Hot Milk Cake

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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.

A hot milk cake on a cooling rack.


 

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.

Recipe ingredients

Labeled ingredients for hot milk cake.

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

  1. 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.
Dry ingredients for hot milk cake next to a greased bundt pan.
  1. 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.
Butter, milk, and vanilla cooking in a saucepan.
  1. Meanwhile, in an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine eggs and sugar on medium-high speed for 5 minutes.
Hot milk cake batter in a mixing bowl.
  1. 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.
Hot milk cake batter in a mixing bowl.
  1. 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.
Hot milk cake cooling in a bundt pan.
  1. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before inverting onto a cooling rack or serving plate to cool completely.
A hot milk cake on a cooling rack.
  1. Dust with powdered sugar if desired.
A hot milk cake on a cooling rack.

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, and use scalded chocolate milk to the batter 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.
Slices of hot milk cake on plates.

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:

  1. Bring butter, evaporated milk, and sugar to a boil, stirring to melt the sugar.
  2. Remove from heat and stir in coconut and chopped nuts.
  3. Spread mixture on the warm cake and place under the broiler until golden, watching the topping closely.
Slices of hot milk cake on plates.

Recipe FAQs

What is the history of Hot Milk Cake?

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.

Can you reduce the amount of sugar in Hot Milk Cake?

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.

How do you serve Hot Milk Cake?

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

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A hot milk cake on a cooling rack.

Hot Milk Cake

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.
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 12 servings (1 slice each)
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Calories 307
4.98 from 246 votes

Ingredients 

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

  1. Milk: This recipe uses a technique called scalding which heats the milk, thus the name Hot Milk Cake. Do not substitute buttermilk.
  2. Yield: This cake makes 12 delicious slices of Hot Milk Cake (or more or less depending on how you slice it).
  3. Storage: Store extra cake covered at room temperature for up to 4 days.
  4. 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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 307kcalCarbohydrates: 50gProtein: 5gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 77mgSodium: 355mgPotassium: 77mgFiber: 1gSugar: 34gVitamin A: 349IUCalcium: 78mgIron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe?Tag @culinaryhill on Instagram so we can admire your masterpiece! #culinaryhill
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Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.

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Comments

  1. This was delicious! I did halve the sugar and it turned out perfectly sweet. I also wanted to use some peaches I canned last summer, and since I made it in the bundt pan I figured an upside-down cake might not be the best way to go since it would compete with the pretty pattern the bundt pan makes. So I put the peach slices on top of the cake before I put it in the oven and when the cake was done and I cut into it, I was delighted to see that they migrated down to the bottom (which was actually the top) of the cake and they made a pretty and delicious addition to the cake.

  2. This was very good and pretty easy. Next one I will make it as a chocolate cake.

    Made the vanilla one this time and put Lemon Curd on the slices!!5 stars

    1. Hi Wendy, a reader wrote they baked this recipe as cupcakes and they took about 25 to 30 minutes. Mini cupcakes would take less time, approximately 15 to 20. The bake time will likely vary for your oven, so keep an eye on them and bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean, with a few crumbs attached. Just make sure to not over-bake. Happy baking! – Meggan

    1. Hi Molly, I haven’t tried it myself, so I can’t say for sure. Sorry about that. While I do think you can, it may take some adjusting to make sure the cake comes out properly. I would instead add some orange zest to the batter, and use some orange juice and zest in a powdered sugar icing instead of dusting the cake with regular powdered sugar. Here’s the recipe to make the icing, and I would use some juice instead of some or all of the milk. https://www.culinaryhill.com/powdered-sugar-icing/ I hope this helps! – Meggan

  3. This cake was seriously the BEST cake I have every tried from scratch….I only baked 45 minutes and it was perfect….my oven tends to bake faster when it comes to cakes. Everyone from my hubby, inlaws, toddlers, neighbors, they all Loved it! Thank you so much…..the best part is that it was Easy and Quick.I will make it again soon with a berry and whipped cream frosting filling…just didn’t have room to refrigerate it…and there was not a crumb left over!!!5 stars

    1. I’m so happy it was a hit, Gloria! You’re so welcome. I hope the next one is just as great! (Berries and whipped cream sound amazing!) – Meggan

    1. Hi Ellen, thank you so much for your question. A reader wrote they baked this recipe as cupcakes and they took about 25 to 30 minutes. Mini cupcakes would take less time, approximately 15 to 20. The bake time will likely vary for your oven, so keep an eye on them and bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean, with a few crumbs attached. Just make sure to not over-bake. Happy baking! – Meggan

  4. Made it twice with half the sugar (children). Both times amazing it’s a foolproof recipe. Thank you for sharing it.5 stars

  5. I found this recipe because I was looking for something that uses a lot of milk.

    This tasted amazing substituted with 100% whole wheat king arthur’s flour. I also used half the sugar (turbinado). I’m sure the original version is delicious, too. If you are someone who cuts sugar down in recipes like I do, this one works amazing!

    I did not make the topping because I prefer things a bit less sweet, and I’m excited to try adding cardamom next time.

    I know that I didn’t follow the recipe exactly. I am giving it five stars because of how flexible it was.5 stars

    1. Hi Sai, I’m delighted that you loved it and found it flexible! Take care! – Meggan

  6. This was a delicious cake for our Easter dinner this year. The recipe was very clear and easy to follow. I baked it in three 8-inch circular baking pans for about 15 minutes.
    I made lemon curd, which I put between two of the layers. The top layer was dusted with power sugar with sliced strawberries on top. Yummy, yummy 😋

    1. Hi Teresa, yes. I would still bake them at 325 degrees and check for doneness at 30 minutes. I hope you love it! – Meggan

  7. Step 2 says heat over low- then reduce to low
    Did I miss something?
    If it’s on low the whole time how do you reduce temp to low?
    Should the melt temp instructions be a higher temp?

    1. Hi Pam, thank you so much for your comment! It should be written as reduce to very low, just to keep the mixture warm but not scald the milk. Thank you for taking the time to ask. I’ve updated it in the recipe. Take care and I hope you love this cake! – Meggan

  8. Hello, I’ve been wanting to make hot milk cake but was a bit shocked about the huge amount of sugar, 400g is almost double the amount of flour. Is it possible to reduce the sugar without damaging the structural integrity of this type of cake?

    1. Hi Elizia, yes! Other readers have reduced the sugar down to 1 cup (201 g) and wrote that it came out well and less sweet. Hope this helps! – Meggan

  9. This recipe is perfect. Everyone had second slices. I follow your advice an used homemade cake flour. The texture and flavor were absolutely perfect.5 stars

  10. This is a great recipe, reminiscent of pound cake =]. My husband and mother love it! The only thing that happened for me when making this cake was that it fell toward the end of the bake time. I used 1% milk because it was all I had. It fell, but it was still moist and soft and tasted delicious! Love it.5 stars

  11. I’m very disappointed with this recipe I followed it to the letter and even after 1 hour and 25 minutes at 325 f it was still not done. I know my stove is working properly I bake very often……could there be a mistake in the baking temp or amount of time? I cannot understand why this happened could some of the volume measures be incorrect?

    1. Hi Harry, I’m so sorry your cake took so long to bake. Is it possible that you didn’t have the baking rack in the correct position? There should have been room for the hot air to circulate around the cake. Also, did you use an oven thermometer to make sure the oven was at the correct temperature? So sorry again! – Meggan

    1. Hi Carina, I have never personally made it that way, but other readers have. I would keep all measurements the same, and plan to keep the bake time the same, but do make sure to check it 5-10 minutes before the full hour. Take care! – Meggan

  12. 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 you5 stars

    1. Ellen, In case you haven’t found an answer yet, I had the same question and found an answer on the King Arthur baking website. For a 9×13 pan, it says to bake it @325 for 40 to 45 minutes.

  13. 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!

  14. 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.5 stars

    1. 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

    2. 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 you5 stars

  15. 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

  16. 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.

    1. 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

  17. 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

    1. 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

  18. 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!5 stars

  19. 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!!5 stars

  20. 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!!!5 stars

  21. Loved this cake!! It was gone in minutes. Is it possible to use gluten free flour? I want to make it for a friends bday

    Thanks

    1. Hi Erica, I haven’t tested this with gluten-free flour but a few other readers have! One used half coconut flour and half gluten-free flour and the other subbed with gluten-free flour entirely and both were successful! Hope this helps. – Meggan

  22. Excellent, easy, really foolproof recipe! I make cakes all the time, but never a hot milk version. It produces a denser, very moist cake. I’ve made this many times since and my family loves it every time. Thank you for this easy recipe!5 stars

  23. Worst result I’ve ever had baking…did everything to a t… watched the video… went over the ingredients and directions several times…made sure my Bundt pan was greased and floured….not only did it not rise or but it seemed like it fell.. it didn’t even come out of the Bundt pan…. waste of time and money to buy ingredients… I’m at high altitude so I don’t know if I should added something to the mix… either way it’s inedible I hope the chickens will at least eat it ….

    1. Hi Gabriel, I’m so sorry that this was such a bad experience. I’ve not gotten the opportunity to test this for high altitude baking, but keeping the altitude in mind, I would suggest baking the cake at a higher temperature by 15 to 25 degrees, and the baking time reduced. Again, I’m so sorry your cake was ruined! Hopefully these adjustments could help in the future. -Meggan

  24. Made this cake for the first time with a few changes which may explain why it overflowed in the bundt pan and then sank in the middle?! Fortunately, all was fine once the cake was inverted because it looked and tasted great! I made the Apricot Almond Hot Milk Cake version per the recipe except I also substituted one egg with 4 Tb egg whites. Per recipe options, I used 1 cup almond flour and 1 cup all purpose flour. I also added 1/4 cup chopped dried apricots and 1/4 cup slivered almonds. Could any of these changes have caused my cake to fall? Next time, I will make the original recipe!4 stars

    1. Hi Diane! Wow, sorry about your cake! It may have been all the substitutions, or sometimes cakes can fall if they are over mixed or they are not all the way done when pulled out of the oven. I’m so sorry about your cake! – Meggan

  25. I make this cake all the time and add a cinnamon sugar topping to it at the end of baking.Once the cake is baked, I poke holes with a fork then drizzle melted butter on the top and then sprinkle cinnamon sugar over. It is delicious!5 stars

  26. I just made this and it was SO DELICIOUS! I am 70 years old and have cooked and baked for about 50 years. I never have seen a recipe called hot milk cake until today. Maybe because my mom was from Paris, France and she taught me different types of baking. I switched out a few ingredients: 1 cup flour 1 cup coconut flour, 1 cup coconut milk, 1 1/2 cups vanilla sugar, 3 teaspoons vanilla. I used a flute pan.
    DELICIOUS, DELICIOUS, DELICIOUS! Thank you! We have a new delious coconut “pound” cake! YUM, YUM, YUM!5 stars

  27. honestly just a baked dude who makes baked stuff when baked sometimes and this is really good and easy to make lol

  28. Can you clarify the chocolate version? Are you using BOTH cocoa powder AND chocolate milk? Or just adding the cocoa power to the milk and that’s what makes it chocolate-y enough? Also, ever tried with whole milk?
    Thank you!

  29. This cake had a nice texture and flavor, but I found it too sweet. Might try making it again with less sugar.4 stars

    1. Hi Antoinette, I don’t see why not. Make sure you let the cake cool completely, and then I would recommend wrapping it in press n’ seal first, and then a layer of aluminum foil after that. It should be good for 4-6 months!

  30. I had milk that was about to expire.
    Excellent recipe. Easy to follow and execute.
    I will have fun with this recipe. I think this cake will taste nice with fruit compote and whipped cream.4 stars

    1. Hi Jean, I’m so sorry your cake deflated! My instinct is that the cake wasn’t all the way cooked through when you pulled it out. Sometimes cakes can have a nice golden edge developing, while still needing a little more time for the middle to cook properly. Did you check it with a toothpick or a skewer prior to pulling it out? I’m so sorry again, Jean. – Meggan

    2. Made it yesterday and mine deflated too. It was what my mom used to say was a “sad” cake meaning that it fell. I’ve read some recipes that say to only bake it 30 minutes and when mixing to beat 10 minutes….which is right?

  31. This recipe is exactly what I remember it tasting like when I was little! Perfection! I used 1.5 cups of sugar instead to cut down a bit and was still perfect, I’ll try with 1 cup next time! My kids devoured the whole cake within hours! Thanks you for this awesome recipe!!!5 stars

    1. Hi Sarah, the dry ingredients should be mixed in on low speed, not beaten or folded in. Sorry it turned out dense, you may have had the speed to high or mixed it too long! I’m glad you enjoyed it! – Meggan

  32. I want to make this recipe for a Boston Cream Pie. Can I put the batter in a 9 inch pan. Would I need two pans? Also I see some have substituted cake flour. Would you recommend that?

    1. Hi Terri, I haven’t tested the recipe that way so I don’t know for sure on your questions. I would say that yes, you will need 2 9-inch cake pans because the batter won’t all fit in one. I don’t personally specifically recommend cake flour because I haven’t tried it with that. I’d rather not ruin your day/waste your ingredients with something I haven’t tried. Sorry about that! Good luck. -Meggan

  33. Hi , Can any fruits be added to this cake? LIke apples to amke it an apple cake? Blue berries to make it blueberry cake? Etc.

    1. Hi Anne, I am not really sure without making it. It’s possible, but it’s equally possible that it might just be a disaster. I would love to try it out someday so I can say for sure, but for now, I don’t know! If I were going to try it, though, I would try blueberries first. They are low in moisture (vs. strawberries or raspberries or apples) and so they seem least likely to ruin your day. But again I can’t say for sure. I don’t want your cake to be terrible! Sorry about that! Good luck! -Meggan

  34. My ex made this as a hot milk orange cake. I know he used htated orange peel and used the juice from the orange. Would you know how much juice to use.

    1. Hi Debbie, that sounds delicious! I wouldn’t know without testing it. I won’t have time to test it anytime soon, but I can add it to my list for the future. Sorry about that! Thanks. -Meggan

  35. Made this cake yesterday with cake flour and 1 and 3/4 cups sugar. Took it out after 55 minutes. It’s delicious! This will be a favorite. So glad I found it- thank you!

    1. Hi Tia, I think you should be able to make it with cake flour, but I have never personally made it that way. It could change the texture a little bit, and may cause it to rise more. If I were testing it this way today, I would keep all measurements the same, and plan to keep the bake time the same, but do make sure to check it 5-10 minutes before the full hour. Good luck! -Meggan

    2. Thank you for your response. If I want to add chocolate chips, how much quantity would you suggest?

    3. Hi Tia, I have never done it with chocolate chips either, I’m so sorry about that. I looked back through the comments though, and found this response from a reader: “My mother made this cake. Therefore I make this cake all the time . This is my go to cake Sometime I put in finely chopped walnuts or mini chocolate chips. It makes a great layer cake (8or 9 inch pans (30 min). Cupcakes just adjust time (25-30 min) My aunt Made this cake during the war using water instead of milk.”

      Unfortunately, she didn’t specify what quantity to use. I would try 1/4 to 1/2 cup. Good luck!

    4. I made this with cake flour. Although the edges were fluffy the center was super hard and had big gaps. Could you suggest if it was under baked or over baked?

    5. Hi Tia, I’m guessing it was over-baked. It sounds like the cake flour substitution didn’t work very well. I’m really sorry about that. It’s always risky to change recipes, I wish I had to a chance to test it before you did but I didn’t have time. I’m sorry about that. It’s a project for another day for sure! Thanks. -Meggan

    6. That’s why I wish recipes use weights not volume. I use cake flour in my recipe of hot milk cake and it comes out fluffy with fine crumb. The difference is that a cup of flour is 125 g if measured properly, not packed. Cake flour is 115 grams. If you use a scale, you will use 250 g no matter what flour you use. If you measure by cup, you need to add around 2 tablespoons cake flour to substitute for each cup flour. 2 cups all purpose flour equal 2 1/4 cups cake flour.
      People get different results on a good recipe because they measure a cup of flour by volume and it can be anywhere from 120 g to 150 g depending how packed the flour is when measured. Too little flour, cake sinks, too much, cake is hard and dry.

  36. I just made this cake. What a wonderful addition to my recipe folder. Can do so many variations, or just have it plain. Love it!5 stars

  37. I’m not able to give the recipe 5 stars because I’m wondering why my cake has black dots on it. I just flipped it out of the Bundt pan and the bottom and sides have many of them. Any suggestions? I followed the recipe as written.4 stars

    1. Hi Suzie, I’ve never heard of anyone having this problem. The only thing I can think of is that there was some reside left in the pan before you put in the batter? I’m really not sure, but feel free to send me a picture if you have one. I’m very sorry about that. -Meggan meggan@culinaryhill.com

  38. This was so good! Very easy to make & a big hit. I used a bundt cake pan and had no problems. Made it with no substitutions. Very light and just sweet enough. Family wants it again!5 stars

  39. I made the chocolate version with the caramel coconut topping. It was awesome! I made extra of the topping and I am glad I did only because my cake was slightly dry (I think it needed less time with the cocoa powder added to it or more liquid to compensate for that) and the extra sauce on each slice plus a scoop of vanilla bean homemade ice cream just made it divine. By far my favorite way to make chocolate cake though! Can’t wait to try the original with some lemon curd or some berry compote!5 stars

  40. My mother made this cake. Therefore I make this cake all the time . This is my go to cake Sometime I put in finely chopped walnuts or mini chocolate chips. It makes a great layer cake (8or 9 inch pans (30 min). Cupcakes just adjust time (25-30 min) My aunt Made this cake during the war using water instead of milk. She still did after the war.It tasted good only difference it was a bit heavier. My daughter when she was 6 made her uncle a feared cake each layer a different color red yellow green blue (very bold and bright) using wedding cake pans it tasted great …..if you wore sunglasses or closed your eyes,5 stars

  41. Hi Meggan
    This came out perfectly, just reduced the sugar to 1.75 cups instead of 2 cups – which was the perfect level of sweetness for us. Quick question – how long can it be stored at room temp in an airtight tin?
    Thank you

    1. Hi Reshma, I’m really glad you could change the recipe to suit your taste! That’s awesome. I would say the cake will be good for about 4 days at room temperature. In theory it could be longer, but I just suggest and go by the CDC regulations. You can always freeze part of it if you don’t think you’ll eat it all. That’s what I do with pretty much every cake I make – freeze half. Thank you! Take care. -Meggan

  42. This cake was delicious! And easy. Im not a baker, wanted to use up some milk. It came out perfect. I served it after dinner to guests. They loved it, even my mother loved it, and she isn’t a huge cake fan. I’ll use this recipe again for sure.5 stars

  43. My grandmother made this cake in a 9”X13” pan and put a fluffy soft icing on it and then covered it with coconut. I make it too, but leave off the coconut.

  44. Just took this out of the oven. It smells delicious. I added coconut flakes. Can’t wait to try it right now thank you for the recipe.5 stars

  45. Decided to make this to utilize some milk that I had in the fridge before it went bad, and it was delicious! I creamed the egg and sugar mixture for 10 minutes as mentioned in the post, and for a little fun I added some spices (cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and the likes). The major difference that I had was the cook time was only 30 minutes for me; had I left it any longer, it would’ve burned, so I am happy that I kept an eye on it. Thanks for a great recipe!5 stars

  46. Made this with the following additions: ¼ cup cocoa powder sifted with the flour, zest of two blood oranges added to the sugar, juice of 1 blood orange added to the milk/butter. It came out perfect.5 stars

  47. I have a question re: this recipe which states
    Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
    Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
    Servings 12 servings
    This doesn’t make sense. It shows bake for the same time it takes to prep and bake?
    Does this cake bake for 60 min and 30 min for prep.?
    I am making this cake right now and will check it in 60 min. to decide if I bake it for another 30 min.
    Thanks for your reply

    1. Hi Barbara, sorry for the confusion here. On my site, “cook time” is defined as the entire amount of time it takes to execute the instructions of a recipe. The “prep time” is how long it takes to prepare the ingredients before you start to execute the recipe (such as chopping vegetables or frying bacon if the recipe called for “bacon, fried and crumbled.” So here the 1 hour and 30 minutes is all the time it takes to heat the milk, mix the ingredients, bake the cake, whatever. It might not fit your personal definition but that is how I do it to keep things consistent across all recipes of all types. You should check your cake around 55 minutes, it should be finished baking around an hour. I hope this helps! Sorry again! Thanks – Meggan

  48. Hello. Been looking for a recipe for small cakes I want to make as gifts. I plan on using little rectangular disposable foil pans with clear lids. The dimensions of the pans are:
    Outer Dimensions:
    ► Upper part: 5 3/4″ x 4 3/4″
    Inner Dimensions:
    ► Upper part: 5” x 4”
    ► Height – 1 3/4″
    How long should I bake them for? Thank you.

  49. Love this rescipe. The directions were terrific. I have made this before ; but it never rose so much. It looks beautiful. Everyone read and reread directions. You will be pleasantly surprised.5 stars

  50. Hello :) I’ve read your comments and the other viewers comments and i’m a little confused. Do i use buttermilk or just milk as listed in ingredients list? 

    1. Hi Barb, I just sent you an email with a picture of what the cake batter should look like. While you *could* add more flour to the batter, 1). You shouldn’t have to, and 2). I don’t know what will happen if you do. Baking is a science and I don’t have a Ph.D. in it, I prefer to just follow recipes. But if you followed the recipe you shouldn’t have any problems. Let me know what happens! Thanks.

    1. Hi Barb, I use salted butter. In a perfect world it would be unsalted butter, but a lot of people don’t keep that on hand. So I tend to bake with salted butter, and I have never run into a problem doing that. However, every once in a while I will call out unsalted butter specifically if I think it actually matters. I just think in general a lot of people don’t buy/won’t buy unsalted butter. But of course in culinary school we are taught to ONLY bake with unsalted butter so… tough call. In my experience the cake tastes good either way. Thanks.

  51. Spongy, light, just sweet enough, delicious,  I am not a baker, this was a cheering moment in my kitchen.  Cup of tea, slice of Hot Milk Cake perfect.  Only mistake I made was to not grease and flour my bundt pan enough.  Stuck just a bit.  5 stars

  52. Just another pan size FYI – I was in a bit of a hurry and too lazy to dig out a bundt or tube pan, so I put it in a 13 x 9 glass baking dish and baked it for 45 minutes. It came out beautifully. I am dreaming of this cake with whipped cream and fresh picked strawberries when they come in season.5 stars

  53. My sweet mom always made this. My dad liked to shake the kitchen floor in hopes of the cake falling. He loved it that way lol. Making this now in loving memory. Thank you!   I enjoy reading and making recipes from the depression era. 5 stars

  54. I am from Wisconsin and have been making this cake for over 50 years. Great easy homemade cake. I also wil pour it into a cookie sheet with sides makes a terrific shortcake5 stars

  55. No, it will not fit an 8 inch round cake pan, unless you split batter in two, not one, pans. 
    Expect time it takes to bake to be less than the 60 minutes required for this recipe. I would try checking cake for doneness at the 30 minute mark. 

  56. Hi. I’m hoping to make this cake for the first time in a couple of days for my sons birthday?  But I only have the standard 8 inch sandwich cake tins. Will the cake bake ok in those?  Do I need to reduce the amount I place into the tins? And baking time? Thanks. Saima

  57. I just had my first crumbles of this (clearly didn’t grease and flour adequately, so I ate the pieces stuck in my bundt pan ;)). I could imagine so many sauce, glaze combos, with this awesome cake. I’ll be making it again soon. thanks for sharing. 5 stars

  58. I accidentally stumbled upon this recipe when I was researching cat head biscuits. With nothing better to do on a sub-zero, blizzardy day, I whipped up this super easy cake and it did not disappoint. I did a very (very) light dusting of powdered sugar, more for garnish than anything, but otherwise served plain. The cake is amazing – luscious flavor, moist and is definitely one I’ll make again and again. Thanks for sharing the recipe!5 stars

  59. It was delicious! I found this recipe recently and wanted to try it for our Christmas lunch, The family loved it. We just left it plain this time, though I may want to add a topping next time. Or I may just leave it as it is (plain). It’s a recipe to keep and share!

    Thank you for the recipe! It’s one we definitely plan on making again.5 stars

  60. So good, just like my grandmother used to make. Except she made it in a 8×13 cake pan. It took approximately 40 minutes to bake in the cake pan. My grandmother topped hers with a simple cinnamon/sugar mix. Made this for my husband’s birthday, he thought it was amazing!5 stars

    1. Hi Amber, this is fantastic! I love the idea of a cinnamon/sugar mix, that’s perfect! I appreciate your kind words and I love that you grandma used ot make it. <3 So lovely! Take care.

  61. Can I make it in a 6cup bundt cake pan? 
    Just not use all of the batter, and follow the same cooking time and directions?

    1. Hi Carol! You can definitely try it. I haven’t done it, so I can’t say for sure if the baking time would need to be reduced. I’d keep it at the same temperature, but just check it sooner. It might be done faster. But yes, give it a shot! Thanks. :D

  62. I hadn’t heard of this cake before, which is surprising since both my grandmothers lived through The Great Depression and one of them helped her dad with their little dairy farm in west Texas. Both precious grandmothers passed away recently and I needed a bit of nostalgia tonight, so I made this cake.  It turned out very good.  I had to sub with coconut milk and used half coconut sugar, half regular sugar.  My cake has a caramel hint to it.  I also made a mistake and reversed the order of adding the hot milk and flour!!  But that didn’t seem to affect the results.  Thank you for the recipe!5 stars

  63. Hi, any chance you could please give me the ingredients in metric form??? I’m from the UK and we don’t work in cups…
    Thank you

    1. Hello Danai! Yes! Thanks for reminding me to add that. If you go back to the recipe and look immediately above the word “instructions” you will see that it now says “US Customary” and “metric.” If you hit “metric” it will show you the ingredients in metric. I hope this helps you and works for you! Please let me know. Thank you!

    2. Hi Danai! Sorry it took me so long to respond – I had to add the recipe list for printing. It’s added now! So what you should do is go to the recipe card near the bottom of the post (but before the comments) and you’ll find a “print” button. And then you can print the list of the breakfast ideas. I hope this works for you! If not please let me know. Thanks!

  64. Hi Meghan,

    I’m a beginner baker, and have tried many recipes. But most of them didn’t come out right. Your recipe was easy to follow and the cake came out perfect.
    I must say your recipe is my favorite. I’ve made it 3 times in the past week. Once for work,one for my church and today at work I got another request for it again.
    The cake came out wonderful, fluffy and delicious. I made a batch a fresh strawberry topping with whipped cream. My husband who doesn’t eat cake, LOVES this cake and asked me to make it every Sunday.
    Thank you for a simple and lovely dessert.5 stars

    1. Hi Dawn! Thank you SO MUCH for this lovely, thoughtful comment! The strawberry topping sounds delicious and I should definitely add a post of that to my blog so I can share it with others. I am so grateful for your kindness and support. The world needs more people like you! And more cakes. :) Thanks again!

  65. Wonderful cake. Tastes buttery, yet it has a light and spongy texture. Loooove it. Thanks for this delicious cake. 5 stars

  66. We love this cake! I just got one out of the oven for our family’s annual fourth of July celebration. We top ours with homemade strawberry freezer jam and whipped cream! I’m so glad I found this recipe!5 stars

  67. I’m making right now, and am hoping it doesn’t spill over. I don’t know the size of my bunt pan but it seems like a lot of batter for it and I don’t know how much this cake rises…I put a baking tray underneath just in case

    1. Please report back, Melissa! I feel like bundt pans are pretty much all once sized (I once tried to find a “bigger” one and could all find ones that were all the same no matter where I looked. But I’m glad you put a baking tray underneath just in case. Good insurance! I hope it works for you. I feel like you’ll have no problems. Crossing fingers!

  68. Dear, Meggan if I use electric oven for this recipe, will it affect the texture of the cake ?
    also,if I separate the eggs and whip in the egg white will the result be good ?

    1. Hello Louisa! I am sure an electric oven would be fine. I can’t see why not. You mean electric as opposed to gas, right? I am not sure about separating the eggs and whipping the whites. Sounds like more work to me! You could try it, I’d love to hear how it goes! Thanks.

  69. My 13 year old and I have just made this. I have coeliac disease so substituted my favourite gluten free flour. And we made cheese recently from our raw milk, so had heaps of whey. So used that instead of milk. It was YUM! And for my daughter to comment that she couldn’t tell it was gluten free means it really was good :-) We have a new favourite cake. Thanks!5 stars

  70. I have made Hot Milk Sponge cakes for years, as I grew up eating it. I am 75 years young,! Sometimes I bake it in a 9×13, with parchment paper, when cooked, remove from pan, let cool. I slice it in half horizontally then fill it with Cornstarch Pudding (another oldie recipe) put sliced bananas on top of the pudding, add top layer of cake, dust with Confectioners sugar. Refrigerate. Yummy. Now to go make one😋5 stars

  71. It is unbelievable that I found this post today. I was talking to a friend yesterday about looking for my Hot Milk Sponge cake recipe as i “needed” to make one! Now I can stop looking and stzrt baking. I always add a. Chocolate fudge frosting
    Thanks for the recipe.5 stars

  72. This recipe is a winner. Thank you so much for this absolutely simple and delicious cake.I made it 2 days ago. We had a Hi Tea party at home and I wanted to bake something that perfectly goes with tea/coffee. all I heard there was cake , cake and cake !!! Lol :D and my Scottish bakery fan Father in law is very choosy about cakes but he loved it. I’m definitely going to make it again. Two thumbs up !!! 5 stars

    1. Hi Javaria, thank you so much for the wonderful comment! I’m so happy it worked out and everybody liked it. Makes my day. :) Have a great weekend and thanks again, I appreciate you!

    1. Hi Salma, I don’t have a recipe for Hot Milk Chocolate Cake, but the world needs it! I’ll add it to my list. Thank you for your comment! Take care. :)

    1. Hi Nia, yes. The milk was hot but then you turn the heat to low. It’s still pretty hot though when you add it in to the batter. I think that’s where the name Hot Milk Cake comes from, it’s weird but it works! Thanks for your question, I’ll fix up the post so it is clear. Thanks.

    1. Hi Diana, sorry for the confusion! Her recipe used less butter, not a full stick. I will go clarify that in my post (once I dig out her recipe and see exactly what amount she used; I cannot remember). Thanks.

  73. This cake is SOOOOOOO DELICIOUS!!!! I just made 8 of these for Christmas gifts and I have heard from everyone that they love them!!!!5 stars

    1. EIGHT! You’re amazing, Leanne! So happy that everyone loved them, it’s one of my favorite recipes. :) Happy New Year!

  74. I usually don’t bake, I just make puddings Bread & banana. I had a taste for something sweet so I started looking for a simple cake recipe. I made the hot milk cake the day after Thanksgiving. Well it came out perfect & was very good. My son & husband really enjoyed it to. So this is my go to simple cake.5 stars

    1. Hi Vanessa, thank you so much for the kind words! I am so glad you found it, made it, and liked it. And if it passes the husband/children test, all the better. :) Thanks again and take care, I appreciate your support!

  75. I had never heard of hot milk cake til I met my former mother-in-law. It was her favorite so I HAD to find a recipe and in one of my River Roads books there it was, and it was so easy with nothing but basic ingredients!! This is a fantastic cake that’s even better with a thick chocolate buttercream frosting!!!5 stars

    1. THICK chocolate buttercream frosting. Judy, I think you have just answered the question “What is the meaning of life?” The answer is, thick chocolate buttercream frosting. :) Sounds wonderful and I can’t wait to try it! Thanks for visiting. :)

  76. After reading all the comments I will definitely give it a try!!!! Any idea of the butter measure in grams? I was thinking of replacing the sugar with condensed milk, what do you think ??

  77. Another excellent recipe Meggan. This really is a wonderful and almost forgotten vintage 1920’s-30’s cake recipe. This went right into my homemade cookbook for keeps. It’s that good. So thanks for bringing it back. One point i need to stress, and that is this recipe does need either whole or 2% milk. Some people seem to get so “worked up” about swapping out the regular ingredients for low or nonfat versions. That they don’t understand that anything less in fat content affects the flavor and texture {crumb} of the cake. Not to mention the keeping quality too. Any professional baker will tell you this. And if they do swap out to low/nonfat, you can tell immediately as the taste isn’t right. So i say, if using real butter and whole milk once in awhile gets a person upset. Then don’t bother making it! Keep up the good work Meggan.5 stars

    1. Thank you so much for your comment Edmund! I am in culinary school now but I haven’t taken Principles of Baking yet. Once I do, all my recipes will need to be rewritten to reflect information such as what you have just provided. One thing I really believe is that fat doesn’t make you fat anyway, sugar more likely does. But anyway, I’m all about real butter and whole milk and I always have heavy cream on hand. In my cooking classes the instructors stress that restaurant food is good because they always use so much butter. And like you said, if you’re going to make a cake, make a cake! Thanks again for your comment and I will definitely put in the recipe that lean and fat-free dairy should not be used. Take care and I hope you have a lovely weekend. PS Glad you liked the cake! :)

    1. Hey Hamdah! You could try, but I’m not sure what it would be off the top of my head. I would have to retest the recipe. Do you mean something like a vegan butter substitute (i.e., earth balance). I am not sure if those are a 1-to-1 swap. Sorry about that!

  78. Thank you for putting up the Nutrition Facts.
    Thanks for the great recipe!!! I have made this two times now. Perfect to go with any drizzle or icing. Love it!5 stars

    1. So glad you love it! And happy I could help out (finally) with the nutrition facts. I am slowly working my way through all the recipes. You are not the only one who has asked for such information, so I’m happy to finally start sharing it. Take care! Thanks again for your kind words!

  79. Hi Meggan, I made this last night and my son gave it the thumbs up. Never known him to do that before so it’s a real winner. Looks like I need to make another because it’s just about all gone and it’s only 9am the next morning! I used buttermilk in it since I had some that needed using. It was my first bundt cake ever and it came out looking amazing. Thanks!5 stars

    1. Hi Sue, hooray! That’s so great to hear! Thanks for sharing your story, I love hearing that your son gave the cake the thumb’s up. That’s always the true test! Take care and thanks again. :)

  80. This is my new cake recipes. Today I added Hersey’s cocoa to make a strawberry short cake. I don’t think there will be any leftovers :)5 stars

    1. Chocolate strawberry shortcake?! Yeah, there wouldn’t be any leftovers in my house either. :) Great idea, I can’t wait to try adding cocoa powder myself! Thanks for the comment. :)

    1. Thank you Mardia, I’m so glad that worked out for you and that you enjoyed it. :) Take care!

    1. Hi Maggie, I’m actually not sure! I don’t normally compute nutrition information for my recipes although it’s something I’d love to add going forward. Sorry about that!

    2. Hi Maggie, I have finally started adding nutrition info to my recipes and this Hot Milk Cake was top of my list because of your question! Assuming you cut your cake into 12 slices, each slice would be 311 calories with 34.5 grams of sugar. The full nutrition label is on the blog post now, right under the recipe. Thanks for your question!

  81. Help! I have made this cake twice now following the recipe step by step. Both times it has overflowed in the oven and also takes twice as long to bake. What am I doing wrong?! After it is baked through, it’s a mess, but it tastes amazing so I’d really like to bake it successfully at least once. 

    1. Hi Allyson! OH NO! What a disaster. I am so sorry, especially since it sounds like my cake = messy oven. :-/ So the first thing is, it sounds like the cake pan might be (must be?) too small. So, I asked my Grandma and she said it should be at least a 12-cup pan. I never specified that (my mistake), I just said tube pan or bundt pan. I must have one that fits the batter and you might not. I’m so sorry! If the walls are not tall enough, that might be contributing to it needing more baking time. Why don’t you look into the capacity of your pan and we can go from there. Do you happen to live in at a high altitude or in a super humid environment or anything like that? I doubt it, but that’s all I can think of to crack this case. :-/ Let me know about your pan size!!! Sorry again.

    2. Okay I feel so stupid now because of course that’s the problem! lol I never even thought of that. I compared my bundt pan to my mom’s and her’s is much larger than mine, so next time I’ll borrow hers or make cupcakes with the rest of the batter that doesn’t fit. 

    3. Yes well I’M the idiot that never specified the size of the pan… and do they even MAKE different bundt pan sizes??? I mean, obviously they do, but I never even considered that. So I’m sorry for all the wasted effort on your part. :) Lesson learned! Glad you sorted it out in the end.

  82. Hi the cake sounds great but i’m a bit of a novice can you tell what kind of flour it is you are using

    john 

    1. Hi John, no problem! We all start out as novices. I just used basic all-purpose flour, nothing fancy. Probably generic brand knowing me! Good luck.

  83. Thanks for the recipe!
    But what’s up with this in your notes? : “Reduce the baking powder from 2 teaspoons to 1 1/2 teaspoons. Add 1/2 teaspoon baking powder.”

    When using buttermilk, I have to remove 1/2 spoon of baking powder, and then add it back in?

    1. That’s the worst written recipe note, ever. I’m so sorry. The second mention of 1/2 teaspoon baking powder should actually be baking SODA. I’m just an idiot who can’t proofread. Thanks for finding it and pointing it out so I can correct it. It should be 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder + 1/2 teaspoon baking soda. Sorry Robert.

    2. Ah, OK! So that’s resolved. I’ll be making this on Saturday, with buttermilk. Looking forward to it.

      And you’re not an idiot. Your website is a very good and enjoyable read.

    3. Thanks for being kind and understanding. I hope you love the cake! It’s a favorite in my house and I’ve had several emails from other readers who say it reminds them of what they had growing up. Here’s hoping it meets all your expectations! Thanks again for everything.

    4. I baked the cake today. And it is delicious.
      My son (22) visited and he always dumps whipped cream on cake. I told him that it was a new recipe and to try without. He ate all 4 slices without whipped cream. You are right, it does taste excellent.
      Thanks!

    5. What a great story! If you can get your son to eat it without whipped cream, then that really says something. Thanks for sharing. I haven’t made this cake in a while, so I think it’s time. You’ve convinced me. Thanks again for your comments!

    1. You made it?! Hooray! Yes, it’s such a good cake. I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it. :D Take care!

  84. Ok, I solved that one: made the cake over the weekend and replaced the milk with coconut milk and half the sugar with coconut blossom sugar. I turned out beautiful, with a subtle nutty, coconut flavour. Really worth a try!5 stars

  85. Hi Meggan, would it work if I used coconut milk? And replace one cup of sugar with coconut sugar?

    1. Hi Lorraine, I am not sure. I do think it’s worth a try, but I’m not experienced with alternative baking methods so I have no idea! Wish I could help you more. :/

  86. We made this cake every Sunday evening….it was our dessert and lunch box treat. I was out of town and was make this cake for a friend…always remembered 4 eggs, 2c sugar & flour, 1 milk and 1/4 lb of butter…but always forget how much baking powder, salt and vanilla. Like how it says to do the eggs and sugar. Will be trying this.
    Thanks again for being able to find this recipe on line. This was the only yellow we ever made as children.5 stars

    1. Thanks for such a lovely story, Nancy! This recipe more than any other one on my blog seems to bring back memories for people. It always warms my heart to be a part of that! I hope you enjoy it. 

  87. I just made the Hot Milk Cake. It was very good! It was a very simple but delicious cake. My husband said that it was the perfect dessert for him. .not overly sweet. .perfect with cup of coffee. I will make this again. Thanks for the recipe.5 stars

    1. Thank you so much, Barb! I love that it is not too sweet, too. Glad you enjoyed it. :D Happy New Year!

    1. Yes, you can. I’m going to give you some information I found in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (the newspaper from the area I grew up). It’s fine to substitute buttermilk as long as there is 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda for every cup of buttermilk in the recipe. Since my recipe has ONLY baking powder (2 teaspoons), you should change that to 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, and then 1 cup of buttermilk. And you should be good to go. Thank you so much for your question!

  88. Good Day Megan thank you for the awesome receipe. I love the cake but each time I make it, the cake drops while baking. I’m not to sure why, I don’t change temperatures nor open the door. Please can you advise me accordingly. Thank you 

    1. Hi Charline, I apologize for the delay in replying to your comment. This week sort of just got away from me! I am sorry to hear your cake is dropping. Here are some ideas I have about why that is happening. But these are just guesses, I really don’t know for sure but I hope this information helps. 1). Old baking powder. Try mixing your baking powder with some hot water and see if it bubbles. If not, it’s old. 2). Oven temperature. Do you have a way to check that your oven is running at the right temperature? I don’t mean to suggest your oven is wrong but sometimes that is why cakes don’t bake properly. Here are some other ideas: Try not to overbeat the batter, just mix it until everything is combined and leave it at that. Be sure to bake your cake right away (again, you probably aren’t leaving the batter sitting out on your counter but sometimes that causes cakes to fall). You could also make sure your oven rack is in the center of your oven and make sure your oven is preheated. Also, what kind of cake pan did you use? This can have a big impact on whether the cake drops or not. I hope some of these ideas are helpful, I’m so sorry again your cake is dropping.

    2. Mine dropped too. It rose beautifully and I resisted the urge to turn the pan half way through–I left it alone and left the door closed. When the timer beeped, I was sad to see that it was sunken in the middle. I’m thinking it has something to do with the buttermilk sub. I decreased the powder and added some soda (both fresh). The exact same thing happened with some cupcakes I made a couple months ago. Again with the baking powder and buttermilk. I think decreasing the powder to 1 tsp and increasing the soda to 1 tsp would work.  The cupcake recipe that I had fail on me a little while ago seem to have a large amount of baking powder. From what I understand, it doesn’t react well with buttermilk.

    3. Hi Emily, thank you so much for your thoughtful comment. I think I will probably just remove the information about subbing buttermilk. I haven’t taken my baking classes in culinary school yet so I really can’t say either way, I just know that hearing that cakes fall makes me sad! So thank you for that information and sorry again.

    4. I just looked up baking powder and buttermilk and found a site called drgourmet.com (lol) that said if you sub buttermilk for regular milk, you need to decrease the powder called for by 2 tsp. and add 1/2 tsp. of soda per cup of buttermilk.  I’m a HUGE fan of baking with buttermilk, so I’m going to re-make this cake tomorrow using only baking soda.  I’ll let you know how it turns out.  :)  I just unmolded it from my pan and it’s springy and soft, so I have no doubt it’ll be delicious…just a tad bit flat, haha!  

      My neighbor asked me earlier if I’d ever heard of milk cake, and I hadn’t.  I searched for it and your site was the first one that popped up.  While the cake was baking, I poked around and I LOVE your recipes.  You have a new fan!  :)

  89. Great cake especially with chocolate covered fried salamanders and worms. Sorry, just kidding. I remember this cake in surrounded by a mildly sweet sauce not sure if it was carmel or butter scotts or maple syrup. Have you come across this? What recipe? 

    1. Ha ha ha!!! You were just trying to see if I was paying attention, right? ;) I haven’t come across a sauce as you have described (or any sauce) but I’ll do some digging and let you know if I come up with anything. I’ll start by asking my grandma.

  90. My husband is in his late 70’s and his mother made this cake for his birthday.   He said he always wanted it with no icing.   

    1. Honestly, it really doesn’t need any icing! I love that this was his choice for a birthday cake. Thank you so much for telling me.

  91. I made this yesterday and we loved it! As someone who enjoys simple flavors, this recipe was certainly a winner and I will be making it a LOT in the future!

    1. Ahhhh, so wonderful to hear Sarah! Thank you for making my heart sing. :) I’m glad you enjoyed it. Have a lovely week!

    1. Elsie, I don’t know exactly how that would work if you used a springform pan instead. I think it might be too short. The thing about a bundt pan is it’s about twice as tall as a springform pan. Do you have any kind of tube cake pan? Such as for angel food cake? That would definitely work. If you would like to try the springform pan, I think you should just make half the recipe to start and see how tall it gets. I’d hate for everything to overflow all over your oven! Thanks for your comment. :)

  92. I am in my late sixties and this cake was a family favorite served with choc. sauce. It was always my birthday cake made in 2 heart shaped pans with lemon filling between the layers and covered with boiled icing.I am making this for my nieces 47th tomorrow as it is one of her favorites.( I am planning to wrap coins and insert them in the cake before I ice it just as my mother used to do)

    1. Ahhh Liz, this story warms my heart. I love food memories! It’s so lovely that you shared your tradition with your niece over the years. I love that story about the coins. That is just so amazing. Thank you so much for sharing your story!

    1. Thank you so much! I’m glad you liked it. I think it is so good too, it looks plain but is anything but!

  93. I’m sixty two, thanks for making me remember this cake. This was a Sunday favorite, along with my mother’s lemon sauce5 stars

    1. Hi Rose, thank you so much for your comment! You are not the first person to mention a lemon sauce or glaze with a Hot Milk Cake. I will definitely have to look into that and try it myself. Sounds delicious! I am so happy you stopped by.

    1. Yes! Sorry Val, I will change the way the recipe is written. It’s 1/2 cup butter. Sorry about that!

  94. That is so cool that your grandfather worked on a dairy farm & would bring home milk in the glass jars! I remember when I was little, we would get milk delivered in glass jars early in the morning. It was one of my favorite things :) The name of this cake sounds very familiar but I don’t think I’ve ever had. I love how simple, no-fuss it is, compared to typical cakes loaded with frosting and toppings. Definitely excited to give it a try!

    1. Thanks Alyssa! Things like milk are just pure nostalgia for me. Pretty sure everyone from Wisconsin has a relative somewhere who worked in the dairy industry. :) Not really… but sometimes it seems that way! Of course now I live in California which actually produces way more milk than Wisconsin due to the size of the state, but don’t tell my parents that!

  95. Milk basically kept me alive for the first 16 years of my life. I was a picky eater, but I would always happily drink HUGE glasses of milk. I’ve never heard of a hot milk cake. I’m intrigued. Looking forward to trying it out!

    1. THAT is an excellent question. I used 2%. I will make a version with skim and let you know. There is a lot of butter here so I actually think skim milk might be just fine. I will head back to the lab and let you know the results! :)