Hot Milk Cake (Plus Video)

I can still remember the delicate vanilla taste of the moist hot milk cake my auntie used to make. It’s so rich and soft and tastes so heavenly. It always brings me pure nostalgic happy memories of my childhood days. 😍

Contents… Recipe Ingredients How to Make It Recipe Variations Tips and Tricks Serving and Storage Instructions FAQs What to Serve More Cake Recipes to Try Watch How To Make It

What is Hot Milk Cake?

Hot milk cake was a popular cake during the Great Depression era because of its simple ingredients. I’ve heard that it was often made with milk near its expiration date, so it didn’t go to waste.

This cake resembles pound cake, only this one is lighter and fluffier because it is made with cake flour instead of all-purpose flour, and the eggs are beaten until they are light and foamy.

Then you add warm milk to make it soft and moist, just like what hot coffee does to our beloved chocolate cake.

Recipe Ingredients

You’ll love this cake not only for its deliciousness but also for its simplicity. It’s made with only nine basic ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry. So let’s get baking! 🎉

• Lemon Zest – This is optional, but the refreshing citrusy zing brightens up the flavor of our milk cake.
• Whole Milk – We need to warm the milk just enough to melt the butter, NOT boil it. And that’s the secret to making our cake moist even without adding buttermilk or sour cream. You may also substitute it with evaporated milk, but you’ll need to mix it with a little water.
• Butter – The butter adds a glorious buttery flavor to our cake, making it more delectable.
• Eggs – We’re going to beat eggs with sugar until they become fluffy and frothy to create many air bubbles. This will give our cake an extra lift and airy texture.
• Vanilla Extract – Our cake won’t be as delicious without the vanilla extract, so please don’t skip it. Did you know you can make your vanilla extract? It’s effortless, and you only need two ingredients to make it – vanilla beans and vodka or rum. Oh yes! And if you love almonds, a few drops of almond extract make it shine.
• Cake Flour – I prefer using cake flour for this recipe because it has a finer, lighter, and softer texture than all-purpose flour. That makes it perfect for our hot milk cake. It has less gluten, too, because of its lower protein content.

Pro Tip: Check out my flour replacement chart if you don’t have cake flour. For all-purpose flour, you can replace 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour in each cup with cornstarch and then double sift.

How to Make Hot Milk Cake

Make the Cake Batter

1. Grease the Tube Pan – Preheat the oven to 300°F/150°C. Then generously grease a tube pan with cooking spray and set it aside. (Photo 1)
2. Combine Dry Ingredients – Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest in a medium bowl. Set aside. (Photo 2)
3. Beat the Eggs, Sugar, and Vanilla – Add sugar, vanilla extract, and eggs in a large bowl, then cream them using a handheld mixer on high speed until it’s fluffy and starting to look white, about 4-5 minutes. (Photos 3-4)
4. Heat the Milk and Butter – Heat milk and butter in a small saucepan. Cook until most of the butter is melted and the sides of the pan start to bubble. Do not let it boil. Stir the liquid until butter melts completely. (Photos 5-6)
5. Combine Dry and Wet Mixture – Slowly mix in milk mixture into the egg mixture and alternate with flour mixture until flour and milk have been used up. And everything is thoroughly combined without over mixing. Scrape down the mixing bowl sides as you go. (Photos 7-8)

Pour and Bake

1. Pour and Tap – Pour your batter into the greased cake pan. Tap the pan on a work surface to eliminate any large air bubbles. (Photos 9-10)
2. Bake for 45-50 minutes – Bake at 300 degrees F until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 45 -50 minutes. (Photos 11-12)
3. Let It Cool – Transfer the cake to a wire rack and let it cool before slicing.
4. Serve and Enjoy – Serve it with whipped cream and raspberry or strawberries. Enjoy!

Recipe Variations

• Coconut Twist – Simply replace whole milk with coconut milk and add some coconut flakes, too, for added texture. And you’ll surely enjoy our milky sponge cake bursting with rich and creamy coconut flavor.
• Chocolatey Indulgence – Replace about ¼ cup of flour with cocoa powder and use scalded chocolate milk instead of milk to magically transform our cake into hot chocolate milk cake. Yum! ❤
• Dried Fruits and Nuts – You can’t go wrong with adding more texture and flavors from dried fruits like blueberries, apricots, cranberries, or raisins. Throw in some nuts, too, like chopped almonds, walnuts, pecans, or cashews to our yummy hot milk cake.
• Cozy Cinnamon – Level up our old-fashioned cake recipe with a dash of cinnamon powder to add warm and comforting goodness to our dessert. 😋

Tips and Tricks

• Room temperature eggs make it’s easier to incorporate into the batter, and the cake rises better.
• Weighing your ingredients for accuracy gives the best results.
• Adding the milk and flour mixtures alternately to the egg mixture will help the eggs not curdle.
• Mix until there’s no visible dry flour in the batter, but don’t overmix.
• To make cupcakes – pour the batter into a muffin pan lined with cupcake liners and bake them for 20 minutes at 350℉/177℃.
• If using a 9×13 baking pan – bake it for 30-35 minutes at 350℉/177℃.

Serving and Storage Instructions

You will be surprised how versatile our Hot Milk Cake can be. It’s like an all-around cake fit for any occasion and perfect for snacking.

My favorite ways to use this cake are in a trifle or strawberry shortcake for effortless yet impressive desserts.

Pro Tip: Add your favorite frosting, and it can be a birthday cake, too. 👌

For what it’s worth, this cake can be made in advance and stored for later. Besides, hot milk cake tastes even better the next day after all the flavors have settled in. 😋

• Room Temperature – Transfer the cake to an airtight container or wrap it tightly with a cling wrap, then wrap it again with foil. It should stay fresh on the counter or in a cool area for up to three days.
• Refrigerate – Hot milk cake will remain fresh for up to seven days in the fridge.
• Freeze – You can also freeze your cake to extend its shelf life for up to six months. When you’re ready to serve, thaw the cake in the fridge overnight.

FAQs

What to Serve with Hot Milk Cake

Keep it simple by dusting some powdered sugar on top for added sweetness. Or you can make it more festive, topping it with fresh fruit, like strawberries, raspberries, and peaches.

Oh, and definitely top it off with a dollop of homemade whipped cream or any of these luscious sauces below for an exquisite finish. Yum!!!

• Creme Anglaise
• Lemon Curd
• Cranberry Sauce
• Caramel Sauce
• Chocolate Gravy

More Cake Recipes to Try

• Coconut Cake
• Spice Cake
• German Chocolate Cake
• Pumpkin Cheesecake
• Sweet Potato Pound Cake

Watch How To Make It

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