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
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
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:
I doubled your recipe and used a glass 9×13 baking dish. I also totally screwed up by grabbing the lukewarm milk and added to my egg yokes and sugar instead of the melted butter so I literally added my flour in a 1/4 cup at a time and then the egg whites. I thought It was doomed. It rose and was golden brown at 50 min so I covered it with foil and it firmed up at 80 min. It really came out great. The sponge and custard layers were not as thick as the fudgey bottom layer but delicious. After dusting with powdered sugar, I cut 2 x 2 squares topped with a dallop of whipped cream and a spoonful of reduced Grand Marnier, butter, brown sugar with orange zest drizzeled over top. It was a beautiful, light dessert for Easter. Can’t wait to make it again without any errors.
Hi everyone! I want to make this for a coeliac family member. Does anyone know if I can just do a straight swap of the flour or do I need to change the quantity?
Hi Cat, I imagine it will affect the texture sorry – Love to know if you try though!! N x
Hi I made it with gluten free and normal flour, the main difference is that the normal flour rise a little bit more but taste was pretty much the same
I was so happy to see the gluten free reference. I would love to make this but it has to be gluten free. Based on what you said maybe some xanthium gun would help. Anyone else have any ideas?
Hey when I took the cake out of the oven the top was split open revealing the second layer and as soon as I removed it from the oven it totally collapsed. Any idea what I did wrong? Thanks
Love this Magic cake
It’s the second time I made it
I used gluten free flour and free from spread
It came out fine
Just can’t cut it so neat like yours
Do you have a trick to cut it so nice?
Maybe it’s because of my ingredients
Needed cooking much longer but I got a gas oven which I hate
Taste so lovely
Thank you
Try putting your knife in the freezer for a few minutes prior to cutting, also make sure the cake has totally chilled
Made this Magic Cake today and my family loved it. I used 1/2 & 1/2 milk and a glass pan. Turned out perfect.
That’s great to hear Beth!! N x
Made this today. Love it and so does my picky hubby. You say bottom layer like fudge but mine was really chewy. Do I need to cook longer? I thought it was done after 45 minutes
I so want to make this cake but only have slightly salted butter at home. Does it still work OK?
That will be fine Rose, you’ll hardly taste it 🙂 N x
Made this cake today and it took double the time to bake. Hard to fold in the egg whites with the batter being so thin .
Had the exact same issue, mine was in for an hour, stopped jiggling so took it out, sunk in the middle, its not set like custard in the middle just a sticky goo!
All other recipes seem to be the same, did yours separate? Mine was just 2 layers xD
I tried this recipe .. layers not that obvious but it tastes great…
Its ok. I ended up with 2 layers, and the top one was very thin. Not sure if I over or under baked it, it was in for at least an hour, and still jiggled a tiny bit. I expected some collapse from the egg whites, but it seemed a bit much. Don’t skip the powdered sugar, its not a particularly sweet cake.
Do you think this would work in cupcake form?
Can I use almond,oat,cocunut milk in this recipe? Maybe Cocunut milk in a can. Please advise as I am allergic to dairy
I have used almond milk. Works very well. Tastes lovely.
Can I use self rising flour or cake flour instead of the all purpose flour?
Great taste but only 2 layers I got. I cooked 30 min and 10 min, still jiggle so did another 10 min. Overcooked???
My batter separated and the cake didn’t finish with any layers – help!
This is almost exactly the same as that old retro favourite, “Impossible Pie”
Only difference being the addition of desiccated coconut which adds a little crunch to the top.
Hi, this sounds wonderful, but I didn’t see any directions for high altitude. Does anything need to be changed? Typically have to increase flour and liquid but there’s more liquid than flour in this recipe. Please help so I can try! 😊
Do you have any high altitude tips?
I bet if you melted some chocolate with some vanilla to make a thin chocolate frosting, you could turn this into Boston Cream Pie (one of my favs – yum!). Any idea what kind of chocolate frosting would work best and how to make it? Anyone? Bueller?
Different recipe Michelle, something to add to my list of things to create!! N x
horrible recipe no instructions about custard filing directions very unclear sorry Iwasted my ink and paper
Hi Joanne, all the instructions and recipe is there in the recipe card, I’m unsure why you’re saying there are no instructions! N x