Lorraine Engel, of Santa Rosa, Calif., was looking for a recipe that was in her family for generations but has been misplaced — one for a hot milk cake. Rosemary Kingsley, of Olney, Md., sent in her recipe for this simple, old-fashioned classic. She said this is her go-to cake for most family celebrations.

It is extremely adaptable, perfectly delicious served plain or dressed up with fresh ber- ries or just about any type of frosting or glaze you can come up with. It can be baked in almost any shape pan: round, rectangular, tube or bundt.

With this cake, the key to success is using the best-quality ingredients, and making sure that you beat the eggs thoroughly for at least 5 minutes until they are thick and bright-lemon colored.Otherwise, the cake will not rise properly. I made this in my bundt pan and served it without frosting — just a dusting of powdered sugar accompanied by fresh strawberries and raspberries. It was a hit at my house.