Vintage Hot Milk Cake Recipe
This simple Hot Milk Cake recipe is one of those vintage recipes that no matter which century you make it in, it will always be a hit! This cake calls for ingredients anyone would have on-hand and is great plain, with powdered sugar, alongside fresh fruit or in this case with caramel drizzled all over it.
My Polish grandmom called this a Hot Milk and Butter Cake, and I guess it's because you simultaneously heat up the milk and butter before you add it in to the batter. She served it plain and once I remember her making a white frosting for it and sprinkling it with coconut for an Easter cake. Food memories are the best!
This scrumptious Hot Milk Cake recipe can be whipped up pretty quick. The browning of the outside of the cake is delicious and to me the best part actually (and it goes so good with caramel).
I have made a couple of tweaks to the recipe over the years, adding more sugar (since back when this cake was first being made...sugar was rationed), and I add some heavy cream to make it richer (since over the decades fat content in milk has gone down).
Table of Contents
Ingredients Hot Milk Cake
- eggs
- sugar
- butter
- whole milk
- heavy cream
- vanilla extract
- flour
- baking powder & salt
Variations
- This is a simple cake with simple ingredients which is why it works in my opinion. As far as variations go, I'd say that would be how you garnish it.
- Drizzle with caramel as I have done here, or chocolate or add some fruit or fresh whipped cream (or both). Dust with powdered sugar as my grandmother often did. She would also sometimes frost with chocolate frosting which was yummy!
- You can also make this as a sheet cake or even as a layer cake.
Tips
- Don't skip warming the milk, butter and cream that's part of what make this cake what it is.
- This cake will hold up well for a few days.
- This is a nice and tender sponge cake with a bit of crumb. That's what you are looking for.
- Change up how you decorate this Hot Milk Cake or garnish it with the holiday or season.
Who wants a slice??
You can make this cake ahead of time and it will keep well in an airtight container. You can freeze it as well. Just don't top it (if you even choose to top it) with caramel sauce, powdered sugar or frosting in advance, add whichever you enjoy shortly before you plan on devouring it, errr I mean...eat it!
My kids and husband LOVE this cake! It's one dessert the whole family enjoys! Love when that happens! Enjoy! XO Colleen
Originally published February, 2017. Updated April, 2025.
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Colleen Kennedy is the author of 3 cookbooks and has appeared on QVC and other shows inspiring home cooks of all levels. She has a popular TikTok channel @ColleensCooking with hundreds of short recipe videos. Colleen lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and kids, she started the food blog, Soufflé Bombay in 2009. Read more about her here.
Vintage Hot Milk Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 eggs if extra large 4 eggs if regular sized
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 stick of butter ½ cup
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 TBS heavy cream
- 1 TBS vanilla extract
- 2 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Caramel optional
- Pomegranate Arils optional
- Other optional toppings include: powdered sugar mocha frosting, vanilla frosting, fruit, etc
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Grease a bundt pan (or spring form pan) very well with spray or butter/flour.
- Combine eggs and sugar in your mixing bowl and mix on medium for 4-5 minutes or until batter has doubled in size and is nice and fluffy.
- Meanwhile, melt your butter in a saucepan over medium heat, add in milk, cream and vanilla and allow it to just come to a simmer, then immediately lower heat to low. Whisking often.
- Allow it to bubble for 2 minutes.
- With mixer running, slowly drizzle in the hot milk mixture.
- Once that is fully incorporated, add in your flour, baking powder and salt (premix ahead of time), add it in in 3 increments. Scrape down sides of bowl and when mixture is fully incorporated, pour it into your greased bundt pan and bake for 50 minutes.
- Check cake, if tester comes out clean, remove it from the oven. If not bake another 5 minutes. Repeat process until fully cooked.
- Allow cake to cool for 10-15 minutes, then carefully remove it (you may want to run a butter knife around gently just in case).
- Allow cake to cool if you decide to add icing.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
- If you decide to drizzle with caramel like i did, just pour it over-top, so good! Warm your homemade or store-bought caramel sauce up just a bit before drizzling over-top
Notes
Nutrition
Food memories sure are the best. I'm confident your Grandmothers cake was scrumptious. This cake has my mouth watering! YUM!
You know if the recipe has heavy cream in it, it'll be fantastic. I had never heard of this type of cake before, but if it tastes 1/2 as good as your photos look, then send some over!
I remember when my grandma use to make this cake for me. It was so good.must try it myself one day.
This is the kind of cake I would enjoy! It looks so good that I'll have to give it a try!
I think you got me at the pomegranate arnils. My favorite. Yummy. I want some please!
How beautiful is this cake? You know I have a big obsession with bundt cakes, so a vintage recipe in a bundt cake?! Be still my heart!
So beautiful and looks absolutely delightful! This-makea me very hungry! Yum!
I want a slice! THis sounds delicious. I love pomegranates but have never tried them on baked goods.
Love this!! I inherited my nana's cookbook a few years ago and just looking at her recipes made my mouth water!
I bet this cake is delicious!
I have never tried this and as I look at the picture, I want to have a piece right now. Your pictures make it look divine.
Thank you!
I have to admit that I have never heard of hot milk cake before reading this. I can definitely see my grandmother making it though. Of course I don't think she would have known what pomegranates were. 🙂
Pomegranates are not involved in the original recipe...I just added them for a pop of color and crunch 🙂
Wow, this cake looks so soft and delicious!
This is perfect! I'm going to a dinner tomorrow and wanted to bring a dessert!
I love that caramel drizzle and pomegranate arils on top! Soooooooooooo pretty!!
My gran used to make a cake like this for us on birthdays. It was one of my favorite things she made for me while growing up.
Don't you just love remembering moments and bites like that?? So nice!
This brings me right back to my childhood! My grandmother made an amazing hot milk cake when I was a little girl!
Oh yes! I would like a slice or two very much. It looks sooo good.
Has anyone tried substituting almond extract for the vanilla?
I have not since my kids are allergic, however I think that would be delicious!