Hot Milk Sponge Cake Layers

Oct 13, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Baking Cakes cupcakes Vanilla: Extract Medium

Two bare, level rounds of hot milk sponge cake layers stacked on a cooling rack with one slice cut to show the crumb

An old-fashioned sponge made with hot milk and butter: sturdier than genoise, lighter than butter cake, and it needs no syrup. Good under cooked fillings and fruit.

Prep 25 min

Cook 28 min

Cooling 1 hr

Total 1 hr 53 min

Yield 12 slices

Diet —

Ingredients

Adjust yield

slices

1 ½ cups (190.0 g)all-purpose flour
1 ½ tsp (6.0 g)baking powder
½ tsp (3.0 g)fine sea salt
4.0 (200.0 g)large eggs
1 ¼ cups (250.0 g)granulated sugar
2.0 tsp (10.0 ml)pure vanilla extract
¾ cup (180.0 ml)whole milk
6.0 tbsp (85.0 g)unsalted butter

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Instructions

Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter two 8-inch round pans, line the bottoms with parchment and butter the paper; dust with flour and tap out the excess.
Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt. Whip the eggs and sugar on high 5 minutes until thick and pale; beat in the vanilla.
Heat the milk and butter until the butter melts and the milk steams. Fold the flour into the eggs in three additions, then stir in the hot milk until smooth; the batter is thin.
Divide between the pans and bake 25 to 28 minutes until golden and the tops spring back.
Cool in the pans 15 minutes, run a knife around the edges, turn out onto a rack, peel off the parchment and cool completely before filling.

Tips

Add the hot milk right away so the batter stays warm and airy.
This sponge keeps 2 days without drying out, unlike genoise.

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Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make hot milk sponge cake layers?

Plan on 25 minutes of prep and 28 minutes of cooking, plus 1 hour to rest. The recipe makes two 8-inch layers (12 slices).

How should I store hot milk sponge cake layers?

Wrap cooled layers tightly and keep at room temperature up to 2 days or freeze up to 2 months; frost them cold from the freezer for the cleanest crumb.

Can I make hot milk sponge cake layers ahead?

Bake the layers a day ahead, wrap and chill; cold layers are easier to fill, stack and frost.

Can I use a different form of vanilla?

Yes. This recipe uses 2 tsp pure vanilla extract (10 ml). Each teaspoon of pure vanilla extract can be swapped for 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste, the seeds of half a vanilla bean, or 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla powder. Paste and seeds add the classic dark specks.

An old-fashioned sponge made with hot milk and butter: sturdier than genoise, lighter than butter cake, and it needs no syrup. Good under cooked fillings and fruit.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 12 servings this recipe makes.

224 Calories / serving

8.0g Fat

33.8g Carbs

4.2g Protein

21.8g Sugar

Whole recipe (12 servings): ~2688 cal · 96g fat · 406g carbs · 50g protein · 262g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.