We didn’t think time travel was possible, but after just one bite of this tender and moist hot milk cake, you’re zapped back to the good ol’ days. Hot milk cake has been made with everyday simple ingredients since the early 1900s and will likely never go out of style.
While the ingredients are similar to other classic cake recipes, how they’re mixed together makes this recipe unique. First, you beat room-temperature eggs until thick and foamy, incorporating plenty of air into the batter to help make the cake light and fluffy. Next, you heat milk and butter on the stovetop; the hot milk-butter mixture gives the cake a head start on cooking. The result is a moist and tender cake that is the perfect hybrid between a traditional sponge cake and a classic pound cake.
What we love most about this hot milk cake recipe, besides its fantastic taste, easy preparation and unique texture, is its potential for experimentation. It’s a wonderful base that lends itself perfectly to all manner of decoration, garnishing and flavors. Add other extracts or spices, or layer pieces of hot milk cake with berries and custard in your favorite trifle recipe. You can also top hot milk cake with homemade whipped cream and strawberries for an easy shortcake recipe. The possibilities are truly endless.
Ingredients for Hot Milk Cake
- Eggs: Beating room-temperature eggs for the right amount of time is key to ensuring the cake’s texture is just right. Otherwise, it may turn out too dense.
- Sugar: Sugar sweetens the cake and helps develop its texture. This recipe has almost a 1:1 ratio of sugar to flour, which results in an incredibly tender, moist and fluffy cake. Therefore, reducing the sugar in the recipe will affect the cake’s sweetness and final texture.
- Vanilla: Due to this cake’s limited ingredient list, we suggest using the best vanilla extract you can afford. Here’s how to know what type of vanilla to use in a recipe.
- All-purpose flour: Stick with the most common type of flour for this hot milk cake recipe.
- Baking powder: Baking powder increases the cake’s volume and lightens its texture as it bakes. Without baking powder, this hot milk cake recipe would lose some of its fluffiness and more closely resemble a dense pound cake.
- Milk: Choose whole milk for the best taste and texture. While some readers report swapping in low-fat or skim milk, we like how the extra fat in whole milk improves the cake’s moisture and tenderness. If you need a dairy-free alternative, check out this guide to milk substitutes for baking.
- Butter: Rather than cream the butter with sugar, which enhances the airiness of a cake, melted butter is key to a hot milk cake. It creates a slightly denser cake with a rich, buttery flavor.
Directions
Step 1: Beat the eggs
Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, beat the eggs on high speed for five minutes or until thick and lemon-colored.
Editor’s Tip: Don’t rush this step. Since this recipe does not involve creaming butter and sugar, beating the eggs until they are foamy and thick is your main opportunity to add a little air to the batter.
Step 2: Add the dry ingredients
Gradually add the sugar, beating until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Then beat in the vanilla.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour and baking powder, then gradually add it to the batter at a low speed until smooth.
Editor’s Tip: Do not overmix the batter when adding the flour. Mix just until the batter is smooth and lump-free. If you overmix, you’ll overdevelop the gluten in the flour, and you may end up with a tough cake. Here are more reasons why your homemade cake isn’t light and airy.
Step 3: Heat the milk and butter
Heat milk and butter in a small saucepan until the butter melts.
Gradually add the milk and butter mixture to the batter and beat until combined. Don’t overmix!
Editor’s Tip: In this step, heat the milk just until the butter melts and a thin skin forms on the surface. This technique is known as scalding, which occurs when the milk reaches around 170°. Don’t let the milk boil, or you may inadvertently scramble the eggs when you add the hot milk to the cake batter.
Step 4: Bake
Pour the batter into a greased 13×9-inch pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool on a wire rack before serving.
Recipe Variations
- Add toppings: This hot milk cake recipe tastes great with a dusting of powdered sugar or a dollop of whipped cream. Other tasty topping ideas include fresh berries, a warm cinnamon apple compote, a drizzle of homemade salted caramel sauce, hot fudge, or your favorite frosting recipe.
- Add extracts: Change up the flavor of the cake by adding other extracts or zest from your favorite citrus. Add up to 1 teaspoon of coconut, caramel or almond extract. For a fruity twist, try lemon or orange extract.
- Make it chocolate: For chocolate lovers, add up to 1/4 cup of high-quality cocoa powder to the dry ingredients.
- Try mix-ins for milk cake: Chunky mix-ins don’t work well in cake with hot milk since they are prone to sinking to the bottom. However, you can add small, granular toppings with success. Add up to 1 cup of rainbow sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, or finely crushed pecans for a change of pace.
- Make an upside-down hot milk cake: For a hot milk cake with fruit, line the bottom of the pan with your favorite fruit (e.g., blueberries, thinly sliced peaches, or pineapple) before pouring in the batter. Bake as directed, let cool, then flip the cake over to reveal the fruity bottom before serving (like this upside-down peach cake). To prevent sticking, we suggest lining the pan with parchment paper.
How to Store Hot Milk Cake
Store hot milk cake at room temperature in an airtight dessert carrier or wrapped tightly in plastic for up to four days.
Can you freeze hot milk cake?
Yes! Like many cakes, you can freeze this hot milk cake recipe. To freeze, wrap the cake tightly in plastic and then a layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Then, freeze for up to three months. To enjoy, thaw overnight at room temperature. We have more tips on how to freeze cakes—even fancy ones!
Hot Milk Cake Tips
Why didn’t my hot milk cake rise?
If your milk didn’t rise, you likely didn’t beat the eggs long enough in Step 1. Otherwise, it could be that your baking powder is expired or you mis-measured your flour. (Try a food scale to measure flour correctly.)
How do I ensure a perfect hot milk cake?
As with most cake recipes, bring the eggs to room temperature so that they whip up nicely and provide a delicate airiness to the crumb of your cake. Additionally, make sure to scald your milk to the perfect temperature and opt for whole milk for maximum flavor and richness.
What can you serve with hot milk cake?
Looking for more serving ideas for hot milk cake? For summer, try topping portions of hot milk cake with ripe grilled peaches or roasted strawberries (like in this roasted strawberry sheet cake). This hot milk cake tastes divine warmed for 10 to 15 seconds in the microwave and topped with a scoop of your favorite homemade ice cream. With this level of versatility, it’s no wonder why hot milk cake is one of the best dessert recipes to please any crowd.
