Lazy Daisy Cake is a great way to end an Autumn meal. You will love the delicious, simply made hot milk sponge cake, but the rich and sweet caramel topping is the real star.
Not just a delicious cool weather favorite, Lazy Daisy Cake is also what I call a “special” cake. Not because it is fancy, but because it breaks several rules in the making of a cake batter.
The method used to mix the batter is not exactly the same as making a true sponge cake. However, the crumb is very similar.
True sponge cakes rely solely on egg white to provide leavening. This cake also contains baking powder to act as the leavening agent.
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.
You can 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 can be served.
Lazy Daisy Cake
Ingredients
Caramel Nut Topping
- 5 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
- 3 Tablespoons Melted Butter
- 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 or Shortening
Instructions
- 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.
Cake:
- 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.
- Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the sifted ingredients to egg and sugar mixture, mixing thoroughly.
- 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.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake 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.
- While the cake is still warm, spread it with the reserved caramel nut topping.
- Place the cake under a broiler for 30 to 45 seconds or until topping is bubbling. Watch very closely to prevent the topping from burning.
- Remove the cake from the broiler and serve immediately.
My mother also made this cake, albeit a bit differently – it was first published in the Chicago Sunday Tribune in 1914!
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!
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