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POW KLIM Cake (Baked Milk Cake)

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.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes

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IngredientsMethodNotes

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
 

  1. Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C).
  2. Mix powdered milk and water into a thick batter.
  3. Stir in sugar, rice flour or crushed rice, and a pinch of salt.
  4. Pour into a small greased tin, ramekin, or loaf pan.
  5. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes until the top is set and lightly firm to the touch.
  6. 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.