Hot milk cake facts for kids
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| Type | Sponge cake, Butter cake |
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| Place of origin | United States |
| Main ingredients | Flour, butter, milk, baking powder, sugar, eggs |
| Variations | Chocolate, nuts, coconut |
Hot milk cake is a yummy butter sponge cake that comes from the United States. It's known for its special fine texture, which is a bit like a pound cake. You can bake this cake in different shapes, like a flat sheet cake, stacked layers, or a round tube pan.
The cake gets its name and unique taste from using hot milk and melted butter in the batter. This special mix makes the cake very moist and gives it a smooth, fine crumb. Unlike some traditional sponge cakes, like angel food cake, hot milk cake uses baking powder to help it rise. It also uses whole eggs, which are all beaten together, making it a bit simpler to bake than cakes where you have to separate egg yolks and whites.
How Hot Milk Cake is Made
Making a hot milk cake starts by mixing eggs and sugar until they are light and creamy. After that, flour is added to the mixture.
In a separate pot, milk is heated with butter until the butter completely melts. This warm, buttery milk is then poured into the batter all at once. The batter is mixed until it cools down. Finally, baking powder and vanilla flavor are added right before the cake goes into the oven. This special way of mixing gives the cake its unique, fine texture, which is smoother than many other sponge cakes.
The History of Hot Milk Cake
Hot milk cake has been a popular recipe for a long time. A simple recipe from 1911 included sugar, eggs, flour, salt, baking powder, and hot milk. Sometimes, people would add extra ingredients like chocolate, nuts, or coconut to make it even tastier.
In 1955, a recipe for hot milk cake was shared by Ruth Ellen Church. She was a food editor for the Chicago Tribune newspaper and sometimes wrote under the name Mary Meade. Her recipe featured a mocha-flavored icing, making the cake very moist and delicate.
Since 1991, hot milk cake has been a special treat served every year at the Anne Arundel County Historical Society's annual Strawberry Festival. This festival takes place near the Baltimore-Washington International Airport.
