Hot Milk Cake

During a recent visit, my friend Crystal was telling me about a delicious cake recipe that her mom makes, and believes it was her grandmother’s recipe before that. I had never heard of a Hot Milk Cake, and never used hot milk in any cake recipe before. The base of the frosting also has an unusual start, but it turns out delicious!

INGREDIENTS FOR THE CAKE

• 4 eggs, well beaten
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups flour
• Pinch of salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 cup hot milk

FOR THE FROSTING

• 1 cup milk
• 5 tablespoons flour
• ½ cup butter
• ½ cup shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla

METHOD

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare two 8-inch or 9-inch round cake pans. I like to butter the bottom of each cake pan, then add a circle of parchment paper to the bottom, pressing it into place evenly. Then butter the bottom and sides well, and coat with flour.

Beat eggs and then add 2 cups of sugar, continuing to mix until well blended. Sift together flour, salt and baking powder and then add to the egg and sugar mixture, mixing until well combined. Heat 1 cup of milk in the microwave (or stovetop) and add the hot milk, all at once, to the cake batter mixture. Pour into prepared pans and bake about 30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean.

For the frosting: combine 1 cup of milk with 5 tablespoons of flour in a saucepan and whisk over medium heat until the mixture thickens. It will be very thick – set aside to cool. Combine shortening, butter, 1 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon of vanilla and beat well. Add cooled milk & flour mixture and continue beating well until the frosting resembles whipped cream.

Below, is the original recipe from Crystal’s mom: