Lazy Daisy Cake is a delicious, simply made hot milk sponge cake, but the rich and sweet caramel topping is the real star.
One of my all-time favorite cakes my Mom made often is her version of a hot milk cake called a Lazy Daisy Cake. Simple to make with just pantry ingredients, it's a great way to have a little cake any time.
🔍 Quick Look: Lazy Daisy Cake Recipe
- Ready in: 52 minutes
- Servings: 9
- Calories: ~287 kcal per serving (based on nutrition panel)
- Main Ingredients: Flour, sugar, eggs, baking powder, milk, vanilla extract, brown sugar, butter, and nuts
- Elements of Taste: Sweet and Buttery
- Cook Method: Bake
- Batter Method: Simplified Egg Foam
- Difficulty: Easy, and can be baked while you eat dinner.
- Why You'll Love It: Lazy Daisy Cake requires no mixer, has a buttery, soft crumb, and is topped with a broiled, sweet caramel nut topping.
Jump to:
Why is this Cake called Lazy Daisy Cake?
This Lazy Daisy Cake is a "special" cake. Not because it is fancy, but because it breaks several rules in the making of a cake batter.
This hot milk cake gets its name from the "lazy" way the cake batter is made. The batter for traditional sponge cakes is made using the egg foam method, which requires separating the egg yolks from the whites and then laborious beating each.
This recipe requires only 2 eggs, beaten together, instead of 6 eggs separated and beaten separately; hence the name "Lazy Daisy".
Here is my mom's well-loved and worn handwritten recipe book and the Lazy Daisy Cake Recipe she wrote. We often had this cake after Sunday supper.
What makes this cake special?
- Method of Mixing. The method used to mix the batter is not exactly the same as making a true sponge cake. However, the crumb is very similar.
- Leavening. True sponge cakes rely solely on egg white to provide leavening. This cake also contains baking powder to act as the leavening agent.
- Hot Milk. Adding hot milk to the batter gives this cake a distinctive and delicious flavor that enhances the vanilla flavoring. The hot milk also allows the batter to come together very quickly.
Ingredient Notes
Here's what you will need to make this Lazy Daisy Cake:
For the Cake:
- Large Eggs - Choose eggs that have a soft delicious flavor. Vegetarian-fed hens lay the best-tasting eggs in my opinion.
- White Granulated Sugar - Simple and sweet, white granulated sugar works well in this recipe.
- Vanilla Extract - My favorite is Madagascar vanilla. But you can use any you have on hand and can afford to buy. Even clear imitation vanilla extract is delicious.
- Cake Flour - Cake flour gives a lovely soft texture to the crumb of the cake.
- Baking Powder - I prefer to use an aluminum-free baking powder for the best taste for everyone. Some people are especially sensitive to the flavor of aluminum which can leave a bitter aftertaste.
- Salt - Just a small amount of salt brings out the sweetness in everything.
- Whole Milk - This cake is very lean so do not substitute low-fat or skim milk.
- Butter or Shortening - I prefer salted butter for this cake. If you use unsalted, please add an extra ¼ teaspoon of salt to the dry ingredients.
For the Caramel Nut Topping:
- Dark Brown Sugar - Dark brown sugar will give the topping a rich caramel flavor.
- Salted Butter - Salted butter is best and you don't need to add additional salt.
- Heavy Cream - Heavy cream makes the topping spreadable and completes the caramel.
- Chopped Walnuts or Pecans - I've made this cake often with either walnuts or pecans. Walnuts are slightly bitter and complement the caramel and pecans are naturally sweet and go well with caramel too.
Please see the recipe card for the exact quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Substitute Flaked Coconut. Use flaked coconut for all or part of the chopped nuts.
- Short on Eggs? This cake can also be made with 1 whole egg with the following adjustments: Use ¾ cup of milk instead of ½ cup and use 1 ¼ teaspoons of baking powder instead of 1 teaspoon.
- Substitute your Favorite Nuts. Walnuts, pecans, cashews, and filberts are excellent choices for the topping of this cake. My mom always used walnuts, but I usually make this cake topping with pecans.
How to Make a Lazy Daisy Cake
Step 1 - Preheat and Prepare. Preheat oven to 350°F/177°C and grease and flour a 9" square baking pan. If using a dark colored metal pan or glass pan, reduce the temperature 25° to 325°F/163°C.
Step 2 - Caramel Nut Topping. In a small bowl mix together brown sugar, melted butter, cream, and nuts. Set aside for later.
Step 3 - Mix Eggs, Sugar, and Vanilla. In a large mixing bowl beat the eggs until thick and light in color. Add sugar gradually, beating until very well blended. Stir in the vanilla.
Step 4 -Add Dry Ingredients. Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the sifted ingredients to egg and sugar mixture, mixing thoroughly.
Step 5 - Scald and Add Milk. In a small saucepan bring the milk and butter to a boil. Add to batter all of the milk mixture at once and stir well. The batter will be pale yellow and very thin.
Step 6 - Pour Into Pan. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Step 7 - Bake. Bake the cake at 350° for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool slightly on a wire rack.
Step 8 - Frost. While the cake is still warm, spread it with the reserved caramel nut topping.
Step 9 - Broil Topping. Place the cake under a broiler for 30 to 45 seconds or until the topping is bubbling. Watch very closely to prevent the topping from burning. Remove the cake from the broiler and serve immediately.
My Top Tips
♡ Do not walk away while broiling the topping on this cake! This broiled topping will cook very quickly and will bubble slightly when it is done.
♡ Scalding the milk gives this cake its delicious, distinctive flavor, which is more than just "vanilla".
Make-Ahead & Storage
- Make-Ahead: This cake is best when freshly made and served immediately after the topping has been broiled. Make this cake just before sitting down for dinner and it will be ready to be enjoyed after everyone has eaten. After the dishes have been cleared, the cake is topped with the broiled "frosting" and within a minute the cake is ready to be served.
- Storage: Left-over cake (if you have any!) can be stored in a covered airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Warming the cake gently in the microwave or oven before serving it greatly improves the flavor.
♡ Did you love this Lazy Daisy Cake? Please leave a star rating and a comment below!
📖 Recipe
Lazy Daisy Cake
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Ingredients
Caramel Nut Topping
- 5 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
- 3 Tablespoons Butter, Melted
- 2 Tablespoons Cream
- ½ Cup Chopped Nuts
Cake
- 2 Large Eggs
- 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
- 1 Cup Cake Flour
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
- ¼ Teaspoon Salt
- ½ Cup Whole Milk
- 1 Tablespoon Butter
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare. Preheat oven to 350°F/177°C and grease and flour a 9" square baking pan. If using a dark colored metal pan or glass pan, reduce the temperature 25° to 325°F/163°C.
- Caramel Nut Topping. In a small bowl mix together brown sugar, melted butter, cream, and nuts. Set aside for later.5 Tablespoons Brown Sugar, 3 Tablespoons Butter, 2 Tablespoons Cream, ½ Cup Chopped Nuts
- Mix Eggs, Sugar, and Vanilla. In a large mixing bowl beat the eggs until thick and light in color. Add sugar gradually, beating until very well blended. Stir in the vanilla.2 Large Eggs, 1 Cup Granulated Sugar, 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
- Add Dry Ingredients. Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the sifted ingredients to egg and sugar mixture, mixing thoroughly.1 Cup Cake Flour, 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder, ¼ Teaspoon Salt
- Scald and Add Milk. In a small saucepan bring the milk and butter to a boil. Add to batter all of the milk mixture at once and stir well. The batter will be pale yellow and very thin.½ Cup Whole Milk, 1 Tablespoon Butter
- Pour Into Pan. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake. Bake the cake at 350° for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool slightly on a wire rack.
- Frost. While the cake is still warm, spread it with the reserved caramel nut topping.
- Broil Topping. Place the cake under a broiler for 30 to 45 seconds or until the topping is bubbling. Watch very closely to prevent the topping from burning.
- Serve and Enjoy. Remove the cake from the broiler and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Per 1 serving. All nutritional information on this site is an estimate. Your results may vary.
Encharted Cook™ or Jan Nunes shall not be liable for adverse reactions or any other outcome resulting from the use of recipes or recommendations on this website or actions you take as a result.
© 2018-2025 Encharted Cook, Jan Nunes. All rights reserved.
Diana Smyth says
I was excited to try this recipe from the 1930s. I also like the smaller cakes 9"x 9" it turned out perfect. We loved it. With a dollop of whipped cream, it is delicious. A scoop of ice cream would have also been nice. But, Hey Who am I kidding, I could have totally done the guy thing and grabbed a slice and eaten it over the kitchen sink 🙂 I loved it, and will definitely make it again. I also like that it was totally from scratch, plus eggs from my hens and I used foraged walnuts.
Jan Nunes says
Hi Diana,
How lucky you are to have fresh eggs and live in an area where you have walnuts...and so glad you enjoyed my mom's recipe for this scrumptious little cake!
Have a wonderful day! ~Jan
P.S.: You can double the recipe for a 13x9" pan. 😉 Just sayin'
Sharon says
This is the EXACT recipe my great-grandma used- i love seeing other people cherish it with pecans too!!!
Jan Nunes says
Hi Sharon! For me pecans are the best too!
Have a wonderful day! ~Jan
Maggie says
What size of cake pan do you use for this?
Jan Nunes says
Hi Maggie, Thank you for your question! You use a 9” square baking pan.
Have a wonderful day! ~Jan 😊
Kae says
Thank you for sharing your moms recipe. ♥
Jan Nunes says
You are welcome Kae!
Have a wonderful day... ~Jan
Anonymous says
My mother also made this cake, albeit a bit differently - it was first published in the Chicago Sunday Tribune in 1914!
Jan Nunes says
Amazing!... Goes to show that some foods are true classics, when they can still be favorites more than 100 years later. Thank you for sharing!
Anonymous says
love your new site!
Jan Nunes says
Thank you so much!! Let me know if there is anything you would like to see displayed differently. I would love the feedback.