Here’s the thing: for a cake with such humble ingredients, this old fashioned hot milk cake delivers way beyond expectations. It’s soft without being spongy. Moist without being oily. Sweet, but not in-your-face. And yet—it’s surprisingly hard to find a version that nails the texture and the technique. Luckily, this recipe does.
Note – For this recipe, use a metal pan, not glass. Metal heats more evenly and helps the cake rise better.
Milk Cake Ingredients
You’ll need:
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup whole milk
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
Hot Milk Cake – Pro Tips That Actually Matter
Scald the milk properly: You’re aiming for 150–155°F — not boiling. Tiny bubbles will form around the edge of the pot when it’s ready. Overheating can cause a rubbery texture, while underheating won’t give the batter that signature bounce.
Whip the eggs and sugar until thick and pale: This step builds the structure of the cake. You should see the batter fall in ribbons from the beaters. If it’s still thin and runny, keep going—it’s not ready yet.
Add the dry ingredients gently: Use low speed and don’t overmix. The goal is to incorporate the flour without knocking out all that volume you just built. Scrape the bowl to make sure no flour pockets are hiding.
Drizzle the hot milk in slowly: Pour it in a steady stream with the mixer on low. This tempers the batter gradually, so you don’t shock it and collapse the air bubbles. Think of it like making custard — slow and steady wins.
Check doneness with more than a toothpick: Yes, a clean toothpick is good — but also look for golden edges and a slight pull away from the sides. The top should spring back lightly when touched.
Serving Suggestions
Serve hot milk cake at room temperature for the best texture and flavor.
Just before serving, dust the top lightly with powdered sugar. For a simple and elegant presentation, add a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream — and a few fresh berries like strawberries or raspberries.
It’s delicious on its own, but also makes a great cake base for trifles, strawberry shortcake, or other layered desserts.
Storage Instructions
Room temp: Store in an airtight container for up to four days.
Fridge: If topped with whipped cream or fruit, refrigerate and enjoy within two days.
Freezer: Wrap cooled, undecorated cake tightly in plastic wrap and foil. Freeze up to two months. Thaw in fridge, bring to room temp before serving.
It’s amazing how delicious of a cake a few simple ingredients can produce. This moist hot milk cake recipe doesn’t even need frosting to finish it off as it comes out perfect, rich, and full of flavor every time.
More Old Fashioned Cake Recipes
Hot Milk Cake
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup whole milk
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
Garnish
- Sifted powdered sugar
- Whipped topping, thawed if from frozen or see link for homemade stabilized whipped topping
- Fresh berries strawberries and/or raspberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350* F. Spray a straight sided 9×13 metal baking pan with non-stick bakers spray and set aside.
- Sift together, in a medium bowl, the all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In a small pot, over medium heat, warm the whole milk and unsalted butter for 3-4 minutes or until the milk forms tiny bubbles along the edge of the pot and the butter has melted. The temperature of the milk should reach approximately 150-155°F on an instant read thermometer. Be sure to stir the milk every 30 seconds or so to avoid burning the milk. Do not allow the milk to boil. Remove the pot from the heat to allow the milk to cool slightly.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs and vanilla extract, with a handheld mixer on medium speed, for 1-2 minutes or until the eggs are well beaten and start to become frothy.
- With the mixer on medium-low, slowly add the granulated sugar to the eggs until fully incorporated. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat for 1-2 minutes more or until the mixture is thick and pale yellow.
- Slowly add the sifted dry ingredients to the beaten egg mixture, with the mixer on low speed, just until combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a plastic spatula to ensure the batter is evenly mixed. Once the dry ingredients are completely mixed in, the batter should fall back into the bowl in ribbons, from the beaters, to ensure that your batter is thick and smooth before adding the warm milk.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly drizzle the warm milk mixture into the hot milk cake batter just until all the warm milk has been fully incorporated. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure the batter is evenly combined.
- Pour the hot milk cake batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 28-30 minutes or until the edges of the cake are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool completely, at room temperature, before adding a light dusting of sifted powdered sugar to the entire surface of the cake to garnish before slicing and serving. Individual slices can be served with a dollop of whipped topping and fresh berries if desired.
Notes
- If you plan on freezing this cake, you can line your baking pan with parchment paper, leaving enough to overhang the sides for easy lifting, to bake the cake. Once the cake has cooled in the pan completely, gently lift the cake out of the pan using the overhanging parchment paper. Place the cake onto a large piece of plastic wrap and wrap the cake well. Wrap again with a large piece of aluminum foil before freezing for up to 2 months storage. This method will allow you to free up your baking pan to use for other recipes while your hot milk cake is stored in the freezer.
- Whole milk works best for this cake as the fat from the whole milk adds to the richness and moist texture of the baked cake.
- If you do not have an instant read thermometer, you can certainly use a standard candy thermometer to check for the exact temperature of the scalded milk and butter. Be careful not to boil or overheat the milk to ensure it mixes smoothly and maintains the desired cake texture.
Nutrition
Comments
Sara says
Old fashioned classic that is so yummy!
Lori says
I want to surprise my husband, he is moving to America from Nigeria and told me his favorite cake is Milk Cake ! Thank you for posting this I’m going to practice making it tomorrow.