Hot Milk Cake

What is Hot Milk Cake?

Simply said, hot milk cake is a cake that uses scalded milk in the batter. The result is a very tender cake that is between a sponge cake and a pound cake. It’s soft, delicious and when topped with this brown sugar icing, it’s … well, it’s quite something! I made this cake for my partner, Annie, who still dreams of her childhood birthdays when this was the cake she would request from her mother. Me, I always requested a chocolate cake so this cake is not nostalgic to me. So, why am I talking about it when I could just pass the words over to Annie? Good question – that is exactly what I am going to do. Here’s Annie on why she loves Hot Milk Cake…

This is Annie…

This has never ever happened before. Meredith is letting me write her article on Hot Milk Cake. This is Annie writing, hoping to be invited back for another article someday. Hot Milk Cake takes me right back to my childhood, soaring at the speed of light down the nostalgia tunnel to a very special cake my mom made often for me. It was our nana’s recipe. As my birthday approached every year, my mom asked me which cake I would like for my birthday celebration. Without skipping a beat, I always asked for this Hot Milk Cake with a brown sugar ‘icing’. In Quebec, where I grew up, the sugar icing was just like sucre à la crème.

A Hand-written Recipe

I have been asking Meredith for years to try and replicate this recipe. I have hand-written notes from my mom of the ingredients that went into this magical cake. There were no instructions to go along with the ingredients. So, Meredith painstakingly tried to replicate what I remembered… and eventually, she nailed it. I had to endure the taste tests until we reached perfection. All the ingredients are the same. Meredith’s method of preparation delivered an exact replica. The only ingredient left out were the nickels wrapped in wax paper, sprinkled in the cake mix. The luck bestowed on those who found a nickel was immeasurable.

Just a Sliver? 

I am sure some of you can remember this cake from your childhood. I can guarantee that if you serve it to a child today, they will request it again and again. And the adults will ask for ‘just a sliver’ and come back for more. I really hope you enjoy this cake and the memories it might evoke.

Brown Sugar Icing

This is Meredith again… The brown sugar icing that goes on top of this tender cake is interesting. It is not smooth like buttercream, but a little crunchy with crystals of sugar still noticeable between your teeth. It requires bringing the brown sugar, milk and white sugar to about 235˚F (soft ball stage) and then letting it cool. Beat in a little butter and a lot of powdered sugar until you get the flavor and consistency you want. 

Not A Pretty Cake

There’s no hiding the fact that this cake is not pretty (but don’t tell Annie I said that!). The icing will be brown. Period. Spread it on and keep it in the kitchen. Or, if you’re feeling creative, dust a little (more) powdered sugar on top and perhaps some candles (a lot of candles!). Then, cut it into squares, dim the lights and serve. Once your guests taste this, there will be far fewer visual judges than there were before! Like Annie said… people will ask for just a sliver, but they’ll be back for more!