When I look at that title, I am rather not bowled over by an inclination to bake in the midst of summer weather. That said! This old fashioned recipe yields quite possibly the best cake to accommodate however much fresh summer fruit (and whipped vanilla cream) your heart desires. It’s a relatively quick and easy cake that’s ideal for the last minute, and worth turning on the oven for despite heat/humidity. And, it can be enjoyed two different ways…
1) as pictured, as a single layer sheetcake covered in berries and cream, awaiting a side of 4th of July fireworks. (I am absolutely planning to revisit with peaches later this summer). …or slice and serve fruit/cream alongside!
2) as my mom made hot milk cake: leave the cake to cool in the pan, and while still warm from the oven, pour a simple glaze over the top, let barely set, and dig in. (my mom and grandmother both served cakes warm with glaze, and I honestly don’t know why I’ve gotten so away from it! I suppose it’s harder to pull off when you’re baking for orders or a bakery/restaurant, but I know that the rest of my 2023 will feature more of this!!)
The crumb is tender yet substantial, fluffy but dense (in a good way). Nearly all of my go-to recipes for layer cakes use buttermilk, so it had been a minute since I’d appreciated the way that regular milk showcases vanilla, which to me is an especially nostalgic taste.
Hot Milk Cake
— Ingredients —
4 large eggs, at room temperature
400g (2 cups) sugar
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 t almond extract
270g (2 1/4 cups) AP flour
2 1/4 t baking powder
3/4 t kosher salt
300g (1 1/4 cup) whole milk
140g (10 T) unsalted butter, cubed
— Direcions —
Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and line a 9x13” pan with parchment, butter the parchment. In a large bowl, beat eggs at high speed for about 5 minutes, or until thick and lemon-colored (the mixture should be thick enough to leave a trail over itself if you lift the mix attachment).
Mixing on medium speed, gradually add the sugar to the eggs in a steady stream. Beat until light and fluffy, then add the vanilla. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl, then add to the egg/sugar mixture in two batches, mixing gently until just combined. I recommend scraping the sides of the bowl between additions, and after the second addition.
In a small saucepan, heat the milk and butter just until the butter is melted. With the mixer on low-medium speed, gradually add the milk mixture to the batter, mixing until just combined. Run a spatula around the sides and combine any un-mixed portions until smooth.
Pour into prepared pan, and bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 30-35 minutes. Cool on rack…douse in glaze or let cool completely!
(adapted from Taste of Home)
Vanilla Whipped Mascarpone
8 oz mascarpone
240g (1 cup) heavy whipping cream
1 t vanilla extract
25g (roughly 2 T) confectioners’ sugar
Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, and mix on medium-high. Once it begins to thicken, turn speed to medium-low to avoid over-mixing; you want it to hold shape but still have a little flow! Once you feel like it’s the right consistency, turn to high for a literal second to make sure it’s evenly mixed. Use immediately, as it begins to set if it sits (you can tell which rows were piped first vs. last!).
