Think of Black and White Cake as a giant black and white cookie but so much better. Before moving to New York City, I had thought that the B&W cookie would become my guilty indulgence, my go-to sweet. A cake-like cookie with both vanilla and chocolate topping. How could I not love this New York speciality? And, yet, I don’t.

For 20 years I’ve tried countless bakeries’ takes on this cookie. Unimpressed, I’ve even baked my own. Each time I’ve had the same thought—it could be great as a cake but, as a cookie, it lacks the crispness, crunchiness or gooeyness that I enjoy. Rather than give up on this treat altogether, I tinkered around in the kitchen and came up with a luscious Black and White cake recipe.

The Black and White Cake differs from its inspiration in several ways. The most obvious is that it’s a moist layer cake and not a cookie. The second is the icing. The cookie is decorated with fondant, a stiff, glossy topping made from sugar, gelatin, glycerine, vegetable shortening and water. Meanwhile, velvety buttercream frostings cover the Black and White Cake. Lastly, I adore the cake version but I’ve yet to be won over by the iconic cookie.

Black and White Cake

Similar to the B&W cookie, this cake possesses a tender texture that comes, in part, from the addition of corn starch.

Serves 10

for the cake:

1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

4 large eggs, separated, at room temperature

1/2 cup water

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 2/3 cup plus one tablespoon cake flour

1/4 cup corn starch

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder

for the vanilla frosting:

1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 pound confectioner’s sugar, sifted

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup milk, at room temperature

for the chocolate frosting:

8 ounces semi-sweet morsels

1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup confectioner’s sugar, sifted

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

1/4 cup milk, warmed

To make the cake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter and flour two 8-inch springform pans.

In a large bowl and using an electric hand or stand mixer, beat the butter until creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the sugar and beat again until the mixture is light in texture and color. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the egg yolks, water and vanilla extract. Beat until well combined.

Sift together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. Add the dry mixture to the liquids and beat until well combined.

In a separate bowl and with an electric mixer beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.

Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the batter until combined. Spoon equal amounts of batter into the two prepared cake pans. Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cakes’ centers comes out clean.

Remove the cakes from the oven and allow them to cool on wire racks for 5 minutes. Invert the cakes onto the wire racks and gently remove them from their pans. Allow them to cool completely before icing them.

To make the vanilla frosting, beat the butter until creamy. Add the confectioner’s sugar, vanilla and milk and beat until the frosting is smooth. Set aside.

To make the chocolate frosting, place the chocolate morsels and 1/2 stick of butter in a bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Remove, stir and microwave again until the morsels have melted and the butter and chocolate are blended. Set aside to cool.

In a small bowl whisk together the cocoa and milk.

In a large mixing bowl, place the remaining stick of butter. Beat with an electric mixer until creamy. Add the confectioner’s sugar and cocoa-milk mixture and beat until well blended. Add the cooled chocolate and beat again until smooth.

To ice the cake, place one cake on a plate or cake stand. Using a knife, gently draw a line down the center of the cake. (See photo above). With an icing knife or spatula, spread chocolate frosting on one side of the line and vanilla frosting on the other side.

Set the second cake on top of frosted cake. Draw a faint line down the center of this cake. Spread the two frostings on either side of the line, this time reversing the frostings so that when the cake is cut, you’ll have a slice with both chocolate and vanilla icing. (See photo above.) You’ll then frost the sides of the cake so that they correspond with the top. Slice and serve.