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    Home » Seasonal Recipes » Winter Recipes » Vanilla-Meyer Lemon Hot Milk Cake Recipe

    Vanilla-Meyer Lemon Hot Milk Cake Recipe

    Jan 29, 2015 · by Valentina · 14 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe

    Lemon Hot Milk Cake is beautifully sweet, slightly tart, fluffy and rich. Imagine all of that with a delicate, lemon-y glaze drizzled on top. This is lovely for dessert or for a sweet afternoon snack with coffee or tea.

    One slice of Lemon Hot Milk Cake on a white and blue plate with a silver fork, surrounded by fresh lemon slices.

    This post is sponsored by the California Milk Advisory Board, written by me and as always, all opinions are 100% my own.

    Inspiration

    A few weeks ago I told you about the fantastic trip I took with the California Milk Advisory Board to the Bootsma Dairy Farm. I was hanging out with some very happy cows and getting inspired to make whole milk recipes.

    When I wasn't riding around on a hay stack, checking out what the cows were eating, or talking with Essie Bootsma about how shocked I was that a dairy farm with about 1,800 cows was practically silent -- my milk cake recipe was brewing in my mind.

    With the happy Californian cows and their superior milk in mind, the baking began.

    One photo of milk in a jar and one photo of milk from jar being poured into a suacepan.

    I'd been wanting to make a hot milk cake for a while -- it always looked so divine to me, and I'd never even tasted one.

    What is Hot Milk Cake?

    • This is old fashioned, simple cake. (Although it's a bit more complex when it becomes Lemon Hot Milk Cake.)
    • This is a Depression Era cake. And as with many Depression Era recipes, Hot Milk Cake was a result of having very limited ingredients.
    • The name comes from the scalded milk in the batter.
    • This was traditionally a two layer cake with mocha frosting.
    Slice of Lemon Hot Milk Cake on a white plate with blue flowers.

    The flavor and texture of my version, Lemon Hot Milk Cake, turned out exactly as I'd hoped.

    And oh my goodness, those butter-crisped sides and bottom -- it was all I could do not to slice it all  off and eat it! Beyond delicious!

    Lemon Hot Milk Cake batter spread out in a baking pan.

    The batter was just so beautiful along the way, that I couldn't help but stop to capture it.

    Have you ever thought a cake batter was beautiful?

    Vanilla-Lemon Hot Milk Cake batter dripping from electric mixer beaters into a mixing bowl.

    This milk cake recipe would not only be lovely after dinner, but I'm also picturing it beside my perfect cup of coffee in the morning.

    One square piece of Lemon Hot Milk Cake on white and blue plate with one bite in on silver fork.

    Oh, and  remember . . . . . look for the Seals!

    Real California Milk logo stickers.

    And of course, I hope you enjoy this dreamy Lemon Hot Milk Cake!

    Vanilla-Lemon Hot Milk Cake Recipe | COOKINGONTHEWEEKENDS.COM

    Meyer Lemon-Vanilla Hot Milk Cake Recipe

    Valentina K. Wein
    Lemon Hot Milk Cake is beautifully sweet, slightly tart, fluffy and rich. Imagine all of that with a delicate, lemon-y glaze drizzled on top. This is lovely for dessert or for a sweet afternoon snack with coffee or tea.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print
    Prep Time 30 minutes mins
    Cook Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
    Total Time 2 hours hrs
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 12 to 16
    Calories 584 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    For the cake

    • 1 cup whole milk
    • 1 (approximately 6-inch) vanilla bean
    • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
    • 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
    • 2 teaspoons baking powder
    • ¾ teaspoon salt
    • 1 ½ cups unsalted butter, softened, plus 1 teaspoon for the pan
    • 2 ½ cups sugar
    • 4 large eggs
    • 2 large egg yolks
    • zest of 2 Meyer lemons
    • 2 tablespoons fresh Meyer lemon juice

    For the glaze

    • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
    • 2 tablespoons fresh Meyer lemon juice
    • 1 tablespoon whole milk
    • ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted

    Instructions
     

    For the cake

    • Preheat the oven to 325°F, and adjust a rack to the center.
    • Add the milk to a small saucepan, and use 1 teaspoon of butter to grease the sides of an (approximately 9 X 9 X 3-inch) cake pan -- square or round. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper, and set aside.
    • Use a paring knife to slice open the vanilla bean, lengthwise. With the back of the knife, scrape the vanilla into the saucepan with the milk and add the emptied pod as well.
    • Place the saucepan over low-medium heat, and bring it to a simmer. Almost as soon as it begins to simmer, turn the heat off and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Then remove the pods and add the vanilla extract. Stir to blend. Set aside.
    • In a mixing bowl, mix the flour with the baking powder and salt. set aside.
    • In another (larger) mixing bowl, and using an electric mixer (or strong arm and a spoon), mix butter and the sugar until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the lemon zest and lemon juice and mix just to blend.
    • While continuing to mix, slowly add dry ingredients until combined.
    • Then, still mixing, drizzle in vanilla-milk and mix until a smooth batter forms.
    • Pour batter into the prepared cake pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean about 1 hour.
    • Let the cake cool slightly, then invert onto a wire rack and let cool completely. Then invert it again onto a cake plate.

    For the glaze

    • Melt the butter in a small sauté or saucepan. With the heat on low, gently whisk in the lemon juice, milk and vanilla. Turn the heat off and carefully add the sifted powdered sugar. Whisk until smooth. If there are any lumps, pour it through a fine mesh strainer.
    • Poke holes with a toothpick or skewer in the cake and then pour the warm glaze over it. (You can also pour a bit over each serving individually.)

    NUTRITION

    Calories: 584kcal
    Keywords cake for breakfast, best lemon desserts, desserts for a crowd
    Have you tried this recipe?I'd love to see it on Instagram! Tag me at @cookingontheweekends or leave a comment & rating below.

    Save

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Ken Downing

      January 29, 2015 at 11:39 am

      I hope you meant a 9 x 13 cake pan maybe??

      Reply
      • valentina

        January 29, 2015 at 12:27 pm

        Thanks so much, Ken, for pointing that out! I actually meant a 9 X 9 X 3-inch. I'll edit that in the recipe ASAP! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Deb|EastofEdenCooking

      January 29, 2015 at 6:17 pm

      I'm intrigued! Hot Milk Cake is new to me and sounds fabulous. Especially with Meyer lemon and lots of eggs, dreamy!

      Reply
      • valentina

        February 01, 2015 at 11:19 am

        Thanks so much, Deb. Aren't eggs and lemon always so lovely? 🙂

        Reply
    3. Sippitysup

      January 30, 2015 at 6:12 pm

      I'm curious if you tasted raw milk while you were there. I did a similar trip in WI and we had to sip serendipitously! GREG

      Reply
      • valentina

        February 01, 2015 at 11:18 am

        Greg, no, but I wish I had! 🙂

        Reply
    4. David

      January 31, 2015 at 8:51 am

      Looks womderful and - I think you are right - it would be perfect this morning with a cup of cocoa (or coffee, for you!).

      Reply
      • valentina

        February 01, 2015 at 11:20 am

        Thanks, David. Now you've got me wanting cocoa. Maybe a mocha would do it. 😉

        Reply
    5. erin

      February 01, 2015 at 8:33 am

      Thank you Valentina for the perfect dessert for every occasion! Everyone in my family LOVED it. It's not easy to make a cake that is delectable to all tastes - - and this is it! If freezing, how would you recommend doing the glaze, before and/or after defrosting?

      Reply
      • valentina

        February 01, 2015 at 11:21 am

        Thank YOU Erin! So happy you all enjoyed this cake! 😀 I'd do the glaze after it's defrosted. You can make ti ahead and refrigerate it. Just melt it before drizzling. xo

        Reply
    6. Christina

      February 12, 2015 at 7:23 pm

      I don't want to make this cake, I NEED to make this cake! And then eat it with a big glass of milk! Delicious!!

      Reply
      • valentina

        February 14, 2015 at 3:08 pm

        A compliment from you about a cake is music to my ears. Thank you, Christina! XO

        Reply
    7. Leslie Macchiarella

      January 11, 2025 at 9:34 am

      5 stars
      Nice! And right up my cake baking alley. Since I have a lemon tree (though not Meyers), I’m always looking for yummy lemony cakes. Best to you, Valentina! As I’ve mentioned to you a number of times, you have my favorite taste profiles showcased in your recipes. Best, Leslie

      Reply
      • Valentina

        January 19, 2025 at 10:50 pm

        Thank you so much, Leslie. I really appreciate this, as you are the cake expert! 🙂 ~Valentina.

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Valentina, certified chef, owner, recipe developer and photographer at Cooking on the Weekends. I'm also a mom of two boys and a Los Angeleno. I use seasonal whole foods to create unique and comforting recipes for casual entertaining.

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