric mixer on medium speed whisk together 1 cup sugar, 16 oz tub of sour cream and a 16 oz tub of cool whip until well blended.
-
With the mixer on, slowly add the warm milk mixture.
-
Immediately pour into the prepared baking dish. Smooth the top as evenly as possible since the chocolate layer is thin. Cover and refrigerate to cool. Now start working on the chocolate topping.
How to make chocolate topping:
-
In a small sauce pan, combine 5 Tbsp coco powder, 5 Tbsp sugar, 1 packet unflavored gelatin.
-
Whisk in 1 cup cold water and 5 Tbsp milk.
-
Place over medium heat and bring to a boil while mixing continuously. If you don't continue whisking, the chocolate may lump and you have to start over (don't walk away from the mix). The mix should be smooth and well blended.
-
Set the chocolate mix aside and let it cool for 1 hour.
-
Slowly pour the chocolate portion onto the cream base. Chill in the fridge for at least 5 hours.
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
It’s really easy to make and delicious. My sister made this for me during her cooking phase and I loved it, now its one of my favorite dishes. Thank you!
You’re very welcome. Serena!
I am from Moscow and grew up with this but it always had narrow cake layer at the bottom? I am sure there are many different recipes though!
Will try this one but still add cake layer 🙂
I want to make this with diabetes people in mind, can I use sugar substitutes and non dairy milk? Do I need a mixer, or can I do everything by hand?
Hi Amber, I have not tried those substitutes but maybe others can share them with us here.
Love this cake. Made it a few times and it was delicious . Thank you Natasha for this recipe.
You’re very welcome!
Great Recipe! Favorite dessert! Never turns out clumpy if mixed very well with whisk. People always ask me for this recipe. “Cost to make” needs to be updated (or removed). Cost is double now.
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Hi, Natasha!
Can I substitute cool whip with whipped cream (if it will be bitten like a cream?)?
Hi there, I haven’t tested anything else, to be honest. I have it on my to-do list to try with whipped cream but without trying something else, I can’t really recommend anything. There is a product called “truwhip” which is a more natural variation of cool whip which you might try. I hope that helps!
Hi Natasha!
Love this recipe. Is there anyway I can make the topping “milk chockolate” testing like, not dark chocolate, as is in this recipe? Please please advise!
So thankful for all your recipes:)
Hello Alisha, that might work but have I haven’t really tested that yet to advise. If you do an experiment please share with us how it goes!
Awesome. We just made this dessert for our Ukranian/Russian themed Christmas lunch and it was fantastic. We are still enjoying it post-Christmas so it is the gift that keeps on giving. Thank you so much, Natasha from Ipswich, Australia.
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review, Sean!
Hi Sean,
It was very delightful, pleasant to learn that you do such a great idea Christmas lunches. I think, I will do that too. Choosing any Country and learning about their food and than cooking it! I can do it with my daughter 🙂 By the way, this recipe is my favorite from childhood! Ptichye Moloko. I am originally from Moscow, Russia but living in the USA for the last 20 years.
Anna D.
Can I cut everything by half because I accidentally bought the 8 oz cool whip and it was a long line and now I was wondering if I could cut it by half like the whole recipe?
Hi Adriana, I haven’t tried that but halving the recipe should work. Just make sure to halve all the ingredients. I hope it turns out for you!
Is it ok to use almond milk instead of regular milk? Will it still work out the same?
Hi Alena, I have not tested this with that substitution to advise. If you happen to experiment, I would love to know how you like that.
Hi Natasha. I could not find gelatin so bought pectin instead. Is there an easy conversion? Thank you!
I have never tried with anything besides gelatin so I’m not sure if that would work. Another option might be agar agar but again, I haven’t tested with that either.
hi natasha, I need this for Saturday how many days in advance can I make it? Thank you!
Hi Alina, I would say 1 to 3 days in advance would be okay, just make sure to cover and refrigerate until serving.
Would this work in cupcake form as well? Great recipe btw!!
Hi Ness, I would suggest putting them into smaller containers or ramekins. I’m not sure how you could make this without it sticking badly to the cupcake pan or liners.
Hi Natasha, silly question: if I want to make half of a portion of this dessert, do I use half of gelatin as well as other ingredients, or should I still use the whole gelatin packet? Thanks
Hi Lana, that is correct!
Hi,natasha. I’m going to make this for our Church zhatva. Do I need to double the recipe for 2-3 oz cups,& approximately how much of the mini cups would I need? Thanks!
Hi Olga, If doubling the recipe, I would double everything and it should still work well. This recipe makes about 12 servings.
Made this for summer dinner party when it was HOT out. A huge success. Everyone wanted the recipe!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me!
Hi Natasha. I am going to be making this for a wedding of about 300 people, how much “doubling” would I have to do? And can I make double, triple portions in one?
Hi Oksana, Wow! That’s quite the order! If doubling the recipe, I would double everything and it should still work well. This recipe makes about 12 servings.
Thank you for this recipe! I needed an easy vanilla mousse to use for topping on a vanilla bean cheesecake. I made the cream base of your recipe, halved, & added vanilla beans. Let it set for about 20″ then transferred to a piping bag with a star tip & used it to decorate the cake. The flavors blended perfectly & it turned a usually plain-looking cake into a sophisticated dessert. My kids loved eating the leftover mousse. Definitely a keeper!
Hi Shawna, thank you for sharing that with me. I would absolutely love to see a photo of your dessert!! If you could post it in our private Facebook cooking group or email me, that would be amazing! (natasha @ natashaskitchen . com) no spaces.
Hi! I’d like to make this for July 4th, unfortunately I mistakenly bought 36oz (3 tubs, 12oz each) cool whip (i’m planning to double the recipe). What changes should i make since your recipe calls for only 32oz (if doubled) of cool whip? Thanks!
Hi Cher, if doubling the recipe, I would double everything and it should still work with 36 oz of cool whip rather than 32 oz.
Hey Natasha, I made this cake multiple times and every time everyone loved it. Thanks for the great recipe.
My pleasure Mari, I’m happy to hear the recipe is a hit. Thanks for sharing your wonderful review!
Hi just wondering how big/ what size is a packet of gelatine? The ingredients don’t mention, they just say a packet? thanks
Hi Sarah, sorry I missed that important detail! Each packet is about 7 grams.
Omg, I tottaly forgot to add the warm gelatin/ milk mixture into the cool whip mixture LOL and it’s all ready in the fridge!! I have no idea whats gonna happen but i will still continue with it….idk how it’ll taste like….. ( &I’ve made this recipe million times already)
The gelatin mix makes the cream set so I don’t think it would set properly without it. Oh man! Such a bummer!
How many days in advance can i make this before serving ?
Hi Oksana, I would say 1 to 3 days in advance, just make sure to cover and refrigerate until serving.
Hi Natasha,
Could I make whipped cream myself and substitute for cool whip?
Hi Yuliya, I haven’t tested anything else to be honest. I have it on my to-do list to try with whipped cream but without trying something else, I can’t really recommend anything. There is a product called “truwhip” which is a more natural variation of cool whip which you might try. I hope that helps!
Natasha, privet! Thank you for the recipe!
I have a question re the cool whip. as in the UK we do not have it and I am trying to find an equivalent but so far no luck.
DO you think I can make cool whip myself? For example, I can whip a double-cream or a heavy cream and let if get cold.
Do you think it could be a good substitution? Thanks
Hi Anastassiya, it will still work with whipped heavy whipping cream. Please use this recipe as a guideline. It’s basically the same recipe using whipped cream (in cup form).
Natasha, bolshie spasibo! Poprobyu!
My sister is always making this “Bird Milk”, and it always disappear first! We all love it very much! Thank you for the recipe!
Awesome! Let me know what you think!
HI! I would like to make this for a school project for my daughter. Will kids enjoy this recipe?
They do enjoy this recipe but when I make it specifically for kids, I add a jello topping instead of chocolate and they seem to enjoy it much more that way. Click here for example.
hi Natasha, love your recipes but I was wondering if you have a recipe for this without cool whip.. i see others have substituted cream but I am curious for an authentic Russian/Ukrainian recipe for this without cool whip seeing that we don’t have cool whip in Ukraine. I can’t find another suitable recipe online. Yours seems to be the most popular. Plus I have not had good success making whipped cream from cream in Ukraine… plus I want more natural ingredients as are used here. Thanks for your help
Hi, I haven’t tested anything else to be honest. I have it on my to-do list to try with whipped cream but without trying something else, I can’t really recommend anything. There is a product called “truwhip” which is a more natural variation of cool whip which you might try. I hope that helps!
This is delicious and I switch between this and the one I grew up with my mom making it like the recipe you’re asking for. She combined the sugar, gelatin and whipping cream in saucepan…let stand 1 min and then cook over med heat stirring constantly with whisk til gelatin is dissolved. Cool Beat sour cream and vanilla and fold into mixture. Pour into serving bowl and chill.
Loving your recipes Natasha!! Thank you!
That sounds lovely and thank you for sharing!
Can you make the jello 2 days ahead?
Yes, absolutely! 🙂
Can you use 1% milk?
Hi Darina, yes 1% milk will work fine 🙂
Thank you for the recipie,
I was wondering if this could be made in individual cups ?
I haven’t tried it in individual cups but several of my readers have with good results, just make sure to put it into the individual cups quickly before it starts to set. You might find it easier with piping it out of a large pastry bag or large ziplock bag, or scooping it in with an ice cream scoop – depending on the size of cups you’re using. I hope you enjoy it!
If you want to use a natural ingredient instead of Cool Whip, I used 8 oz of heavy whipping cream and beat it with a whisk (I don’t have an electric mixer) until it was about the consistency of Cool Whip (it expanded to 16 oz easily). I did add a little extra sugar (a few tablespoons?) because Cool Whip is sweetened and heavy cream is not. I didn’t need to use the extra gelatin that has been suggested by other commenters. This substitution worked very well–I received lots of compliments at the Russian potluck I made this for, and it was my first time making this! I had great success refrigerating it around midnight the night before and taking it out for a dinner event–it was definitely firm enough! Thank you for the fantastic recipe!
Oh that makes me so excited!! I can’t wait to try your method! 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing that with me 🙂
This recipe is deceiving because it says total time is an hour and a half, but in the directions the chill time is at least 5 hours… is therea way to speed up the refrigeration time? 😊
I wish there was a section in the recipe for “wait time” since 5 hours in the refrigerator isn’t exactly prep time :). I always recommend reading through a recipe before starting so you don’t have any surprises 🙂
I took this birds milk recipe and added a can of pumpkin and pumpkin pie seasoning, minus the topping. Turned out great for a fall dessert.
Oh my goodness! I LOVE your idea! Thank you for sharing that with me! Did you use any kind of topping like whipped cream or was it just the jello portion? Did you change anything else about the recipe or just add the can of pumpkin along with pumpkin pie spice? Can you tell I want to try it? 😉
I’m so happy you made something using the pumpkin. You made my day lol, love your webpage, its my go to and so easy to use. Thank you.
You’re welcome Nadia! I’m glad to hear you’re enjoying my site! 🙂
Hi Natasha,
This cake is the flavor of my childhood… My mother (blessed memory) was preparing it for a special occasions. I wonder what can substitute with the sour cream and milk because I don’t want it to be dairy.
Thanks in advance,
Nava
Hi Nava, I’m so happy this brought back memories of your childhood and your mother :). I really haven’t tried this recipe with any other substitutes so I can’t really say for sure. If you experiment, let me know how it goes.
Hi Natasha,
Any idea if I can substitute cool whip with heavy whipping cream? (don’t like the ingredients listed on that container :))
Thank you!
Hi Liliya, a couple of my readers suggested Dream Whip for better ingredients. I haven’t really tested to say if it would work with whipped cream or anything different
Thanks Natashen’ka, I have decided to give it a try and used heavy whipping cream, just added extra half a pack of jelatin. Still it turned out amazing, easy to cut and super delicious! Again, thank you for the reply!
I always request that my SIL make this when we get together. I tried my hand at it for 4th of July party yesterday and now that I now how EASY this is, I’ll be making it often. Sooo delicious! One of my faves.
Oh awesome! I’m so happy to hear you liked it. 🙂
What part of this is adults-only? I see no alcohol.
Hi Samuel, I meant that kids prefer a jello top while adults really enjoy the deeply chocolate flavored topping in this recipe.
I made this for Father’s Day and it was delicious! I’ve never had it before so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but the flavors went so well together and the texture was perfect. The hubby loved it too as it reminded him of his childhood. Sad to say I think we ate each half of the pan. Thanks for this great recipe.
Neo, I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
Hello Natasha,
I made this recipe and it turned out perfect, everybody loved it. Now I want to do the same thing in shot glasses for my daughter’s birthday party. I was wondering if I need to add extra gelatin, since it is going to be sitting on the table for a while and I don’t want it to melt. Thank you.
Hi Sosi, I’ve had several readers report great results making this in individual portions. I don’t think the extra gelatin is necessary though unless it is going to be in very high heat or out in the sun (which I don’t recommend)
Hey Natasha! I want to make this in cups do you know how many ?
Hi Inna, I didn’t measure it that way but based on the ingredients, I would venture to say it is about 5 cups.
My mom loves Ptichye Moloko and I made this for my mom today. She loved it. Very delicious and tender and definitely beats the store-bought candy. 🙂 Wish I could attach a photo 🙂
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us! If you are on Instagram, share the photo and hashtag it with #natashaskitchen.
Dear Natasha,
thank you for sharing this recipe! even from the sound of it, it already seems tasty.
I have one problem.. I live in the UK and unfortunately we do not have a cold whip here.. I am looking for some sort of substitute.. seems there is none.. (or I have to dig deeper)
but maybe, you can advise on any substitute? can I use sgyschenka “сгущенка” maybe?
thank you a million in advance!
Hi Anastassia, I haven’t really tested anything else to say if it would work with whipped cream or anything different and unfortunately I don’t know what is available in the UK as a substitute. Sorry I can’t be much help. Sgyuschenka wouldn’t work well as a substitute. If you want to make a creamy jello (although it’s not the same) you might consider this recipe which doesn’t have cook whip.
You can get a regular whipping cream, or any cream that you add to your coffee, not flavored one of course (you can find it in the refrigerated section next to coffee creamers, etc.) and whip it yourself.
Hi Marina, have you tried this recipe with whipped cream? I haven’t so I wasn’t sure if it would work or not. Thank you for sharing!
No, not for this particular recipe. I used cool whip in place of whipped cream in other recipes, so they are interchangeable. I figured using the cool whip is just a working mom’s version of going thru whipping the regular cream 😉 Less hassle, saves time.
Dear Natasha, thank you for the answer. I have found a recipe of how to do a cool whip at home so I will try it that way. Lets see how it goes:) thank you again!
Have you tried this or know if anybody tried making it in small plastic cups?
I’ve seen my readers do it on Instagram! 🙂
Can you freeze it?
Hi Imas, I haven’t tried freezing it so I can’t really advise it one way or the other. I don’t know how the freezer would affect the texture of this dessert
Dream Whip can be found in the baking isle of the grocery store-typically where the pudding, pre-made pie crusts etc .. .are located. It can also be found @ Walmart(same place) I checked and Amazon does carry it too(but a bit pricey there) It is much more stable than Cool Whip -especially in pies etc …Good Luck in finding it ! 🙂
Thank you for sharing that with us Nancy 😀.
Happy Easter!! I stumbled upon your site by chance & I’m Glad I did! I tried the Bird’s milk recipe today- as a test-run for Easter. WOW! It’s strangely delicious and addicting ! I made a few adjustments – for the cream base I made 2 envelopes of Dream whip(instead of using Cool whip) -decreased the sugar by half(since Dream whip is sweetened) -& used low-fat sour cream. For the chocolate layer -I decreased the sugar by 1 TBS. I lined my 9X13 pan with non-stick foil & that worked just fine.
Can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
Thank you –
Thank you so much for sharing that with us and Happy Easter to you as well! 🙂 Where do you find Dream Whip? I’ve heard it is a healthier substitute to Cool Whip, but I haven’t seen it anywhere. Thanks again!
I made this and brought it to work to share with my coworkers and they were so impressed. Even my picky Ukrainian friend loved it! Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe 🙂
Marisa, I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
It’s not russian = It’s polish!
I’ve never heard that before, but possibly?
I made it & it tasted Amazing! the only thing was, I couldn’t remove it from the glass tub. Is there a trick to it?
Hi Eva! Yes! Did you do step #2. “Spray an 11×13 glass baking dish with cooking spray (this prevents the jello from sticking to the dish)”
Can we freeze it?
Hi Julie, I haven’t tried freezing it so I can’t really advise it one way or the other. I don’t know how the freezer would affect the texture of this dessert.
hi Natasha! I made bird milk following your recipe, but it did not turn out like bird’s milk that I used to eat in Russia. It tastes just like whipped cream:(. Was that supposed to taste like that ?
This is a different recipe since there was no cool whip in Ukraine. The one you’re referring to probably tasted more like sour cream and was likely less sweet. It’s just a completely different recipe.
Hello, can I use Heavy Wipped Instead of Cool Wip?
I haven’t tried that substitution but several of my readers have. The most detailed instructions one of them left were as follows: “To make it a little more healthy, use two cups of heavy cream instead of cool whip (cool whip had a lot of nasty ingredients) whip it with sugar till stiff peaks form, then add sour cream, then add cooled milk mixture.”
I substitute cool whip for heavy whip cream in all recipes, all the time. Works great. I just whip it up to cool whip consistency first, before adding any other ingredients.
After completing step 2 of the chocolate topping, is it suppose to be a thicker consistency like condensed milk? Or just smooth, as in, well combined and no chunks? Mine comes out looking like hot chocolate even after its cooled. More gelatin perhaps or will it harden after I put it in the frig?
If you made the chocolate layer with the same proportions as in the recipe, it should thicken up nicely in the fridge. It was a little like hot chocolate consistency when I first poured it on. I hope you love it!
Hi Natasha! If I don’t have 11×13 baking dish, would it be better to use smaller or larger one? I have 9×13 or 11×15.
I would probably do it in the 9×13. I don’t know if you’d have enough chocolate sauce for the top if you used the larger dish.
So i only have Russian sour cream at the moment. Is there a way i can thicken it?
Svetlana, I’m not sure if Russian sour cream would work or any ways to thicken it up. If you test it out, please let me know how it works.
Natasha, just wanted to drop you a note: I made this one a few months ago. It was perfect. I do bake a lot, it’s my hobby, to the point when I bake just to give it to people, puts me a good mood, relaxes me after work, etc. Anyways, when I made this one, one of my kids said: Mom, you bake a lot and I really love lots of things you make… but… this one…I CAN MARRY IT!!! I’ve got an order from my family to make it for Thanksgiving! Thanks a bunch for your blog/site – I really enjoy it.
I can marry it. lol. That is adorable. Thank you so much for sharing your awesome review and encouraging comment 🙂
Is 16oz 1liter?
16 oz = 2 cups or about 1/2 liter.
Hi Natasha! Why is my birds milk wasn’t firm, it was like a little runny? Do u think using agar agar will be a bit stronger then gelatin?
Hi Deana, did you use agar agar for this recipe? I haven’t tested it with that so I can’t say for sure. One common culprit is using a Russian style sour cream that is more runny than the US version. Did you measure everything out exactly to the recipe? Did you substitute any of the ingredients?
Hi! Can I use fruit pectin in place of the gelatin in this recipe? I am vegan and I would love to try this recipe. Thanks for your reply.
I have never tried with anything besides gelatin so I’m not sure if that would work. Another option might be agar agar but again, I haven’t tested with that either.
Wondering whether the taste will be the same with agar? Anybody have tried this resepi with agar pls share the outcome. Thanks😊
I have not tried it so I can’t really recommend it.
how many gram is 1 packet of gelatin?
The box says 226 grams for 32 packets so its about 7 grams per packet.
I made this today. It’s so easy to make it and it’s delicious! Love il!! Thank you for the recipe!
Im so happy you liked it! Thanks Dia!
To make it a little more healthy, use two cups of heavy cream instead of cool whip (cool whip had a lot of nasty ingredients)
whip it with sugar till stiff peaks form, then add sour cream, then add cooled milk mixture.
Hi Anna! Thanks for sharing that. Have you tested that substitution in this recipe specifically? I’ve been wondering if it would work with whipped cream. Thanks so much!
Is this enough for 3 people cause I think its too little. :/
Hi Ana, what do you mean? Are you cutting the recipe in half or something? This dessert is meant to serve more like 8 people.
Natasha, I would like to know if you have made Kiev Cake before? I would love to make it at home.
Hi Valeriya :). Here’s our version of the Kiev Cake 🙂 https://natashaskitchen.com/2010/10/09/kievsky-aka-kiev-cake-recipe/
Is there a way to make this with sweetened condensed milk? maybe substitute for sugar and sour cream?
That would be a completely different recipe. Have you seen the cream layer in the peaches and cream Jell-O that I posted recently? That might be something like what you’re looking for. I haven’t tried using sour cream either. Although, a sour cream base does sound good!
Hi Natasha, I read few comments here, and saw one that said you can’t call it “ptichie moloko” as my mom was owner of a bakery who specialized only in ptichie moloko – original one, any way to make long story short, when I made your recepie for my moms birthday, she asked me when I got the agar 🙂 she was so surprised. So 🙂 this is the best version as we tried so far and a lot easier, less hassle.
Thank you so much for sharing that! 🙂 You’re awesome! I’m so happy your Mom liked it – that’s quite a compliment coming from the owner of a bakery. What an awesome job that would be!
Natasha, I believe 1 month ago I did this recipe with melted chocolate chips on the top, and my husband loved it so much. And know I cant find this anymore, just with cocoa?
Was it a birds milk cake? This one maybe? https://natashaskitchen.com/2011/12/09/ptichye-moloko-cake-recipe-birds-milk-cake/
Hello 🙂 I wanted to make birds milk for the big new years party at church. I was wondering would it work if I were to pour little portions in cupcake holders?
I haven’t tried cupcake holders but I don’t think it will work. It might be a mess to get them out and I don’t know how the chocolate topping would work with the liners. I think if you want to do individual portions, try piping the mixture into small clear plastic cups.
I made this today!! Can’t wait to eat it tomorrow!:)) Thank you Natasha for your delicious recipes! I have learned a lot from you! Love you!!
You are so welcome Inna, Merry Christmas to you and your family :).
can you use chocolate instead of the cocoa
It’s probably possible but it would be a different recipe and without testing it, I couldn’t give you exact amounts. I’d highly recommend the cocoa.
Well I have to comment on this one 😉
I added one layer of biscuit on a bottom and divided cream one was vanilla the second I made chocolate( just added 2 tb spoon cocoa) and covered with chocolate glaze.
Oh my I had so much complimpliments on our thanksgiving dinner .
So it was biskvit on the bottom, then vanilla birds milk, then chocolate with chocolate on top? That sounds incredible! Did you post a picture of it somewhere? I’d love to see it! Thanks so much for sharing that idea. I’ll definitely try it out! Were the ingredient amounts the same?
Natasha, when you say one packet of gelatin, do you mean one envelope or one box? The gelatin I got has 4 envelopes so I wanted to make sure. Thanks!
It’s one envelope. I calculated based on how many “envelopes” of gelatin were in my box, and figured out that each has 7 grams of gelatin. Your envelope of gelatin should be the same.
Perfect! Trying this today. Thank you for the recipe!!:)
You’re so welcome! Enjoy 🙂
Made it a few times and taste really good! Also awesome as a filing in a cake! Thanks Natasha
I’m so glad you enjoyed the cake 🙂
one word: delicious! ive always hated birds milk. just the consistency of it was gross to me. but i recently got married and my husband loves birds milk so i made this for him as a little surprise. he loved it and so did i! its really different from the store bought ones. this one is soft and creamy. perfect!
Thank you Zhanna for such a great review, I’m glad you decided to give it a try :).
So I’ve been making this tried it without chocolate put fresh strawberries instead very good.
Fresh strawberries sound very good! Thanks for the tip 🙂
Natasha!!! What an amazing recipe! I’ve made this at least 5 times already, but never left feedback. Just wanted to get that over with and just say that this bird’s milk is ahhhmaazing:) It was a huge hit at my family’s Easter gathering yesterday, so thank you!
Thank you so much for the great feedback! 🙂 I’m so happy you love the recipe! Music to my ears… 😉
Dearest Natashenika,
This is such a great recipe, and it is super delicious. I made it many times and I LOVE IT! Thank you for sharing.
BUT, it should be called Cool Whip Jello cake rather than Ptichie Moloko cake.
Real Prichie Moloko made with egg whites instead of cool whip, and Yana and her mom Vera probably knows that too.
I am so sorry I am writing this, I hope I didn’t make you feel bad. But I was a little disappointed. Again, I am sorry.
Sincerely,
Natasha
I’ve seen several different kinds of birds milk jello; some use egg whites, some use sour cream. This one is a little different but it works 🙂 I’d love to try your version if you’re willing to share it! 😉
I am in search of a good original recipe by myself. Once I find it, I will be very happy to share.
Have you tried making ZEFIR? I have a good recipe for that.
Natasha
Thank you, I would love to try it. I made it once a long time ago :). Email it me by clicking here.
how much in 16oz cool whip in liter? I have one liter of cool whip…will that be enough?
Using 1/2 a liter of cool whip is 16 oz, hope this helps :).
I was wondering if I could use mascarpone instead of cool whip?
Oooh that’s a tough one. Without testing it, it’s hard to say. It would probably be thicker than the original recipe, but it might work. Let me know if you end up testing it. I wish I could be more helpful!
My sister-in-law made this once! It was so good! I want to make it again!
Thank you Anastasia, reading your comment just made me crave for some myself :).
I love all of your recepies. Thank you. You make them simple and yummy. I made alot of them. Love it thanks.
You are welcome Marina, thank you for such a sweet comment :).
Hello Natasha
Quik question, if I make this 2days before eating it will it taste different?
Thank u
No, it should still taste the same. Just keep it covered with plastic wrap in the fridge 🙂
I love this recipe!!!! I make it for birthdays and it turns out amazing!!thanks natashka :-):-)your amazing!!
Awesome!! Thanks for the feedback 🙂
Natasha, I use “special dark” cocoa powder which makes it dark and I add raspberries on the top…looks so delicate 🙂
Thank you for the tip, raspberries would go really well with it :).
My husband would kill for such cake, he love sweetened condensed milk, straight from the can just like you do Natashaskitchen.com. this recipe in on my plan for tomorrow, I am so glad I stopped by. Thank you so much for your blog. God bless you!
You are welcome Veronica :), I would love to hear how it turns out.
It should work well if you just substitute in the same amount of whipping cream as you would use of cool whip. You can keep the rest of the portions as written in your recipe.
Hi Natasha,
You should add in a side note for people who either don’t have or don’t want to use cool whip. My mom makes this recipe with whipped cream instead and it tastes a lot better. Cool whip gives this American (sort of fake) taste to it where whipped cream gives it the softer homemade taste. Just a suggestion :). Try it out for yourself and see if you like it.
How do you make it exactly, how much whipped cream and does everything else stays the same? Thank you for the tip Irina, I look forward to hearing from you.
soooo delicious made it for mothers day everyone loved it… thanx natasha:)
I’m glad everyone loved the recipe, thank you for your good report Anna :).
Hey guys,
I made the cake today and somehow wound up with runny chocolate top. I was sturring it all the time till it starttrd to boil and then turned it off (i did take it off the stove as soon as it started to boil). What might have i done incorrectly? Thanks for your suggestions in advance!
Did it cool after refrigeration? It is still pretty liquidy until it’s fully cooled and refrigerated for awhile.
thanks for the advice!
I kept it in a fridge overnight — did not help ;-(
On a separate note, have you ever tried to make the cake with cream cheese?
You might try cooking it a little longer next time over very low heat. I’m so frustrated with myself that I didn’t put how long to keep the chocolate topping on the heat, but I do remember just bringing it to a boil and then removing it from the heat. You didn’t forget the unflavored gelatin? If not, you might also try 1 Tbsp less of milk next time.
Hello folks,
i saw this comment about putting ptichiyo moloko layer between two biskvit layers — won’t the second biskvit layer squash the ptichiyo moloko layer?
I have the cake posted here: https://natashaskitchen.com/2011/12/09/ptichye-moloko-cake-recipe-birds-milk-cake/ The ptichiye moloko is strong enough to stand up under the cake 🙂
My favorite birds Milk recipe ! I have already set the cream part of the cake & will be making the chocolate part tomorrow. Will it still need to set for 5 hours or less?
Hi Christy, if the bottom layer is fully set and very cold, the chocolate layer will set faster than 5 hours.
Thank you so much for sharing this recepie. I made it yesterday for my family. I didnt have enough cool whip ( because I had to double the recepie) and it turned out awesome I just whipped the heavy whipping cream before adding the sour cream and the cool whip… oh and i added the sugar to the milk misture so it melted. i was afraid of a grainy texture from unmelted sugar. And i also added cocoa to half of the mouse misture to make it layered very delisious! thank you!!
You are welcome Yelena, I’m glad you like the recipe :).
hi i wanted to know how many servings are in this recipe
About 12
Hi Natasha,
Will this recipe work for flipping the pan over and just having it out of a pan?
I haven’t tried it, but if you do, it would probably be best to line your dish with plastic wrap so it comes out of the dish easier; but again, I haven’t tried it. It does work really well in the pan 🙂
I want to use heavy whipping cream instead of cool whip, any idea on how much I should use?
I can’t tell you how much because I haven’t experienced with it. The texture might be completely different.
Hi Natasha! I love the idea of this recipe and would like to make it for Thanksgiving. Could you please tell me, when making the chocolate sauce, could I use 1 cup of milk plus the 5 tablespoons of milk instead of 1 cup water + 5 tablespoons milk?! What do you say?
I don’t know how that would change the texture; It might work, but I just am not sure. Maybe use low fat or fat-free milk. Let me know how it works out if you try it that way.
I have made this dessert several times now and love it! Thank you so much for sharing and inspiring the rest of us in our kitchens. I also made an entirely fat free version of it since my mom has stones and cant have any fat. It turned out equally scrumptious! However, the last time I made it, I used a Hershey’s brand of cocoa and for some odd reason it did not thicken well enough even after over night refrigeration.
Natasha what cocoa do u use? I used hersheys unsweetened cocoa and my chocolate layer turned out bitter.
It is supposed to have a dark chocolate bitterness to it to contrast the white layers sweetness. If you don’t like the chocolate, you can put a nice layer of jello on top instead. Just make the jello with less water than the box says. I have measurements in another post. Search birds milk jello. I also used Hershey’s unsweetened cocoa.
Oh so i didnt mess anything up:) . I love chocolate, i think i’ll add a little more sugar to get it to my taste. I first tried this at my sister’s house, but she used diferent cocoa and hers was sweet and so good. My husband loved it, and he usually doesnt like jellos with white layers. (My white layer turned out good.) Thats why i was asking:) I like ur website a lot. I really like it that u respond so quickly. Thanks and God bless.
That’s definitely a good idea if you still like the chocolate and just want it to be sweeter. 🙂 Thank you for your sweet comment. God bless you too!
sorry for this question, but how do I print the recipes from your site preferably without the pictures? I was looking for print option but haven’t seen one, or maybe I am not looking at the right place? thanks
Hi Alena, to print the recipe, scroll down to the bottom of the post. Right below the last picture, click on print/pdf/email icon which should open in the new window. Next check the box on the top right to remove images and click print. I hope this helps 😀
Thank u so much! I didn’t notice it before. My teacher used to say that there are no stupid questions. I’m glad I asked:)
I made this for the 2nd time and this time I doubled the chocolate layer . Everyone liked. I also like it better with more chocolate.
Natasha! Thank You so much for this recipe! I made this for the Father’s Day last weekend and it was delicious! I am so happy I found your blog, I have been missing my “native” cooking tremendously! I just went a little crazy printing most recipes you posted 🙂 I will be making all of them in the next few weeks! I will comment after I have made the recipes! Thank You so much again!
🙂 Sveta, I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe. Have fun cooking!
Made some this passed week. Really yummy!! Will try putting it in between cake layers next time 🙂 thanks for the recipie!!
Oh so glad you liked it. I do have a cake with this filling posted. 🙂
Glad to see that everybody likes this recipe!! =) I love how you did it step by step and emphasized on the boil and do not boil steps, those are very important to this ‘secret’ family recipe.. (not so secret anymore). =)
Yes, thank you so much! You gave me excellent instructions. Otherwise, I probably would have failed and gotten discouraged 🙂 I love your recipe and it makes me curious about what other fantastic recipes you have up your cooking sleeve? 🙂
=) I’ll ask my Mom what else she has.
Awesome!! Thanks Yana! 🙂
This is a amazing recipee, i did it for my lilttle brothers birthday everybody loved it.
Vera, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for stopping by to let me know. 🙂
Thank you Natasha!
Some how the chocolate tooping didn’t friz in the fridge, although i did exactly what you wrote . So today i put it in the frizer i hope it will help.
Thanks!
Hey!
I love bird’s milk , was excited to find out you have a recepie . 🙂
How much is every package of gelatine that you used?
Thanks!
I believe there is almost 1 tbsp in each packet. I bought the box with 32 packets which was 8 oz total. So 1/4 ounce per packet.
Can I mix the white base with avocado smoothie? In my mind it will be like on top is chocolate, middle is green from avocado, and below is white. How was it? 🙂
I’m having a hard time imagining that with avocado. Maybe I’m just not that creative? 🙂 Sorry, I know that’s not very helpful. Will it taste like avocado?
Hai Natasha…, finally I’ve tried to mix with avocado (I used your method in Bird’s Milk Jello). But instead of put red food color, I mix half cream with two avocado 😀 It was good! It became like avocado choco mousse 🙂 You should try it 😉 Thanx for your recipe! I’m so glad that I made it.
That sounds like exotic jello. 🙂 Thanks for sharing and for remembering to come back and tell me about it!
I made this for Christmas…it was SO good. But instead I put it into little dessert cups. Check it out:
If you you would like you can follow my blog too! Thanks Natasha!
What a great idea! I love it! I’ll definitely be checking your site out. 🙂
This was so easy and fast:) but taste is even better!! Thank you;)
You are welcome. And, there is so much you can do with it… a cake with the ptichye moloko, a fruit jello,…. I’m looking forward to exploring more. I just love the texture and taste too!
Thank you so much for the recipe. I made this with my Russian man and he can’t believe how delicious this is. It was also a big hit at the thanksgiving party. Thank you!
Really cool blog! I’m a big fan of russian food – especially if it’s even prepared in the traditional way as my grandmother did 😉 Very nice. Definitely going to follow and cook your recipes!
Greetings from Finland, btw!
hey natasha, this was the best version of this recipe i have ever tired, all the others ive tasted, the white part is sour, i dont think i will avoid this dish at events anylonger
I am so going to try this my husband likes this kind of cake. Thanks
I meant to say skim milk, not non-skim….
Natasha, What type of milk do you use? Whole milk? I’m curious if I used non-skim if that would make it difficult to whisk up…
I used 2% milk. Skim milk should work.
Omg, omg, omg – I totally forgot about this dessert. Putting it on my must-make list for sure!!
I love ptichye moloko!! Try uncooked condenced milk instead of sugar for the white part 🙂
Condensed milk is one of my favorite ingredients to work with (or just to eat it straight out of the can!) Thanks for the tip
Another good recipe to use for cool whip, is a delicious cream called creme chantilly. It’s just sweetened cream. All you need is 12 oz. of heavy cream, 1.8 oz. of confectioner’s sugar, and 3/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract. 1. Whip the heavy cream at medium speed until it forms soft peaks. 2. Add the sifted sugar and vanilla. Continue whipping until the cream forms stiff peaks but is still smooth.
So the recipe is easy and in my opinion, it taste better than cool whip. By the way, this cream also tastes really good in cream puffs.
Girls I tried this recipe for my biskvit cake and it was delishious and perfect consistency. Mixed 1 cup of sugar with 1 pck. cream cheese, than folded in 1 tub (16 oz) cool whip. To this I added 1 pck. gelatin which I disolved in 1/3 – 1/2 cup of warm lemon juice, I let it cool down to room temp before adding to the other stuff. You can sub the lemon for water, but I though it balanced out the swetness perfectly. Enjoy!
Dina thank you for sharing those tips. I think I will try that maybe for thanksgiving 🙂
Dina-did you put the ptiche moloko layer on top of biskvit cake or between two layers of cake? I ordered cake called “ptiche moloko” before from baker and she and a chocolate layer too in there. Thanks.
That’s the way I usually make it with cream cheese instead of the sour cream and also you can add a little lemon juice and yellow food coloring then after set cut into small rectangles and dip each onto chocolate. It’s really yummy. My sis and I made this for a dinner party and everyone loved it because it taste like Russian ptichey moloko candy.
Oh and my mom makes the cake all the time. All you need to do is make one (about 6 egg) beskvit in a 9-10inch pan and cut it in half to get two thin layers of cake. For easy assembly make cake in a spring form. Put one layer of cake and then pore over the ptichey moloko (this will also help you get a nice thick layer of ptichey moloko) and then top it off with cake. Let everything set for a few hrs before taking out of the form. When set can frost with a sweetened whip cream if desired.
Alla – thank you! I can’t wait to try the cake version. I wonder if it would work to pour the chocolate over the top biskvit cake layer, let it cool and then frost the sides and make a pretty frosting border on the rim?… hmm… 🙂
That sounds like a nice idea. You can also frost the sides with a white frosting and let the chocolate from the top drip down the sides. That would give it a very elegant and festive look.
Yes – that sounds even better!! Do you ever pour any kind of syrup on the cake layers with the ptichye moloko inside the cake or leave them as is?
I like to use sprite or just plain carbonated mineral water with some sugar or juice to moisten each layer. You can even mix the mineral water with your favorite preserve and use that, I do that quite often it just adds a little kick of flavor. Good luck.
Thank you Alla!
Thank you, Natasha i Charlie! I I found this recipe for cool whip on a norwegian site. Thought it could be useful for those who can’t find cool whip:
1 teaspoon gelatine, 4 teaspoons cold water, 2,5-3 dl double cream, 0,7-1 dl icing sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar. Dissolve gelatin in water over low heat. Stir until it thickens, about 3 minutes. Set aside and let to cool. Whisk together cream, vanilla and sugar while you pour gelatinwater slowly into the mixture. Whisk well on high speed. If the cream is not thick enough, you can melt 2 marshmellows and stir gently into the cream. 🙂
I will have to try that. Thank you for sharing!
Hi Natasha and thanks for the recipe. I will surely make this cake! Can you tell me what cool whip is? I live in Norway and we don’t have such a thing. Do you know what it is called in Russian? How many grams of gelatin are there in one packet?
Hmmm… Good question! It’s also referred to as whipped topping. I haven’t tried with homemade whipped cream using heavy whipping cream but I think that would be my next option. It’s hard to really recommend it if I haven’t tried it though. Each packet of gelatine is 7 grams
Svetlana, Взбитые сливки, так помоему это называлось в старые еще советские времена, когда я от туда уехал.
I used heavy whipping cream instead and it turned out perfect. I never like to use Cool Whip.
I prefer working with heavy whipping cream too. I will try that next time I make it. Thank you for letting me know. I was curious about that.
Thanks for posting this, I’ve tried it many times at church potlucks and always loved it! Can’t wait to make.
Made it today…So easy and quick, but absolutely delicious!!!!! Can’t wait to make it again for the upcoming holidays!! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Looks awesome.
i’m glad you’re back…
Wow, this sounds really yummy! Pinned.
can you put this layer in between biskvit cake?
I haven’t tried that but I’ve seen photos of it online in between thin layers of biskvit or on top of one layer of biskvit cake. Let me know how it turns out if you do give it a try.
My mom would make a biskvit (cutting ingredients I half so mousse would fit) and then make the mousse, adding pink food coloring.it was delicious!
You are sooooo cute. How about we make it a ‘mousse-like creamy base’ and not a ‘mouse-like creamy base’. I don’t think the mice would like this recipe at all. 😎
lol. Thanks Cathy 🙂
Thanks for posting this! So excited to try it!
Vera is a genius – isn’t she? I’ve made a cake and multi-colored jello out of the white base (both of which I plan to post), but you can do alot with this recipe! I’m so glad your “Russian man” enjoyed it 🙂
Hi Natasha how long do we have to boil the chocolate topping?
I forgot to time it exactly, but it’s just until it is smooth and well blended then remove from heat. It’s pretty quick after it boils.