Condensed milk is one of those ingredients that you might have used a time or two when a recipe called for it, but aren’t quite sure what it is. The sweet, gooey mixture is often used in recipes for flan, fudge, and Key lime pie, but can be used to enhance the texture and flavor of cake, too. It was invented in the 1800s as a way to preserve milk, a notoriously perishable product. Inventor Gail Borden created the syrupy liquid by boiling off most of the water in the milk, adding sugar to prevent the growth of bacteria, and sealing it in cans.
When it comes to baking, condensed milk provides a dense, sweet, milk-flavored substance that doesn’t drown the other ingredients in liquid. It can be used in any recipe that calls for milk and sugar, but you’ll need to adjust the recipe to avoid an inedibly sweet result. Adding condensed milk to the cake provides moisture and richness, making it perfect for heavy, decadent cakes rather than airy ones. Many bakers will know it as one of the three varieties of milk found in tres leches cake, but it’s worth experimenting with other recipes, too. Try it in this strawberry cake, for example, or kickstart your holiday baking with this candy cane cake. Trust us, this simple substitution pays dividends.
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