We’re changing the tone of things in the kitchen. Can you feel it? It feels like we need a different kind of nourishment. Warming and routine. Roasted and rooted.
I find myself gravitating towards Golden Milk every autumn and winter. It’s the drink I stir together when I’ve dimmed the lights in my kitchen to just one – that thing I do to signal to my body that we get to rest soon. Golden Milk has a lullaby quality while also feeling almost as indulgent as ice cream. It’s settling. It feels like roots likely because it comes from roots.
It’s with great affection that I pour my favorite spiced drink over vanilla cake. The cake is concepted like a Tres Leches Cake with less milks and more spice flavor. Chilled to settle. Swept with lightly whipped cream to serve.
It’s gentle, and simple, and still feels special. Here’s how:
I love a humble cake in a square pan.
It’s not fussy. It’s the sort of cake that sits in the fridge, loosely covered in plastic wrap, visited often with a butter knife as people sneak slivers here and there.
This is the sort of cake that comes together in one big bowl though the use of exactly one million small bowls of ingredients feels particularly organized and indulgent until it comes time to wash them all. A little bit of cake mise-en-place helps me safeguard against forgetting the baking soda or double adding the baking soda while forgetting the sugar. Essentially, I’ll do more dishes for a higher cake success rate.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Halfway done! (Not really… but essentially.)
Pour sugar into a bowl, dramatically from up high.
Add melted butter, every bit. Add a few eggs, too.
Whisk in the buttermilk creating a creamy, glossy, on-you-way-to-cake mixture.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet.
And whisk to a fluffy thickness.
Whisk until any flour lumps have eased out and the batter is thick and pourable.
Pour into a greased pan.
And pop that gem in the oven.
While the cake bakes I mix together the golden milk.
It’s mostly coconut milk with the support of a dash of heavy cream and a splash of water.
Honey to sweeten.
Cinnamon and turmeric and a dash of ground ginger too. I also add a few grinds of black pepper for just the slightest hint of spice.
The whole mixture is heated gently in a saucepan until just warm and the flavor of the spice has started to bloom.
Allow the cake to cool for a few (about 15) minutes when it comes out of the oven. Breathe deeply in the kitchen. It smells like cake. This is our moment.
Use a skewer to poke holes in the cake. From top to bottom. Side to side.
Slowly pour the warmed golden milk over and into the cake. Slowly to give the cake time to absorb. The liquid may begin to pool a bit around the edges. That’s ok, just keep it moving.
I find that this cake is best with a bit of quality time in the refrigerator – overnight to be exact. It helps the liquid absorb and settle into the cake and cools the crumb of the cake. These will be dense little slices, nice and chill.
Lightly sweetened and lightly whipped cream. Spread generously.
Sprinkle with chopped walnuts and hustle in there for a slice.
In dense, in that way cake can still be dense and delicious. It’s moist in that way that you’ll allow. It’s flavorful and cheeky and it’s cake so CAKE!
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or 1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
- 1 1/4 cup full fat coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons water
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- few grinds fresh cracked black pepper
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- pinch of salt
- splash of vanilla extract
- finely chopped toasted walnuts for topping
Instructions
- Place a rack in the center of the oven and heat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8-inch square cake pan and lightly dust with flour.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together sugar, butter, eggs, and buttermilk. Whisk in the vanilla or almond extract.
- Add the buttermilk mixture all at once to the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined and no lumps remain. Spoon batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- While the cake bakes, in a small saucepan, stir together all of the ingredients for the golden milk. Stir until just warm, the honey is dissolved and the spices are distributed throughout. Remove from heat.
- Allow the cake to cool for 15 minutes. Use a skewer to poke holes into the cake, evenly across the entire top of the cake.
- Slowly pour the golden milk mixture over the cake. Allowing it to absorb all over.
- Allow to cool to room temperature and then cover with plastic wrap and allow to chill in the refrigerator overnight.
- When ready to serve, lightly whip heavy cream, powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla. Spread evenly over the cake. Sprinkle the edges with walnuts, slice, and enjoy! Cake will last well wrapped in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
RLC
Should all the golden milk mixture be used? Or just as much as it will take over a little while? Mine doesn’t seem to be absorbing all that well…
joythebaker
I poured very slowly and eventually got the whole mixture in. Take it slow but if you feel like you have more golden milk than you need then feel free to discard.
Cat
i was going to do a practice thanksgiving pie for my birthday tomorrow, but lucky me, you came up with this and it is divine! thank you!!
Ashley
Question, if you’re not into coconut, or allergic, is there a different milk you recommend? Thanks!!
Ashley
This is so, so clever! Tres Leches is such a great comfort food cake and you found a way to make it extra cozy with honey and turmeric. I just made golden milk donuts and they are better than I expected. I have never enjoyed turmeric but somehow it takes on a magically delicious quality in dessert ;)
Cyndi
Delicious sounding cake! I never would have guessed almond extract in the cake alongside the spices in the golden milk but I’d bet it’s wonderful. Also, what a cute outfit – I love your jeans, T-shirt and belt!
Yvonne
Perfect size cake when you don’t need a lot but just have to bake something.
Can’t wait to try this. Thank you!
Love reading your posts.
Sina
Joy, I love this frame of your kitchen in the pictures! That’s how I (and probably most of us) prepare our cakes: standing at a counter that is occupied by “some” things, rearranging and balancing it out as we go, with one corner of the cake pan sticking over the edge of the counter… <3
Ant the recipe sounds wonderful!
Wishing you restorative moments this weekend! Sina
Angie De Angelis
This cake looks so good, and comforting too! I love the riff on the tres leches which is one of my favorites. Also, and this is unrelated, your bangs look super cute!
Chrissy
I am so so guilty of the “just a sliver with the butter knife” sort of bite. It’s wonderful to live alone where I can do this without someone else chiding me for it.
Angie De Angelis
I’ve had a leftover birthday cake in my fridge all week and I’ve DEFINITELY been playing that game. My boyfriend called me out on it when I left a dirty butter knife in the sink early one morning (cause chocolate cake for breakfast makes everything better/more tolerable) and so I envy you being able to do it without getting shit from anyone for it.
Samantha
Definitely to try as lately I’ve been having an addiction for golden milk :D
Rita
I’m so grateful for this post! I was looking for an interesting, not-too-heavy baking project for this weekend, and this is definitely it. Just to be sure–so I don’t muck anything up–should the “Use a skewer” instructive be paired with step 8 (i.e., you let the cake cool for a full fifteen minutes before making the holes)?
Thanks so much, Joy! :)
Sandra Garth
This is going on my must make soon list!
Gabrielle
I love golden milk and this cake sounds amazing!
Carissa Nelson | Spoonful Of Easy
Yum!! I’ve never had golden milk, but have obviously been missing out! Love a dramatic sugar pour! This definitely looks like a “sneaking out slivers” cake to me. Thanks, Joy!
Cheryl Rose
To save using all those small bowls you can use this trick……mixing bowl in front of you, unused ingredients placed to the left, can place in the baking pan, as you use each ingredient move it to the right side of the mixing bowl. Phone rings no problem, when you come back everything to the left still needs added. Less work more time to relax. Happy baking!
Rena
What a cake! I must try it out!
xx Rena
http://www.dressedwithsoul.com
Ramona
This sounds perfect for a fall cake! Thank you for this great post!
Taste of France
This sounds so much more delicious than the jello poke cakes that I grew up with.
Mary Ann
I’m in.
Kat
Love the “visited often with a butter knife” reference.. it’s sooo right on with a great cake :) Happy Friday Joy!
Natalie Chen
Such a great idea for a poke cake!
Suellen
Oh boy, gonna make this cake this weekend. Yummy!