What milk does in cake is add moisture, flavor and richness to the cake and also acts as a binder in the cakes ingredients and also contributes to a soft and tender crumb.
The milk in the cake also activates other ingredients like baking soda and helps lead to a better flavor development and browning of the cake.
The milk in the cake also adjusts the texture and yields a lighter cake.
Most cakes don't need to be refrigerated and if it doesn't contain any perishable ingredients it's best to leave it out at room temperature if you plan to eat it or serve it within a day or two.
If the cake contains any perishable ingredients it must be kept refrigerated to prevent bacteria from growing on the cake and prevent spoilage.
The 3 types of cakes are butter cakes, chiffon cakes and sponge cakes.
Butter cakes are cakes that use butter or oil as a primary fat ingredient along with eggs, sugar, flour and a leavening agent such as baking soda or baking power.
Examples of butter cakes are red velvet cake, and pound cake.
Sponge cakes are cakes which rely heavily on whipped eggs or egg whites for the leavening agent, instead of chemical leavening agents and are often light, airy and delicate and are also often soaked in some syrup to add moisture.
Examples of sponge cake are chiffon cake, genoise cake, and angel food cake.
Chiffon cakes are a hybrid of butter and sponge cakes and use both oil and whipped egg whites for leaving and are also known for their light and airy and moist texture.
Common cakes are Yellow cake, Vanilla cake, Oil cake, layer cake, Biscuit cake, Upside down cake, Fruitcake, Chocolate cake, Cheesecake, Genoise cake, Carrot cake, Butter cake, Pound cake, Flourless chocolate cake, Angel food cake, Red Velvet cake, coffee cake and Sponge cake.
Another type of cake is naked cake which has no frosting which can be some other forms of cakes without frostings as well.
A cake without icing is called a Naked Cake.
Cakes that are served without any icing or with minimal amounts of icing are simply called a naked cake.
The naked cakes emphasize the layers of the cake itself, and they often are served with no icing or frosting or minimal amounts of icing or frosting.
Naked cakes with little to no icing on the sides allow the layers to show and be visible.
Naked cakes are popular and have gained in popularity for their natural and rustic look as well as their ability to showcase the flavors of the layers of the cake.
The term naked cake implies a lack of icing or frosting on the cake although some naked cakes have a light dusting of powdered sugar, drizzle of glaze or fresh fruit or flowers as decoration.
There are also some other types of cakes other than naked cakes that are not iced or frosted which included the sponge cake which is a cake that is light and airy and is made most often with eggs and sugar and an angel food cake which is a very light and airy cake that is made with egg whites, flour and sugar.