Hmmmmm...I've never had it come out dry...wonder what happened? It is a "coarser" cake than a mix . I love it as a shortcake for strawberries,I never icing it. Actually I did once but don't care for icing on it.Sorry yours didn't turn out.

Well maybe that's all that's wrong with it...I hate those old corse cakes. I guess I'm old enough to remember them and how much better a mix cake is. To ME...

And hey CR...we haven't been hearing much from you....I wish you'd quit work...lol...I miss ya

patti

I'm with you Patti. I made one and thought it was not good.
I couldn't figure out if I did something wrong, but like you, I followed the directions exactly.
Steph made one the other day and her's wasn't good either.
It's not something I would ever make again.

Well I'm glad I'm not alone....I thought it was because I'm loosing my touch...lol

patti

I made it once last year and I thought it was very dense - not a light melt in your mouth cake at all so I never made it again. It would hold up though with macerated berries - like a strawberry short cake. I thought it had more of a a pound cake texture. Not bad tasting at all, just not what I was looking for at the time.

When I make cakes I usually make angel food because that is my favourite.

Anne

I just made one Friday. DH had a piece while it was still warm (with the pecan/brown sugar icing) and he thought it was wonderful. I ate some yesterday and thought the cake itself was very good, although I didn't care for the icing.

I plan on making it again to serve with strawberries and whipped cream. It did remind me of a shortcake.

I dont know what happened to mine. I had such high hopes, but it took FOREVER to bake. I did it on convection and it seriously took way over an hour and even then, the middle wasn't fully done but the rest was way overdone.

I thought maybe someday I'd try it and bake it not on convection and see if there's a difference. It did have a good flavor but it was very dense and not fluffy at all.

Mine turned out fine. I prefer cakes made from scratch. I did not ice it, and it was just fine.

Only made it once, in a square pan, and it was absolutely delilcious!

Well, I didn't want to say anthing--I thought I'd done something wrong since it got so many good reviews. Neither one of us cared for it and I ended up tossing over half of it.

Hi,
I haven't posted in ages, but wanted to jump in and say how much we LOVED the hot milk cake. It is a heavier coarse cake, but that is what my family like. I have gone back to making more "scratch" cakes. I had forgotten how much we love them over the years of making "mix" cakes.

"Now back to your regular scheduler programming".. :)

Like anything else, everyone has their own preferences. Personally, I don't care for mixes--can't stand the artificial, chemical taste, or the superfine/fake texture they have. To me, generally speaking, a coarser texture shows that the person who made the cake put the effort into making one from scratch.

But that being said--I've got a SIL who loves hot milk cake. Always raved about her mother's recipe for it. Then one day she made it for us--it was just awful, but she was happy with it. Everyone likes different things. Thank goodness for that, though--just imagine if we were all clones, how boring!

I made it and we all loved it here, but then...i'm into natural foods.
Yes, it's more like a homemade cake, not a box one (with all those chemicals)

If you've never made a cake from scratch, you do have to beat a scratch cake more than the box ones.

I loved it, but more as a base for strawberries, peaches, etc. I've been hungry for it lately so better get one made.

Someone once suggested I rate the recipes on my blog but I said I didn't see the point really. My opinion is just my opinion. Everyone has different tastes.

I've made plenty of scratch cakes and they can be dense and they can be almost as light as boxed mix, depending on the technique, the amount of mixing, the oven they were baked in, etc. I've made the same recipes more than once and they can turn out differently. I don't think any cake recipe will be universally loved.

I haven't made one, but did eat the one that Jerri made and it was delicious! Still warm with homemade fresh peach ice cream on top!

Some of you please try this and let me know what you think. Its the only way I make cakes and everyone I know loves them.
To any regular cake mix,add 1/4 cup more oil,one more egg,and 1 teaspoon of vanilla to the regular amounts on the box. Mix on low until well blended only,if you like a more dense scratch style texture.(I dont even use a mixer,I just stir real well with a wooden spoon) If you like a fluffier texture,beat in on high for a minute or two. Bake as per box directions.Let me know if you like it or not.

I made the Hot Milk Cake and used Almond flavoring. It came out nearly like a pound cake and it really did melt in my mouth. I love it and hubby loved it as well. I will continue to use this as a basic recipe for cakes, but add goodies to it like chocolate or different flavorings. I didn't put any icing on it at all, and it was still yummy.
It does have a more dense texture than store bought, but it does not have the chemical preservative aftertaste that box mixes have. But then I am a "cook from scratch lady anyway".

PVP

I didnt dislike it because of the way it tasted or that it was homemade. I just think it baked incorrectly somehow in my convection. It was like it was too overdone around the edges and not done enough in the middle.

It did have a good flavor and I would've liked it had it not have cooked the way it did.

Interesting to see folks give negative opinions about a posted recipe.
I once made a "famous" pie that was highly touted here. I thought it was disgusting and threw it out.
I didn't have the nerve to say so. Imagine that. LOL.
Just goes to show...different tastes.

Steph....just an idea.
The recipe was for a standard oven. It may need a different temperature, or is just not an application for a convection oven.
I did find this hint on convection ovens.
"Cakes do not bake well in a convection oven, and are best baked in a conventional oven. (Cookies, on the other hand, bake nicely in a convection oven.) Lower the temperature by 25 to 50 degrees when going from conventional oven to convection."

IME, The action that takes place during baking is very different than simply applying heat, as in roasting or warming something up. Baking anything with baking powder or baking soda as the rising agent is a chemical process that is a chain reaction, and some recipes may not work in a convection oven.

LOL, it's like we're talking about two different species here . . . the hot milk cake is absolutely the most tender, moist, melt-in-your-mouth-textured cake I've ever made, but it's definitely NOT a box/airy type. The power of baking powder and well-beaten eggs is impressive (to me and Alton Brown :) when you begin with a very liquidy batter in the lower half of the pan and then see the cake rise to the top of the pan. When I hear people say it didn't turn out for them; the only thing I could suspect is non-viable baking powder, insufficient beating time, or oven temp problems - or maybe altitude issues.

I am shocked! LOL
Mine was great! I didn't think it was heavy or dense, I emailed the recipe to both DD's and told them when it says melt in your mouth cake it really is!! I mixed mine quite awhile in my KA mixer...and baked 32-33 minutes maybe?

Thanks Monica, I figured it must have something to do with the convection. I will try it again and bake it regularly and see how it turns out.

Hmm, The big tiered one I did for last week's Anniversary party turned out great. ALWAYS use fresh baking powder..if it's old-the cake will flop! I used my portable mixer on high & beat it for a good 3 minutes-also folding the batter with a rubber spatula while mixing.
The convection baking hints made sense to me, tho I don't have one! Also-I added grated lemon peel & gave it a lighter taste-used 1/2 the vanilla & the lemon extract for the remainder. To me, the texture is a cross between a sponge & a pound cake. I had to put a lemony icing on this one but don't normally use any icing. An orange or lemon glaze would also be nice drizzled over it.
Forgot to post a photo of my cake..will ask my buddy to do it for me as my msn/webtv cannot do it. Did I mention the photo will be the last one you will ever see of mine-it really took a toll on my right arthritic hand & arm-still no strength in it. Cake decorating apron is now officially hung up for good!

I made it and thought it tasted a lot like a pound cake recipe I've used for years. I thought it was delicious.

I think it is a matter of taste and texture and if you make mix cakes most of the time that is what you are used to so this cake would be different. I don't use mixes very often because whenever I eat anything that is premade I seem to break out in hives (preservatives)

A lot of people here rave about the lemonade pie that gets posted every summer. I made it once after reading the reviews and really thought it was terrible and because I couldn't find anyone to give it to I tossed it and was mad at myself for wasting the ingredients. For me it was too sweet and the texture wasn't something I liked and this is from a person who can eat condensed milk by the spoonful (love the stuff) LOL I think I didn't like it because I like my lemon pies on the sour side and nothing can compare to a homemade lemon meringue pie.
I was really disappointed I didn't like the lemonade pie because I usually love anything lemon but the sweetness of the lemonade and the condensed milk was just too much for these taste buds.

Just like movie reviews - some people will rave about the movie and when you go see it you didn't enjoy it at all or when the movie is given a bad review and you see it and thought it was great.

Recipes are the same way.

Anne

Try baking it in a jellyroll pan and then dividing it into three and layering it with chocolate icing....pretty good that way!

Adding a pic of Sharon_FL's cake that she talked about on this thread.

Wow Sharon that is beautiful.

Anne