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
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
Recommended Equipment
- Bundt Pan (or 9×13 baking pan)
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
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Lauren
Do you sift any of the dry ingredients?
Sam
I do not 🙂
Michelle
I made this today with eggs from our chickens and fresh milk from my goats. It was amazing! Definitely a recipe I will make again. The chocolate frosting was heavenly!
Sam
I’m so glad to hear this, Michelle! The chocolate frosting is my favorite part 😉 Thank you so much for commenting and letting me know how it turned out for you, I really appreciate it! 🙂
Ana Maria Arnau Nanton
thabks ita great and easy to make
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you found the cake recipe easy to follow and delicious, Ana! Thank you for commenting. 🙂
Tia
Can this be made with Cake Flour?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Tia! Yes, you can! To substitute cake flour for all-purpose flour use 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cake flour for every cup of all-purpose flour. I hope that you enjoy the cake! Happy Baking. 🙂
Tia
Thanks for your response. Have you tried add chocolate chips 🙂
Sugar Spun Run
I have not personally, however, others have and enjoyed it. If you try it, I’d reccomend tossing the chocolate chips in a little flour before adding it to the batter. This will help prevent them from sinking. 🙂
Hansa
I made this today and I love how soft and milky it is. 😍 It nicely melts in the mouth. I’m not much of a chocolate fan but everyone else said the frosting was heavenly. Thank you for the recipe.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that everyone enjoyed the cake and loved the chocolatey frosting, Hansa! Thank you for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Robin Martin
Your recipe calls for whole milk, but right now we have an abundance of 1% due to the school lunch meal programs. Would that turn out the same or will it make a difference?
Thanks!
Sam
Hi Robin! I would be worried about reducing the fat that much, but since that’s all you have it would definitely be worth a shot. The cake may not be as moist and the crumb not as tender. If you try it I would love to know how it turns out. 🙂
Elain Sulewski
When I make this cake eggs and sugar are mixed together, add flower, then sprinkle baking soda on top of batter pour heated milk and butter over batter, let it react for 2 to 3 min, gentle mix, add vanilla mix and pour into pan.
Camille
It’s taking a heck of a lot of will power not to eat a second slice right now! I halved both recipes just to test out (I baked it an 8×8” pan) and the cake turned out AMAZING! The texture is really lovely and the fudge icing is truly addicting… I’m going to use it as donut and cupcake icing in the future. Yum!
This won’t last too long, but how do you store this cake? Refrigerated?
Next time I see my family again, I’ll be bringing this over… Thank you!
Sam
Hi Camille! I’m so glad you enjoyed the cake so much. You can have a second piece I won’t judge. 😉 You can store this cake at room temperature in an air tight container. 🙂
Manga
Can you make this cake without the electric mixer?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Manga! Yes, you can! You will just want to hand mix until all ingredients are combined. 🙂
Paula
Delicious
Sam
Thank you so much, Paula! 🙂
Jackie
Thanks for this recipe. I can’t wait to try it as my mom always made this when we were young and I lost her recipe. She topped it with powered sugar instead of frosting but otherwise it sounds like the same recipe. ❤️
Sugar Spun Run
I am excited for you to try this recipe, Jackie! I hope that it is close to what your mother used to make and brings back wonderful memories for you. Enjoy! 🙂
Gayatri
Just loved this recipe (and so did family – all finished by evening). Esp. With the shortage of cocoa powder given the lockdown was looking for a recipe which would be cocoa free. Thank you once again for posting (as always) an awesome recipe.
This cake was also very easy to make. So 5* s for that.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed, Gayatri! Thank you so much for commenting!
Marloes
This is a lovely recipe! I made it without the frosting (chocolate allergy…), but with spilling the hot milk over myself (you have wisely written a warning, but oops anyway, I guess)… and it is delicious and light! I’ll be making it much more often after today, as it’s been happily approved :). Thank you for sharing it, and thank your grandmother for getting it in the first place.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the recipe, Marloes! Thank you for trying it and for commenting. 🙂
Gina
Do you heat the milk for the recipe?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Gina! Yes, you do! You will see that listed in step 5 of the directions. There is also a video available that will walk you through my process that others have found helpful. Enjoy!
PAT MOONEY
LOOKS WONDERFUL! cAN YOU USE UNSWETENED COCCA POWDER?
Sam
Hi Pat! I haven’t tried making the frosting with cocoa powder so I’m not certain how it would work or what other substitutions would need to be made, unfortunately. If you try it would you let me know how it turns out for you?
Sue
This was brilliant! I don’t have a lot of ingredients on hand what with the current situation so this recipe worked wonderfully. I halved the recipe for an 8 inch round pan and used 3 tbsp of cocoa powder (that’s all I had) instead of chocolate for the frosting. It tasted just perfect. Husband loved the very clean milky taste of the cake. Such a dream. Thank you.
Sugar Spun Run
What an awesome comment to receive, Sue. Thank you! I am so glad that this cake could bring you some joy and comfort during these uncertain times. I am happy that you all enjoyed it. Thanks for commenting. 🙂