As someone who loves baking seasonally, I love incorporating fresh herbs into my bakes. This rosemary hot milk cake is made with, as the name suggests, hot milk. It gives the cake a wonderful texture and flavor: for this recipe, I infused the milk with rosemary and topped it with a lemon icing to give it some seasonal flair. The result is the most wonderful cake that isn’t too sweet, with a nice and springy crumb.
Why you’ll love this rosemary hot milk cake
It’s hard for me to pick favorites when it comes to cake, but hot milk cake is certainly in the running for first place. This cake is light and tender, and not too sweet.
Great texture. The lovely texture comes from the eggs and dairy in the cake. It is much more foolproof to make than its high-egg content relative, the genoise sponge.
Full of flavor. This hot milk cake is full of seasonal flavor. First, we infuse the milk with fresh rosemary, to get a delicious herbal flavor that isn’t overpowering. It also has almond extract to enhance the vanilla notes, and cardamom for extra warmth.
Easy to make. I’ve designed this cake to be baked in a 12 cup bundt pan, making presentation a breeze. I used the Nordic Ware Anniversary Bundt tin for this one, but you can use any design you like just as long as it is 12 cup capacity. You can also use a 10 cup bundt tin, and use the left over batter to make a couple mini bundts, though the bake time will be different.
Tools you’ll need
This cake doesn’t call for too much special equipment, but I still recommend that you have a few tools on hand. I like to make the batter in a stand mixer, but you can also use electric beaters, or a whisk with some elbow grease. You will also need a 12 cup capacity bundt tin.
How to prepare a bundt pan
I feel like everyone has a different method for this that they swear by, and I’m no different. The only method that has ever consistently worked for me is to liberally grease the bundt tin with melted butter, and to let it cool slightly before adding the batter so that it forms a bit of a barrier between the batter and the tin.
That said, some bakers swear by using the butter and flour method, which involves using a coating of melted butter, followed by a light dusting of flour. Also, some bundt tin manufacturers have their own recommended ways of greasing the tin to ensure a clean turn out.
Ingredients you’ll need for this hot milk cake
This cake uses fairly standard ingredients. There are a few little twists I’ve added that help make the flavor really dynamic and extra delicious.
Brown and white sugar. When I can, I love to use a mix of both brown and white sugar. This makes the cake more moist, and gives added depth of flavor.
Rosemary. Fresh rosemary gives the infused milk a wonderfully herbal flavor without being overpowering or medicinal.
Vanilla paste and almond extract. Adding a touch of almond extract helps bring out the vanilla flavor without making the cake taste nutty. This is a tip I picked up years ago, and unfortunately cannot remember the baker that I learned this from, but it’s the best tip! You can replace the vanilla paste with vanilla extract, and can leave out the almond extract if you have an allergy. However, I highly recommend you add it, because it really helps give the vanilla strength against the rosemary.
Lemon extract. In the icing, I call for using lemon extract instead of lemon juice. This will give the icing a very clear lemon flavor without making the icing too thin. I love using lemon extract in icing when I don’t want to make the white icing go a bit grey and I want to keep the consistency quite thick.
How to make this rosemary hot milk cake
Make the rosemary infused milk. The first step is to make the infused milk. Set aside about 30-60 minutes for this step prior to baking to give the milk enough time to infuse. Simply add the milk to a medium saucepan, and add in the whole rosemary sprigs. Heat until just boiling at the edges, then turn the heat off and allow to infuse for up to an hour. Remove the rosemary, and proceed with the recipe.
Make the cake. Next, whisk together the flour, cardamom, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and set aside. In a medium saucepan, add the infused milk and the butter and heat over medium heat until the butter has fully melted and the mixture is justtttt starting to boil. Remove from heat.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the eggs with the sugars until fluffy, then add in the vanilla paste and almond extract. Add the dry ingredient mixture in two additions, alternating with the hot milk and butter mixture until just combined. Stir in the lemon zest, then add the batter to the tin, and bake.
Once the cake is baked, let it sit in the bundt pan for about 5 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack. While the cake cools, mix up the icing by combining the powdered sugar, lemon extract, and a few tablespoons of milk or cream. Whisk until smooth, adding more milk/cream as necessary to achieve your desired icing thickness. Once the cake has fully cooled, pour on the icing, and decorate with edible flowers or more sprigs of rosemary and slices of lemon.
How to store this cake
This cake keeps well in the fridge for up to 5 days, wrapped well. Serve at room temperature.
Other spring dessert recipes you’ll love
In the mood for spring desserts? Here’s some other ideas:
No-Bake White Chocolate Tart with Raspberry and Rose
Double Lemon Cake with Marionberry Compote
Cara Cara Orange Cake with Kumquat Thyme Marmalade
I hope you enjoy this Rosemary Hot Milk Cake! Be sure to tag me on instagram so I can see your creations, and leave me a comment below! Your feedback helps other home cooks and bakers who are giving this recipe a try, and I love hearing about what you made!
