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:
Sorry, if I’m being thick! But what temperature should the oven be if it’s a fan forced oven? It’s 160 for standard oven so should my oven be 140?? Thanks.
Hi Anna, this recipe calls for 160 – for all oven types. N x
Thank you so much! P.S. LOVE LOVE LOVE your recipes. Every single one is a success!
This cake is amazing! Turned out practically perfect on the first try, my family devoured it before it properly cooled. Not too sweet and the three layers were great, textures were just right! Thanks for another easy tasty recipe!
Wahoo, I’m so glad you enjoyed it Christina! N x
I am making this tomorrow. Can’t wait to see the magic!
I hope you love it Kitten!! N x
Can ingredients be increased to make a 9 x 13 cake?
I’m sure it could Dottie, but I’d need to test it to work out cook time and ensure it works the same 🙂 N x
Love your receipts. I can’t wait to try them
Excellent, and very easy to make
Can you do this cake successfully w a gluten free one on one flour mix? HELP!
I haven’t tried to be honest Phyllis! N x
can you add cocoa powder to make this a chocolate magic cake?
I put about 2 tablespoons of cocoa in my 3/4 measuring cup first, and then added the flour to fill it. Worked fantastic !!!
Hi Renee, I haven’t tried sorry but I imagine it would need testing as you’re increasing the dry ingredients – N x
Any chance I can sub for gluten free flour? I’m afraid it won’t do what regular flour does for the separation.. help!
Hi Georgiya, I haven’t tried this before sorry but would love to know if it works! N x
I have a 9×9 pan. Will that work?
Hi April, yes that will be fine! N x
hey! I want to bake this cake for my mom’s birthday tomorrow but I don’t know if I should start today to refrigerate it for tomorrow. Does the cake have to be refrigerated during the backing process or after baking?
Hi Daniela, you refrigerate after baking – N x
Hi Nagi! Just made this cake and pretty much did get 3 layers, even though the top one if very thin and also not even like yours. However, while I tried to get it out of the tin after cooling it for 10 minutes the top layer somewhat separated from the custard and shrank in, while custard kind of wanted to expand out. Should I wait longer to cool it in the tin next time? Or add more flour? Not sure what went wrong… And do you store in the fridge once cooled? Thank you!
Hi Olga, sorry you had issues here – sounds like it needs to cool a little longer, and yes, store in the fridge 🙂
Will a glass pan work? Or does the cake have to be baked in tin?
Hi Liz, I talk about this in the recipe notes 🙂 N x
Can you use almond extract or regular butter?
Hi Jen – you sure could! Enjoy! N x
Can you use regular butter or margarine instead of unsalted butter?
Hi Jen – salted butter would be ok to use here. N x
I made this but topped it with a lemon and black cherry sauce and a marscapone whipped cream and it was fantastic! I combined 2 cups frozen black cherries, juice and zest from 1/2 lemon, 1/2 cup of sugar, 2 oz luxardo cherry liqueur, and 1/4 cup water in a medium sized sauce pan and cooked over medium heat for 10 minutes. Added in 2tbs cornstarch and cooked 2 more minutes. Let it cool completely and topped the cake with it.
I got 2 layers only instead of 3 – the top sponge and bottom was one custard. Does anyone know where i went wrong?
Hi Mae, sorry you had issues here, what kind of oven were you baking in and for how long? N x
OMG Nagi! Half way through cooking this I had my doubts – but you have never left me down before and I held the line. It was remarkable!!!!
Thank you 😘
I bake this cake, but it has only 2 layers. I wonder if butter temperature makes any difference? Can you tell me whether it should be added hot, warm or completely cooled?
Hi Koala, sorry you had issues here, I use butter that is melted and around room temperature you don’t want it hot here – N x
Hi would like to know if the bottom rod should b on in oven settings or top and bottom rod for this cake? Thanks in advance
Hi Anjali, are you talking about the cooking elements? if so, you should have the top and bottom on and the cake in the middle of the oven – N x
Ok so I made the #1 mistake: using fridge cold ingredients !!
It was a spurt of the moment thing: “hey kids how about we make a cake this arvo ?” Made plenty of simple cakes before, a bit like this one (like a lemon delicious few weeks ago which turned fine) and never had a second thought about the ingredients temp, it’s never been an issue …. until today….
It pretty much ended in one super thick set custard, a tiny layer of soft custard and no sponge despite having plenty of egg whites floating at the top…
Anywhoo, I tasted it the texture Really is “meh” and it tastes eggy despite using a fair bit of vanilla paste … It’s weird I really like flans, crème brûlée and custards etc.. (I’m French) but it just didn’t work for me !
Not your fault Nagi, but I thought I’d share in case it helps someone before they make the same mistake..
Ps : the kids love it tough!!