The 4-Ingredient Cake My Mum and I Know from Memory

This cake recipe is a slice of my childhood. My mum is the opposite of a baker, and that meant for all our birthdays and special celebrations growing up, we would either buy cakes or she would make this specific cake recipe served showered with powdered sugar.

I asked mum where this recipe comes from, and her reply was simply, “memory.” She doesn’t recall the origin of the recipe, but she did mention that 30-odd years ago, when she became a mum, she wanted to be able to bake her kids a cake. She stumbled upon this condensed milk cake recipe and there was no looking back. At the time, we didn’t have an oven at home, so she would bake the cake buried in sand with hot coals.

Suffice it to say, this cake is tried, tested, and pretty forgiving. 

A 4-Ingredient Wonder

The beauty of this cake lies in its simplicity. It needs minimal ingredients—just four main ingredients to bake it!—and it’s ready in under an hour. You might be tempted to add melted butter, oil, or margarine into the batter, but don’t do it! A can of sweetened condensed milk does all the work in this cake and is the star of the recipe. It adds sweetness and creates a tender crumb, which is why the cake is fluffy and soft without any additional fat.

For the ultimate in ease, the recipe also uses self-rising flour, which contains baking powder and salt already mixed into it. If you don’t have it on hand, it’s easy to make your own: For every 1 cup of all-purpose flour, add 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Whisk them together or sift a couple of times to ensure the ingredients are well combined. 

How To Serve My 4-Ingredient Condensed Milk Cake

I am guilty of baking this cake at least twice a month for no specific reason other than the nostalgia it offers and because we all love it. If you are anything like me, you’ll devour the cake while it is still hot out of the oven, but it’s just as delicious once it has cooled down.

I have experimented with the recipe a lot and love it most baked as a snack cake. I cut it into squares and take it on picnics and road trips, as it is very travel-friendly. This cake can also be dressed up as a fancier dessert, served warm with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce or layered with your favorite chocolate frosting.

Fun Additions

• My favorite addition to this cake batter is 1/2 cup salted roasted cashews, but you could add sliced almonds or chopped hazelnuts as well.
• A sprinkle of demerara sugar on top creates a delicious crust, or a dusting of powdered sugar offers a nice finish.
• Alternatively, add fresh ingredients like raspberries or strawberries by folding them into the batter to make a very pretty summer berry cake.
• The addition of citrus zest is a game-changer. Try adding the zest of a lemon, lime, orange, or grapefruit.
• One of my other go-to additions has to be semi-sweet chocolate chips—chocolate chips make everything better, of course.

More Easy Cakes

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