Hot Milk Cake is a moist and sweet one-layer cake that mixes together quickly and bakes in a 9×13 cake pan. It is a buttery, spongy, and delicate cake you can make with just a few basic ingredients. Perfect for any afternoon baking! The cake gets its name from the milk, which is heated in a small saucepan along with the butter before it is poured into the already mixed wet and dry ingredients.
This cake recipe with milk is so tender and is the perfect blank canvas for toppings like powdered sugar, fresh fruit, whipped cream, macerated fruit, or your favorite frosting. I love how beautifully this cake slices without crumbling, and yet is so tender! For more sheet cake recipes, try my honey bun cake, Mississippi mud cake, or easy banana cake.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Whole Milk – the whole milk adds richness to this cake and is heated along with the unsalted butter before being added to the other ingredients.
Flour – all-purpose flour works well for this recipe. I don’t recommend using cake flour or self-rising flour since the recipe also calls for baking powder.
Eggs – four whole eggs give this cake a delightful bouncy and light texture. The eggs are beaten with granulated sugar until they become fluffy, creating a luscious, airy and buttery crumb.
Vanilla Extract – adds a classic flavor to this recipe that will remind you of a childhood birthday cake. For the best flavor, use pure vanilla extract.
How to Make Hot Milk Cake
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan with baking spray. Heat the milk and butter in a small saucepan, stirring occasionally, just until bubbling and butter is melted, about 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the granulated sugar and eggs on medium-high until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Add the flour mixture and beat on low until just incorporated.
5. With the mixer running at a low speed, gradually pour in the hot milk mixture. Stir in vanilla extract.
6. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 28 to 32 minutes or until lightly browned, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Dust the cake with powdered sugar before slicing and serving.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- Start with preheating the oven and heating the milk. Begin by preheating the oven and getting the milk and butter mixture heated on the stove. I like to measure out the rest of my ingredients while the milk cools for 5 minutes, ensuring the hot milk is at just the right temperature when it is added to the other ingredients.
- Stir the milk as it heats. Heat milk at medium heat and stir it occasionally to prevent it from burning. If the milk is heated too quickly, it may curdle or scald, creating an undesirable flavor.
- Line the baking pan with parchment if you plan to remove the entire cake from the pan. If you plan to remove the entire cake from the pan to display or serve, line your baking pan with parchment and add another spray of cooking spray on top of the paper. Use a large enough piece of parchment that comes up and over the long edges of the pan.
- Beat the egg mixture until fluffy. Beat the eggs for at least 3 minutes with the sugar until the mixture becomes fluffy. Taking the time for this step will result in a cake with the most light and fluffy texture. You can test the texture by dipping the beater into the egg mixture and then lifting it up to see how the excess runs off. If it leaves little ribbons that disappear into the bowl within a few seconds, not immediately, the mixture is fluffy enough.
- Cool the cake in the pan. Once the cake is done, place the pan on a wire rack and allow it to cool completely at room temperature. A room-temperature cake will cut cleanly with minimal crumbs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Leftovers keep covered at room temperature for up to 4 days. Use plastic wrap to lightly cover the cake pan or if your cake pan has a lid, you can use that. If you have added a dairy-based frosting such as cream cheese frosting, store the cake in the refrigerator. If serving with whipped cream or sliced fruit, store the toppings and cake separately.
This cake is delicious with a simple sprinkle of powdered sugar but is also tasty with fresh fruit, chocolate ganache, strawberry frosting, or Italian buttercream frosting. Always make sure the cake is cooled before topping.
This cake is delicious when served with a dollop of whipped cream and fresh berries, macerated fruit, or warm strawberry jam. For a birthday party, add colorful candles and serve with ice cream and hot fudge or a drizzle of caramel sauce.
The hot milk melts the fat (in this case, melted butter), coating the flour and reducing gluten formation- essentially, it’s a safety net to help protect against a tough, overbeaten cake! The heat also helps the ingredients combine quickly for a great cake that is ready to bake in just minutes.
A cake made with hot milk may not rise correctly if the oven is not fully preheated, or if the cake batter sits for a long time before it is baked. Both of these can cause the baking powder to react early, either before it makes it to the oven or before it comes to the proper baking temperature. For the best cake, preheat the oven before you start mixing the cake batter and promptly bake after pouring the batter into the pan.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this hot milk cake recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Hot Milk Cake
Video
Equipment
- 9×13″ baking pan
- Saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk (240mL)
- ½ cup unsalted butter (113g)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (240g)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups granulated sugar (400g)
- 4 large eggs
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan with baking spray.
- Heat the milk and butter in a small saucepan, stirring occasionally, just until bubbling and butter is melted, about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the granulated sugar and eggs on medium-high until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the flour mixture and beat on low until just incorporated. With the mixer running on low, gradually pour in the hot milk mixture. Stir in vanilla extract. Pour batter into the prepared baking pan.
- Bake for 28 to 32 minutes or until lightly browned, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Dust the cake with powdered sugar before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Start with preheating the oven and heating the milk. Begin by preheating the oven and getting the milk and butter mixture heated on the stove. I like to measure out the rest of my ingredients while the milk cools for 5 minutes, ensuring the hot milk is at just the right temperature when it is added to the other ingredients.
- Stir the milk as it heats. Heat milk at medium heat and stir it occasionally to prevent it from burning. If the milk is heated too quickly, it may curdle or scald, creating an undesirable flavor.
- Line the baking pan with parchment if you plan to remove the entire cake from the pan. If you plan to remove the entire cake from the pan to display or serve, line your baking pan with parchment and add another spray of cooking spray on top of the paper. Use a large enough piece of parchment that comes up and over the long edges of the pan.
- Beat the egg mixture until fluffy. Beat the eggs for at least 3 minutes with the sugar until the mixture becomes fluffy. Taking the time for this step will result in a cake with the most light and fluffy texture. You can test the texture by dipping the beater into the egg mixture and then lifting it up to see how the excess runs off. If it leaves little ribbons that disappear into the bowl within a few seconds, not immediately, the mixture is fluffy enough.
- Cool the cake in the pan. Once the cake is done, place the pan on a wire rack and allow it to cool completely at room temperature. A room-temperature cake will cut cleanly with minimal crumbs.
