A fudgey base. Soft custard center. Topped with fluffy sponge. Made with one simple batter. Magic Three Layer Custard Cake: It’s like, well ….MAGIC!
If you love vanilla sponge cakes and custard, you are going to be as obsessed with this cake as I am. It looks like it’s been carefully layered with three different components. But it’s not! You just pour one simple batter into a cake tin, pop in the oven, and this is how it comes out!!
There is no special ingredient nor any tricky technique. The batter is made pretty much like a traditional vanilla sponge cake, it is just much thinner. It’s the consistency of crepe batter. Almost like a thick pouring cream.
The magic happens in the oven. It is baked at a lower temperature than usual – 325F/160C. And when it comes out, the top layer is a sponge, the middle is custard and the bottom is almost like a fudge.
I was dubious the first time I made it, and even when I turned the cake out because you can’t see the layers on the edges. But then when I cut into it, I gasped with astonishment! I mean, look at how perfect the layers are!!
This recipe is the Magic Cake from Jo Cooks. I’ve been reading Jo Cooks for a long time, but it wasn’t until recently that I got to know Jo herself. Though actually, her real name is Ioana – a Romanian name, a beautiful one at that, and one of the first things I nagged her about was why she doesn’t go by her real name!
Jo and I have very similar tastes. We both love food that is absolutely scrumptious, we never compromise on flavour to follow trends or hacks (or diet versions!), we aren’t into the “cool food” scene and there are less salads on our blogs than there probably should be (though she has a lot more than me!!).
What I didn’t realise is that she is probably the reason the world discovered “Magic Cake“. She was very quick to make the point that it was not an original recipe. Perhaps she wasn’t the pioneer of it, but a search on Pinterest clearly shows that she is the reason that the world discovered it.
So I’m adding myself to the long line of people who have tried and been astonished by the miracle of this cake. 🙂
One simple batter.
A three layered custard cake.
It really is….like magic! 🙂
– Nagi
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Magic Three Layer Custard Cake (From One Batter)
Ingredients
- 4 eggs , yolks and whites separated (at room temperature)
- 3/4 cup (150g) sugar (ordinary or caster sugar)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 stick (4oz / 125g / 1/2 cup) unsalted butter , melted
- 3/4 cup (4oz / 115g) plain all purpose flour
- 2 cups (500 ml / 1 pint) milk (lukewarm) (full fat or low fat but not zero fat)
To Serve (optional)
- Icing sugar (powdered sugar), for dusting
- Fresh strawberries
- Whipped cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F/160C (standard oven / fan forced or convection)
- Butter a 8" x 8" / 20cm x 20cm square cake tin (Note 4).
- Beat egg whites with a mixer until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
- Place the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl and beat until it turns pale yellow - about 1 minute.
- Add the vanilla extract and butter and beat until well incorporated - about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Add the flour and beat until just combined.
- Pour the milk in slowly while beating, and beat until well combined (or if using a hand held mixer, add 1/4 milk at a time, beating in between).
- Use a spatula to fold in the egg whites in the batter, one third at a time, until just incorporated. You don't want to knock the air out of the egg whites. Don't worry if there are a few egg white lumps in the batter. The batter should be very thin, almost like a thick pouring cream.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin.
Baking Directions
- Bake until the top is golden brown and the cake does not "jiggle" when you gently shake the tin - around 40 to 50 minutes. Check the cake at 30 minutes - if the top is already golden brown but the cake is not yet set (i.e. it jiggles), cover loosely with foil and return to the oven, 10 minutes at a time, until set.
- Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack.(Note 3) Cool completely before serving.
To Serve
- Cut into squares - I cut it into 12 in the photo, but 9 is more realistic serving size portions.
- Dust with icing sugar just before serving.
- Serve with a side of whipped cream and strawberries, if using.
Recipe Notes:
a) The cake is ready when the top is golden brown and the cake doesn't "jiggle" when you gently shake the pan. If it jiggles, there is still raw batter inside.
b) I found that 4 of the 5 times I made it, the top became golden brown before the cake was set.
c) So to get the bake time right, check it first at 30 minutes. If the top is golden brown, cover loosely with foil and return to the oven until the cake is set. Check every 10 minutes - any longer, and you'll risk the cake overcooking. 3. Tor get the cake out of the tin, just turn it out like a normal cake. The custard is set, it is not like super soft jelly. What I do is place a cutting board on top of the tin, flip it upside down (it slips right out) then place a cooling rack on top then flip it again (so you end up with the right side up on the cooling rack). 4. I myself have not tried this in a glass pan but readers have - if you scroll through the comments, you will find feedback from a reader on 3 February 2017 confirming this! 5. Nutrition assuming 1 cake is cut into 9 pieces. Note that I cut the cake into 16 pieces for the photo but that is far too small!
SaveSaveNutrition Information:
Can gluten free all purpose flour
be used instead ?
I just used GF flour. Turned out great except that I also only got 2 layers… but gluten free flour worked!!
I’m sorry Diane, I haven’t tried it with GF flour 🙁
Instructions were easy to follow. Thank you!
P.S. Wonderful writing skills.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this! Thanks so much for taking the time to come back and let me know! N x
Do you have any suggestions for this recipe for high altitude baking? I’m in Denver, and would like to try this. Thank you!
Me too, and I’m curious what they would suggest. I usually lowered temp by 5-10 degrees and add a few minutes to cooking time. I always add an extra 2 tablespoons of flour for my high altitude baking.
I’m sorry but I don’t have the answer to this for this cake. It’s quite a unique one, and I have no way of testing it! I will do some research and come back to you 🙂
High altitude adjustments?
Should this be refrigerated after cooling?
Hi Dana, unless it is really hot where you are, then room temperature is fine. 🙂
I made this but did not look like yours. Top layer did not come out very thick and stuck to plate when I took out of pan to cool. It tasted very good but would have liked it to be more appealing to the eye before I make again. Any ideas?
Hi Susan, I’m sorry to hear that this did not come out. If the sponge did not come out, it sounds like the egg whites may not have been stiff enough to form a sponge??
Mine sunk & didn’t come out pretty either? Egg whites not stiff enough????
Hi Tiana, I’m afraid that was probably the cause as the stiff egg whites are what makes it rise. 🙁
We just tried to tackle this recipe last weekend while “vlogging” it. Despite our lack of cooking skills, the cake was still pretty good. Check it out if you would like…. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcOenfso5jg
That’s awesome!! I just watched it!!! 🙂
Hi just wondering I only got two layers and I think it maybe was because it was over cooked. But I looked at 30 mins and then 10 mins after that and it was still a bit wobbly so only left it a few mins. Should it be a bit wobbly? Thanks:)
Hi Annaliese! To help troubleshoot, can you tell me which two layers you got? 🙂 N x
I tried this recipe today for a family dinner and it was a hit! it barely lasted 15 minutes before all of it was gone from the plate. Thanks for the recipe!
Woo hoo! So happy to hear that Karen, thanks for letting me know! 🙂
Do I have to change baking temperature for a Pyrex dish? I don’t have metal.
Hi Dianne! Nope, leave the temperature the same but it will probably take longer as glass takes longer to heat up 🙂
How can I make a chocolate version of this cake?
Hi Melanie, I haven’t done a chocolate version yet, sorry! I’ll do one soon 🙂
Any specific type of milk need to be used? Whole, 2%, 1%??
Hi Jodi! I added tips in the ingredients – full or low fat is fine, just not NO fat. 🙂
Probably a silly question, but would 2% milk be okay to use?
Not silly at all! I added a tip in the ingredients to make it clear – any % low fat milk is fine, just no NO fat 🙂 N x
Awesome, thank you! Going to try this one out this weekend along with the bacon wrapped chicken!
Hi Nagi! My cake did not have any layers and was flat and took forever to cook. Only thing I can think of is I beat the whites too much – when I tried adding them to the batter in thirds (3 large solid dollops) they just floated around in the liquid and wouldn’t mix in.
All done with hand held beater. No problem with milk addition. Any thoughts?
Hi Mimi, that’s so odd, I’ve never heard of egg whites not mixing in?? You did fold them in (one third at a time) using a spatula as per the recipe?? The egg whites need to be folded in to be incorporated into the batter and are necessary to create the layers. Also, they mustn’t be mixed in using a hand held beater because it will knock all the air out!
Hello again!
I just came back from the original Jo Cook site mentioned above, and noticed she has a variation for adding the egg whites to the liquid. Next time I will try the other method.
Thanks Nagi!
Can you make this cake with gluten free flour?
Hi Anita, normally I say it will probably be ok but for this one, I’m sorry but I don’t know. Sorry!
Thanks for getting back to me so quickly. I’m a bit disappointed tho.
Is the 160 C temperature on a normal or fan forced, if normal would it be 140 C in a fan forced oven
Good question Vicki 🙂 Unusually, for this cake, it is 160C for either type. Normally yes it is a 20C difference, but for this one, the swing factor for the bake time differs anyway (for no apparent reason I can identify) so I use 160C for both fan and standard. It took too long at 140C in a fan forced and when I tried standard at 180C, the top got way too brown too early.
Can’t wait to try this but i only have cake flour… Would that be OK to use or would it change the recipe too much?
Hi Lesley! I didn’t notice a difference when I made this with cake flour 🙂
After I added my milk, the batter looked like it curdled. Any idea why? Thank you!
Hi Cheire! The milk needs to be added slowly while beating to avoid it becoming curdled. Did you follow that step? 🙂 N x
Tried to make this cake and it came out flat, although it did have three layers, I used an electric mixer for all the blending with this have affected the final result, if not any suggestions why it did not rise.
Hi Wendy – did you use the electric mixer to fold the egg whites into the batter?? Because if you did, that unfortunately would have knocked most of the air out of the egg whites which is what makes the cake rise.
This looks delicious! Will definitely have to try this! You mentioned making other flavors, like chocolate and pumpkin, how would you alter the recipe for those????
Hi Mary, unfortunately I haven’t tried them yet but I plan to!