One pan. One batter. One cake. THREE layers. Yes, not only is it possible, it’s magical: Magic Custard Cake! Using all the ingredients you’d normally expect to find in a cake recipe – eggs, flour, sugar, butter – but in slightly different amounts, mixing it in a particular way, and baking it at a lower-than-typical temperature, this cake turns into a layer cake with a fudge base, custard center, and sponge cake top that is truly out-of-this-world. All the magic happens in the oven while it bakes. All you need to do is follow the recipe from Emojoie Cuisine that we’ve transcribed for you. Trust us. You won’t regret it, and you’ll feel like a true baking wizard.
MAGIC CUSTARD CAKE
INGREDIENTS
- 3 egg, yolks and whites separated
- 1 tablespoon water
- ⅓ cup + 2 tablespoons (90 grams) sugar
- 6 tablespoons (90 grams) melted butter
- ¾ cup (90 grams) flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 1½ cups (375 milliliters) milk
- Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting (optional)
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat your oven to 302 degrees Fahrenheit (150 degrees Celsius). Grease a 7-inch (18-centimeter) round cake pan.
- Separate the egg yolks from the whites, and set the whites aside.
- Place the egg yolks in a large bowl. Add the water and sugar. Use a whisk to gently break the yolks, then beat together with the water and sugar until the mixture is a very pale yellow color and at ribbon stage.
- Gradually beat in the melted butter until incorporated.
- Sift the flour into the bowl on top of the batter, then use the whisk to gently and slowly stir until incorporated.
- Add the vanilla extract and salt, and stir until incorporated and the batter is again forming ribbons.
- Pour in the milk slowly while beating, and beat until well-combined. The batter will be thin and slightly foamy.
- In a separate bowl, vigorously whisk the egg whites until thick, foamy, and stiff peaks form.
- Fold the egg whites into the batter until just incorporated. Be careful not to over-stir, or you risk knocking the air out of the egg whites. There may be some lumps in your otherwise liquidy batter; that’s ok!
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. The batter will be very thin, like thick pouring cream, with some possible lumps. Again, that’s OK!
- Bake for 50 minutes, until the top is golden-brown and gives slightly, without breaking, when you press it gently. The cake should be set and not jiggle in the tin.
- Dust with confectioners’ sugar, if you like, and enjoy!
When the cake first comes out of the oven, it looks like an ordinary – if a little flat – pound cake. But then when you slice into, you see them: three gorgeous layers of dessert heaven.
Yes, just the one batter produces a fudgy base, a custard center, and a sponge cake top. No wonder you only need some confectioners’ sugar to top it; it’s sweet enough on its own! The separation happens because the batter is so thin, the ratio of the ingredients allowing the layers to form in the lower-than-typical temperature oven.
Don’t believe that the recipe above will turn into this magical cake? Then you need to watch the magical – and, incidentally, pretty soothing! – video from Emojoie Cuisine.
So what do you think? Will you give this magical cake a try? Have you ever made anything similar? Tell us what you think and how it goes for you!
