World Milk Days calls for everything that uses milk in it, and what else but a hot milk cake recipe for this occasion? It is a retro-style American cake: a simple vanilla sponge cake baked in a Bundt pan. A pan, loaf tin, or tube pan of equal volume can be used instead of the bundt pan, with some adjustments to the baking time. While it might sound daunting, it is a fairly simple cake recipe.
World Milk Day, celebrated on 1st June every year, is the perfect occasion to bake this hot milk cake. The occasion was established by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation in 2001 to highlight the importance of milk as a food and its role in supporting the livelihoods of many. This hot milk cake is a fitting tribute for this day, and unlike most recipes that use milk as an afterthought, this one uses it as a star.
As for its history, hot milk cake dates back to the American Great Depression, when families had to use whatever they had, especially simple ingredients like milk, for celebratory occasions. Birthdays were one of those special occasions where every last drop of their day's milk was used to produce something special. But it was mentioned in cookbooks in 1911, and it's worth a try this World Milk Day.
Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 160°C. Grease a 12-cup Bundt cake pan, then coat it with flour. Shake out the excess.
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Step 2: Prepare the Dry Ingredients
Take a medium-sized mixing bowl, and sift the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt into it. Set aside.
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Step 3: Make the Hot Milk Mixture
Heat a small saucepan over low heat, and melt the butter in it. While stirring, pour in the milk and vanilla extract and keep cooking until small bubbles begin to form around the outer edges of the pan. You need the milk to be hot, not boiling, so keep the heat low.
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Step 4: Whip the Eggs and Sugar
Set up a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Set it on medium-high speed and whisk the eggs and granulated sugar for 5 minutes. It will triple in volume and turn pale.
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Step 5: Add the Hot Milk Mixture
With the mixer running on low speed, slowly pour the hot milk mixture into the whipped eggs. Make sure not to rush this step, as you might compromise the fluff.
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Step 6: Fold in the Dry Ingredients into the Wet Ingredients
Add the sifted flour mix to the batter in two equal batches, mixing on the lowest speed after adding each portion, until just incorporated. Do not overmix.
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Step 7: Bake the Cake
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour, checking at 55 minutes. A skewer or toothpick inserted into the thickest part of the cake should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached. Do not overbake.
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Step 8: Cool and Serve
Take the cake out of the oven and cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes. Invert the bundt pan onto a rack placed over a baking sheet. Cool before adding garnishes.
Step 1
Step 1: Preparing the Pan and Oven
5 Minutes
Step 2
Step 2: Prepare the Dry Ingredients
3 Minutes
Step 3
Step 3: Make the Hot Milk Mixture
7 Minutes
Step 4
Step 4: Whip the Eggs and Sugar
6 Minutes
Step 5
Step 5: Add the Hot Milk Mixture
3 Minutes
Step 6
Step 6: Fold in the Dry Ingredients into the Wet Ingredients
The secret to a super-moist cake is the presence of oil or butter, buttermilk, or yoghurt in the cake batter. You must not overbake and also brush the cake, especially if layered, with simple syrup after baking.
A hot milk sponge cake is a cake that mimics a sponge, meaning it springs back when poked lightly. The combination of hot milk and butter is what produces a moist crumb and a smooth cake.
Whole milk is best for cakes because it adds fat, moisture, and flavour. Milk Buttermilk makes cakes softer and tangier, while evaporated milk adds richness and a denser texture to the finished product.
To make a hot milk cake taste like home, use a warm milk and butter mixture, vanilla, and simple baking ingredients; bake until just done; and finish with simple homemade frosting or a dusting of powdered sugar.