Go Back

POW KLIM Cake (Baked Milk Cake)

Print Recipe
Though POWs typically steamed KLIM cakes due to lack of ovens, this is a historically faithful baked adaptation that captures the same texture and ingredients. It remains dense, simple, and symbolic of what a holiday treat meant inside a WWII Japanese POW camp.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

  • ½ cup KLIM powdered milk or modern whole milk powder
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 tablespoon sugar optional but documented in Red Cross parcels
  • 1 tablespoon rice flour or finely crushed cooked rice
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C).
  • Mix powdered milk and water into a thick batter.
  • Stir in sugar, rice flour or crushed rice, and a pinch of salt.
  • Pour into a small greased tin, ramekin, or loaf pan.
  • Bake for 25 to 35 minutes until the top is set and lightly firm to the touch.
  • Cool for 10 minutes before slicing.

Notes

  • Texture: This cake will not rise or become fluffy. KLIM cakes were dense, chewy, and compact because prisoners relied on powdered milk and rice instead of flour, eggs, or leavening.
 
  • Flavor: The sugar is optional but historically accurate. Even a single spoonful would have been rare and often traded or saved for holidays.
 
  • Pan Size: Use the smallest tin or ramekin you have. Historically these were cooked in KLIM tins, so a small container produces the most authentic texture and shape.