Hot Milk Cake

An old-fashioned recipe for Hot Milk Cake! This dense yellow cake is covered with a thick layer of chocolate fudge frosting! Can be made in either a bundt pan or a 13x9" pan!

Be sure to check out the VIDEO below the recipe!

Course Cake, Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Servings slices

Calories 306kcal

Author Sam Merritt

Ingredients

4 large eggs
1 cup whole milk (236ml)
½ cup butter 1 stick, cut into pieces, (113g)
2 cups granulated sugar (400g)
¾ teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour (250g)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

FUDGE ICING

3 oz unsweetened chocolate chopped
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter¹ cut into 4 pieces
⅓ cup whole milk (80ml)
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar (250g)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and grease and flour a tube pan (you may instead make this recipe in a 13x9” 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).
Add sugar and vanilla extract and stir until well-combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and 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.
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 13x9” pan, cake will need to bake 25-30 minutes).
If you made this cake in a 13x9" 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.
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.³
Allow icing to set and then slice and enjoy!

Video

Notes

¹My 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.

²If butter begins to separate, don't panic, everything will come back together when you add your sugar.

³If 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 13x9" 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!

Nutrition