Hot Milk Cake
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My old-fashioned Hot Milk Cake recipe makes a dense yellow cake topped with a thick layer of chocolate fudge frosting. It’s a simple and easy cake, with no layering or decorating required. Recipe includes a how-to video!
Soft & Simple Hot Milk Cake
This old-fashioned hot milk cake is a must-share recipe from my grandmother’s recipe book. It’s a soft, but dense cake that reminds me of a cross between vanilla cake and pound cake. It’s topped off with a decadent fudgy frosting. I’ve re-created so many of my grandmother’s recipes (have you tried her apple dumplings?!), but this is definitely one of my family’s favorites!
There’s a lot to love about this cake, but it’s that thick, luscious, glossy, fudgy layer of chocolate frosting that really gets me. At first glance, the icing resembles a classic chocolate ganache, but it’s actually quite different. It’s very easy to make on the stove, and the end result is a smooth, glossy frosting that reminds me of fudge once it’s cooled.
My grandmother would make this for dessert every Sunday, but it would make a unique birthday cake or snacking cake as well. It’s also a perfect recipe for bakers who struggle with decorating, since the icing just gets poured on. So simple, yet so satisfying!
What You Need
This cake comes together with a few basic ingredients. You’ll need:
- Baking powder. I accidentally say baking soda in the video, but it’s baking powder you need.
- Eggs. For best results, make sure your eggs are at room temperature before you start.
- Milk. The star of the recipe! I prefer to use whole milk in this recipe and recommend you do the same for best results. An alternative or lower fat milk may result in a cake that’s a little dry.
- Chocolate. You’ll need some chopped unsweetened baking chocolate for today’s frosting. Many of you have asked if you can use cocoa powder instead of unsweetened chocolate. While I think this could work I’m not sure exactly how much you’d need.
- Butter. My grandmother’s original recipe used shortening in the frosting, but I prefer butter. You can use whatever you like!
SAM’S TIP: I made today’s cake in a bundt pan, but I use a 13×9 in my video. The recipe includes instructions for baking in either dish.
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Hot Milk Cake
- Beat the eggs them until they are pale yellow and well-beaten.
- Add the sugar and vanilla extract.
- Whisk together your dry ingredients in a separate bow, then stir them into your egg mixture.
- Heat together the milk and butter until it comes to a boil, then stir this boiling hot milk mixture into your cake batter. Be careful not to splash yourself!
- Pour the batter (it will be thin!) into a prepared pan.
- Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs! Let it cool before frosting.
SAM’S TIP: Switch to a spatula once you begin combining your wet and dry ingredients to avoid over-mixing your cake. An over-mixed cake will be dry.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can store this cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Yes! If you’re using weights, it will be the same amount. If you’re using cups, you’ll need to use 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cake flour for every cup of all-purpose flour.
Before we add the milk to the cake, we will scald (or boil!) it first. Most cakes use either cold or room temperature milk, so this cake is unique and certainly lives up to its name!
One of my sisters is known for cutting her slices of this cake extra wide on top and narrowed to practically nothing at the bottom to maximize her frosting to cake ratio. Smart!
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
Hot Milk Cake
Equipment
- Bundt Pan (or 9×13 baking pan)
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup (236 ml) whole milk
- ½ cup (113 g) butter, 1 stick, cut into pieces
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder, note: I say "baking soda" in the video but this is incorrect, you need baking powder.
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
FUDGE ICING
- 3 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter¹, cut into 4 pieces
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) whole milk
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups (250 g) powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and grease and flour a tube pan (you may instead make this recipe in a 13×9” sheet pan). Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat eggs until well-beaten and pale yellow (about 30 seconds on medium speed).4 large eggs
- Add sugar and vanilla extract and stir until well-combined.2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ¾ teaspoon salt
- Gradually add flour mixture to egg mixture, stirring until combined.
- Combine milk and butter in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium/high heat. Set aside.1 cup (236 ml) whole milk, ½ cup (113 g) butter
- Add melted milk/butter mixture and stir until combined. Batter will be thin.
- Pour into prepared pan and bake 350F (175C) for 40 minutes (if using a 13×9” pan, cake will need to bake 25-30 minutes).
- If you made this cake in a 13×9" pan, allow to cool completely in baking dish. If you baked in a bundt pan, allow cake to cool for 15 minutes and then invert onto cooling rack. Allow cake to cool completely before covering with Fudge Icing.
FUDGE ICING
- Combine chopped chocolate, butter, and milk in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir frequently until chocolate and butter are completely melted².3 oz unsweetened chocolate, 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter¹, ⅓ cup (80 ml) whole milk
- Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract and salt. Whisk in powdered sugar until fudge icing is smooth and glossy. Allow to cool, whisking frequently, until icing is cool and no longer runny, then pour over cake.³¼ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 cups (250 g) powdered sugar
- Allow icing to set and then slice and enjoy!
Notes
¹Butter in the frosting
My grandmother’s original recipe calls for shortening (like Crisco) rather than butter, and this seems to result in a slightly stiffer frosting. Feel free to use whichever you prefer or happen to have on hand. If the butter begins to separate, don’t panic, everything will come back together when you add your sugar.³A note on pouring the frosting
If you made this hot milk cake in a bundt pan, let the icing thicken a bit before pouring so it doesn’t just run off the sides. If you made this cake in a 13×9″ dish, I recommend leaving it in the dish (I never turn it out onto a cooling rack) and you may pour it as soon as you have your frosting ingredients all whisked together. The edges of the pan will contain the frosting and keep any excess from going anywhere!Storing
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
This cake is really good! I made it once following the recipe exactly and it has a very comforting, “down home” taste that is just moist enough and not overly sweet. I just made a second one that I will use for my birthday cake, but I used browned butter with the milk. If the scraps from the pan are to be trusted, it tastes amazingly buttery but loses some of the “down home” feel. Still great, though, and thank you so much for this recipe!
Thank you so much, Wes! I love that you experimented with brown butter the second time around and happy to know that you enjoyed it both ways. Thanks for trying my recipe. I hope that you had a wonderful birthday. 🙂
So searching for a recipe to try for my upcoming birthday. This sparked memories of growing up. My Grandma & Mama has a hot milk cake in the recipe box. One of the first cakes I made from scratch.
One question- I only have Hershey cocoa on hand. Is there a way to make the frosting with it instead? If not, I’ve got a handed down recipe for a cooked fudge like frosting I can use but wanted to check.
Thanks for all your recipes! I only get compliments when I use them!
I love that this brought back memories for you, Carol! Unfortunately I’m honestly not entirely sure how to adjust the frosting to make it with cocoa instead of with the chocolate as written. While I would imagine there must be a way to do it, without experimenting myself with it I just can’t say for sure, I’m sorry 🙁
I’m glad to hear you have been enjoying the recipes and hope you love the hot milk cake just as much as others you have tried 🙂
hello Sam, i just looked at the video for your cake it looks delicious and iv’e been scrolling for cake recipes to bake and i feel its the one, bu in order to make this cake i need to know thees questions:
1. is it okay if i bake it in an 6 by 8 round cake pan
2. would it be a good recipe to use food coloring
3. would it be a good cake to carve, and decorate
i hope that you could answer, have a good day!
hello Sam, i just looked at the video for your cake it looks delicious and iv’e been scrolling for cake recipes to bake and i feel its the one, bu in order to make this cake i need to know thees questions:
1. is it okay if i bake it in an 6 by 8 round cake pan
2. would it be a good recipe to use food coloring
3. would it be a good cake to carve, and decorate
i hope that you could answer, and that i could use this cake, if not, id be really disappointed, but i’d understand i if could’t but im really hoping so, have a good day pls reply
Hello, Zay! Thank you for taking the time to check out my recipe and watch the video on how to make hot milk cake. To answer your questions… Yes, you can bake it in a 6″x8″ pan, however, you may have some extra batter. I also recommend keeping an eye on the bake time. I personally have not added food coloring to this cake, but I think it will work well. Lastly, It is a dense cake, so I think you will be ok for carving (again, I haven’t personally tried it). I hope that you enjoy the Hot Milk Cake. I would love to see the final creation! If you post it on Instagram, please tag me by using #sugarspunrun. Happy Baking! 🙂
Perfect cake. Texture. Density and taste.
Perfect cake. Texture, density, icing and taste!
Thank you so much, Julie! I am so glad that you enjoyed the hot milk cake. 🙂
Hi there!
So, I can’t say much about this recipe as of right now, but I just felt like (selfish of me really) complimenting you on a couple things I’ve noticed during these last several videos of yours. In this particular video the wine red like color you were wearing is really a nice color on you, it really compliments your skin tone. I also think that your eye makeup is fabulous! You really know how to accentuate your eyes and the color, oh my, it really is gorgeous! It is just really nice to see people put time and money into themselves and take care of themselves, I just really credit you for doing that and for caring. Not to say that not looking your best is a sin, I just am saying it’s nice to see someone take care of there appearance. I don’t mean to sound rude or accusing or creepy, I just want to compliment you on that. You are beautiful, and I hope you are blessed for all that you put into life and other peoples lives, like ours! 🙂 Sweetly, Selah
Thank you so much, Selah! This comment made my day. It’s always nice to hear something nice about yourself. 🙂
Your so welcome! I’m so glad to know that!! It is, it really is!
Hi Sam! My 4 year old daughter and I made this cake yesterday and we all loved it. It is sooo good. Thanks for sharing. Btw, my daughter loves watching your cooking videos and gives you a literal thumbs up at the end every time 😊
Thank you so much Marlene! That is so sweet. 🙂 I am so glad you enjoyed the hot milk cake and I hope your daughter continues to love watching the videos. 🙂
Hi Sam, I can’t wait to try this recipe! What is the weight of a stick of butter? I live in Wales, UK and love following your recipes and have delighted my family with my baking, thanks to you! However, I do sometimes have to translate into British! Generally all works well but I am not sure what a stick of butter equates to as we don’t use this in the UK!
Bitsie xxxx
Hello, Bitsie! I’m sorry I usually add this. I will update the recipe now. The weight of one stick of butter is 113g. Let me know how your hot milk turns out! 🙂
Hi Sam, thank you for adding the weight of the butter for me. I made this cake this afternoon, and it is delicious 😋! Thank you so much for adding another wonderful tasting – and looking – cake to my repertoire, and my appreciative family thank you too! I am looking forward already to your next posting.
Bitsie
Wales, UK
You’re very welcome, Bitsie! I always try to include weights in all my newer recipes and just happened to miss the butter there so I’m glad you caught that! So glad you liked the hot milk cake, thank you so much for commenting and following along! <3
Hi Sam! Can’t wait to make this. (And I love your videos!) I noticed that the recipe calls for baking powder but you say baking soda in the video. I believe baking powder is what is called for here? Just want to confirm. Thanks!
Thanks so much for catching that! Yes, you will want to use baking powder for this recipe. 🙂
Can this be made as a 2 or 3 layer cake. I use 8 inch pans for a 3 layer .
Hello, Carole! Yes, they can be made in multiple layers. I would just keep an eye on the baking time. 🙂
Thx will let you know how it turns out!
The cake looks so good. I was wondering if you thought this would work for a pineapple upside down cake? Just put the brown sugar and pineapple on bottom before adding the cake batter?
Hello, Susan! Thank you! I do have a Pineapple Upside-Down Cake that you would probably enjoy as well. Let me know how you like it! 🙂
Hi Sam. I have not yet tried this recipe but I have included it on my “To Do” list. It looks delicious!! I was curious if you have a recipe for Boston Cream Pie? My son will be turning 17 in October and has requested this from me. His wish is that I make him a homemade dessert every year for his birthday instead of the store-bought kind. So, this year he said he would like to try a Boston Cream Pie and I have never made one before.
Hello, Dusty! I do not have a boston cream pie recipe live on my blog at the moment, but I can give a recommendation.
Here is the link.
Let me know how it turns out! 🙂
THis looks amazing! Can this stay out on the counter after being made or does it have to stay in the fridge? Thank you!!
Thank you, Tara! Yes, the hot milk cake can stay on the counter after it is made. I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
I use a similar recipe which I got from my great Aunt. (Grandmom’s sister). Been using it for years ever since I learned to bake at about 8 years old. It’s called a Hot Milk Layer cake and the best tasting vanilla sponge ever. Thanks for this. Will compare recipes.
Thank you, Lesley! I hope that you enjoy the recipe! 🙂
Making this for my birthday cake. Tomorrow!! Yes I make my own cake. Lol
Happy (early) Birthday to you, Jacquelyn! I hope that you enjoy the Hot Milk Cake and your special day. 🙂