Milk Cake
Milk cake is a classic cake recipe that is rich, full of sweet vanilla and milk flavor, and made with simple ingredients. Enjoy a slice for dessert or a snack.
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup whole milk
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick baking spray and set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl at medium speed, beat eggs with a whisk attachment for 5 minutes, until very thick and light yellow.
- With the mixer still running, gradually add granulated sugar and continue whisking for five additional minutes. The mixture will be thick and light in color.
- Add brown sugar and mix a few minutes longer.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the egg/sugar mixture and beat at low speed just until combined.
- Heat the milk and butter in the microwave (or on the stovetop) until the butter is melted and the milk is scalding hot.
- Stir the vanilla extract into the milk mixture. Pour the hot milk mixture into the batter and beat at low speed until combined.
- Pour batter into the prepared baking dish.
- Bake approximately 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with just a few crumbs, and the cake has pulled away from the edges of the pan.
- Cool cake in the pan and dust with powdered sugar just before serving.
Notes
- Milk cake has baking powder that helps with leavening, in addition to the eggs.
- You can also cook this simple cake in a bundt pan!
- Make sure your mixer is at medium speed for this step as this speed is needed to whip air into the eggs.
- The low speed is needed so you don't fling the mixture out of the bowl.
- In the microwave, it took us 2 minutes 30 seconds to melt the butter and get the milk hot. If needed, you can heat for an additional 30 seconds depending on your microwave.
- The hot milk helps break up the batter and is a tried and true technique used in some “old-fashioned” recipes. The hot milk and melted butter add flavor and contribute to a pound cake-like texture.