Hot Milk Cake

Recently I was going to make a butter cake without looking at a recipe. I honestly couldn't remember the normal steps!!  You know cream butter and sugar, add one egg at a time, mix dry ingredients and then alternate adding the dry mix and the milk.  You know why I forgot?  Because I always make Hot Milk Cake and the technique is totally different!

Hot Milk Cake is an old fashioned recipe that has been forgotten by home bakers and I'm not sure why!  This cake is light and moist and easy to flavor with simple syrup or perfect without any additional flavoring at all.

It is perfect with a light and not-too-sweet Swiss Meringue Buttercream and fresh berries are a create compliment to it's flavor.

In the pictures in this post, I used a homemade peach and prosecco jam between the layers along with Swiss Meringue Buttercream and I drizzled some prosecco on each layer after they had cooled a bit. But you can use whatever you want on this cake!

In my opinion, this is the most invaluable cake recipe in my repertoire! I use it over and over and you will to once you try it!

Hot Milk Cake Recipe

• 4 eggs, at room temperature
• 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 ¼ cups sugar
• 1 cup milk
• ¼ cup butter
• ½ teaspoon almond extract

Directions:

1. Grease and flour -3- 8 or 9 inch round cake pans and line the bottom with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk together and then set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl, if using a hand mixer, beat the eggs on high speed for 4 to 5 minutes until thickened and lighter in color. Gradually add the sugar ¼ cup at a time while continuing to beat on medium speed.
4. With mixer on low, add the flour mixture and beat until just combined.
5. Heat the milk and butter in a small saucepan until the butter is melted and the milk is hot. Do not boil! Add the milk and butter mixture to the batter and beat until combined. Beat in the almond extract.
6. Divide the batter between the 3 pans evenly. Bake 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the top springs bake when pushed lightly.
7. Let the cakes cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes and then turn out and remove the parchment paper.
8. At this point, you can poke holes all over the cake and brush/ pour on a flavored sugar syrup. The possibilities are endless!  See below for simple syrup recipe with flavor variations.

For simple syrup:

• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup water

1. Mix sugar and water in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, until the sugar is completely dissolved.
2. Remove from heat and add flavoring of choice or use as is.

Flavor ideas:

½ tablespoon vanilla

½ to 1 tablespoon orange liqueur

½ tablespoon lemon juice

½ to 1 tablespoon rum

½ to 1 tablespoon crème de cassis