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If you’re looking for the fluffy, perfect vanilla cake your grandma (and mine) used to make, this Hot Milk Cake recipe is definitely the one. Made with scalded milk, this lovely, old-fashioned cake is soft, sweet, and absolutely foolproof.
Dressed up in a million different ways or eaten as-is, one bite of Hot Milk Cake will take you back to your childhood. For that reason, this time-tested family recipe is the near and dear to my heart. And of course, it makes a fabulous birthday cake, too!
Maurice Sendak said it best in his book “In the Night Kitchen:” milk in the batter, milk in the batter, we bake cake and nothing’s the matter! He’s right. When there’s Hot Milk Cake, very little can go wrong.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Milk: This recipe uses a technique called scalding which heats the milk, thus the name Hot Milk Cake. Do not substitute buttermilk.
Step-by-step instructions
- Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 12-cup tube pan or Bundt cake pan. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Stir in milk and vanilla and continue to heat until small bubbles form around the outside of the pan and the mixture is very hot but not boiling. Reduce heat to low.
- Meanwhile, in an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine eggs and sugar on medium-high speed for 5 minutes.
- Once the egg and sugar mixture has tripled in volume, slowly add the hot milk mixture, mixing on low speed until incorporated. Add the dry ingredients in two batches, mixing after each addition until just incorporated.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour, checking at 55 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake should come out clean, with a few crumbs attached, but do not over-bake.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before inverting onto a cooling rack or serving plate to cool completely.
- Dust with powdered sugar if desired.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This cake makes 12 delicious slices of Hot Milk Cake (or more or less depending on how you slice it).
- Storage: Store extra cake covered at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Cool Hot Milk Cake to room temperature, then wrap tightly in a double layer of plastic wrap, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight at room temperature.
- Cinnamon: Add a dash of cinnamon for extra spice and warmth.
- Almond Hot Milk Cake: Add almond extract in place of the vanilla and top with slivered almonds.
- Chocolate Hot Milk Cake: Add ¼ cup of your best cocoa powder to the dry ingredients in step 1, and scald chocolate milk for an ethereal chocolate cake that’s just as easy to make.
- Hot Milk Cake with fruit: This cake makes an excellent peach, plum, or Pineapple Upside-Down Cake. Arrange fruit on the bottom of the cake pan, pour batter over, then bake as directed. Invert before serving.
Caramel Coconut Topping for Hot Milk Cake
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar, packed
- 1 ½ cups butter
- ½ cup evaporated milk (or half and half)
- 2 cups shredded coconut
- ¾ cup chopped nuts
Directions:
- Bring butter, evaporated milk, and sugar to a boil, stirring to melt the sugar.
- Remove from heat and stir in coconut and chopped nuts.
- Spread mixture on the warm cake and place under the broiler until golden, watching the topping closely.
Recipe FAQs
One of the first sightings of Hot Milk Cake was in 1911, but it continued to grow in popularity due to it’s simplicity. It really became a well-known recipe during the Great Depression, where modest food had to stretch to feed hungry families, and every last drop of food was used and saved. Grandmothers and mothers had to make do with what they had, and often the last of the day’s milk was used to make this simple cake for special occasions.
While I haven’t personally tested this, readers have successfully made this cake with as little as half the amount of sugar. That can be helpful if you’re looking to cut back on your sugar intake, or you’re planning to serve it with my caramel coconut topping.
This is the kind of cake that I could easily nibble all afternoon until there was nothing left, but if you have patience and intend to serve this for dessert, try a dollop of whipped cream, some fresh berries, or a scoop of ice cream. Readers also love chocolate sauce on top.
More fabulous cakes to try
Cake Recipes
Danish Layer Cake (Dansk Lagekage)
Chocolate Recipes
Slow Cooker Chocolate Lava Cake
Cake Recipes
Vanilla Cheesecake
Cake Recipes
Pig Pickin Cake
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Hot Milk Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting the pan
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup milk (see note 1)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 eggs at room temperature
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- Powdered sugar for dusting, optional
Instructions
- Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 12-cup tube pan or Bundt cake pan. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Stir in milk and vanilla and continue to heat until small bubbles form around the outside of the pan and the mixture is very hot but not boiling. Reduce heat to very low.
- Meanwhile, in an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine eggs and sugar on medium-high speed for 5 minutes.
- Once the egg and sugar mixture has tripled in volume, slowly add the hot milk mixture, mixing on low speed until incorporated. Add the dry ingredients in two batches, mixing after each addition until just incorporated.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour, checking at 55 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake should come out clean, with a few crumbs attached, but do not over-bake.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before inverting onto a cooling rack or serving plate to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar if desired.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Milk: This recipe uses a technique called scalding which heats the milk, thus the name Hot Milk Cake. Do not substitute buttermilk.
- Yield: This cake makes 12 delicious slices of Hot Milk Cake (or more or less depending on how you slice it).
- Storage: Store extra cake covered at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Cool Hot Milk Cake to room temperature, then wrap tightly in a double layer of plastic wrap, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight at room temperature.
My grandmother shared this recipe with me over 25 years ago. Hot milk cake is about the only cake I make.
I have use almond, rum, lemon extracts to vary. I dust with powdered sugar and it’s perfect every time. Love, Love it!
Hi Linda, I love it! Take care! – Meggan
Delicious! I reduced the sugar to 1 1/4 cup. It is very good and smells amazing. I will reduce the sugar to 3/4 cup next time. We like things lightly sweetened. Thanks for the recipe. Served it with strawberries and whipped cream.
You’re welcome, Tina! I’m so glad you love this cake! – Meggan
Can I use Pastry flour instead of all purpose flour?
Hi Ellen, I’ve never tried this recipe with pastry flour so I couldn’t say for sure if it would be okay. Sorry about that! – Meggan
Can I make this cake in a 9/13 cake pan? Can you tell me the temperature to bake it at and how long to bake the cake?
Thank you
This turned out wonderful. While not a cake lover, this was more of a sponge cake, very light, light sweet taste. I halved the recipe and used my small bundt cake pan I use in my 3 qt instant pot (not sure how many cups and forgot to measure before greasing and flouring. I filled it about 3/4 full and had enough for a small pan on the side. The cake rose to the top of the cake pan. My favorite part is the crunchy part on the top. I almost didn’t flip it over on a plate. Thanks for this recipe
Just one of me, so am wondering if I halve the recipe, will all instructions remain the same( 5 minute mixing of eggs and sugar or unti triples)?)? I have a smaller bundt pan so I know to check the cake after maybe 45 minutes??? Does that sound about right? I know I can freeze but I am not a huge cake lover, though this recipe might make me one. Thanks for the recipe. I am 74 and do remember hearing about a milk cake before.
Hi Luci, yes! Hope you enjoy! – Meggan
May one use almond milk and gluten free flour in this reciepe?
Hi Gladys, I’m sorry but I’ve never tested this so I’m not sure it would work. I’m sorry about that! – Meggan
Hi, I’m looking to make this cake on the weekend. I was wondering if you could substitute the plain flour for self raising flour/cake flour. If so would you reduce or omit the baking powder? Also would you know if these can be made as cupcakes? Thank you. Saima
Hi Saima, I haven’t tested for either of these variations but another reader has successfully used cake flour as a substitute! Hope this helps. – Meggan
Very nice! I used AP flour, cocoa powder in the dry ingredients, while white milk that needed used up and almond emulsion instead of vanilla extract. Next time, I might cut the sugar back to 1.5 cups, but this is a lovely and easy cake!
Thanks Kait, sounds great! – Meggan
This is lovely!!!
Followed the recipe to a T. It’s delicious just sprinkled with icing sugar! Light, fluffy, sweet.
Will definitely be keeping this one for future!!
Thanks Rebecca, so glad you enjoyed! – Meggan
DELICIOUS AND VERY EASY. I,VE MADE PLAIN CAKE SEVERAL TIMES AND TODAY DECIDED
TO ADD TO IT… ADDED 1 CUP CHUNKY PEANUT BUTTER (TO HOT MILK) AND PUT SALTY PEANUTS
ON TOP. I ALSO USED WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR AS THAT WAS ALL THAT I HAD. IT IS DELICIOUS!!!
Thank you Robinia, sounds great! – Meggan