WWW Recipetineats Com Magic 3 Layer Custard Cake

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MAGIC 3 LAYER CUSTARD CAKE

APR I L 13, 2 015 B Y N AGI — 406 COM M E N T S
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b j q x k
A fudgey base. Soft custard center. Topped with fluffy sponge. Made with one simple batter. It’s like….MAGIC!
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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
MAGIC 3 LAY ER CUS TAR D CAK E (FR OM
4.6 fr om 63 r eviews
ONE B ATTER )
PRE P TIME COOK TIME TOTAL TIME
20 m ins 50 m ins 1 hour 10 m ins
One simple batter turns into a 3 layered cake with a top layer of
sponge, a middle layer of custard and a fudge-like base. It's
like....magic! Adapted from Magic Cake by Jo Cooks.
Author: Nagi | RecipeTin Eats

Recipe type: Baking, Dessert, Cake
Serves: 9 - 12
I N G R ED I EN T S
» 4 eggs, yolks and whites separated (at room temperature)

» ¾ cup sugar (150g) (ordinary or caster sugar)
» 1 tsp vanilla extract
» 1 stick unsalted butter, melted (4oz / 125g / ½ cup)
» ¾ cup plain all purpose flour (4oz / 115g)
» 2 cups milk (lukewarm) (full fat or low fat but not zero fat) P RINT
(500 ml / 1 pint)
To Serve (optional)
» Icing sugar (powdered sugar), for dusting
» Fresh strawberries
» Whipped cream
INSTRUC TIONS
1. Preheat oven to 325F/160C (standard oven / fan forced or convection)
2. Butter a 8" x 8" / 20cm x 20cm square cake tin (Note 4).
3. Beat egg whites with a mixer until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
4. Place the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl and beat until it turns pale yellow - about 1 minute.
5. Add the vanilla extract and butter and beat until well incorporated - about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
6. Add the flour and beat until just combined.
7. Pour the milk in slowly while beating, and beat until well combined (or if using a hand held mixer, add ¼
milk at a time, beating in between).
8. 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.
9. Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin.
Baking Directions
1. 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.
2. Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack.(Note 3) Cool completely before
serving.
To Serve
1. Cut into squares - I cut it into 12 in the photo, but 9 is more realistic serving size portions.
2. Dust with icing sugar just before serving.
3. Serve with a side of whipped cream and strawberries, if using.
N O T ES
1. Australia vs US vs UK measurements - I made this recipe 5 times. 3 of the 5 times, I weighed the
ingredients, once I used Australian cups and once I used US cups. I couldn't tell the difference in the end
result.
2. The baking time for this cake will differ depending on the oven. Of the 5 times I made this cake, the bake
time differed by 15 minutes. Once it was 40 minutes, 3 times it was 50 minutes and once it was 55 minutes. It
takes Jo from Jo Cooks (recipe source) 70 minutes, but she says her oven is weak.
The safest way to get the baking time right is to follow these directions:
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!
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!
b j q x k
R E LAT E D
Red Velv et Cake Custard (Creme Anglaise) P eanut Butter Ch eesecake
June 10, 2016 March 31, 2017 Stuffed Ch ocolate Loaf
In "Baking – Sweet" In "Baking – Sweet" September 9, 2016
In "Baking – Sweet"
« Chinese Barbecue Pork (Char Siu Pork) Singapore Noodles »
COMMENTS
Theresa says
April 19, 2017 at 4:18 pm
I made this cake yesterday and it tastes delicious however my only concern is that my middle layer was a bit
lumpy and didn’t turn out smooth like yours did, what could be the cause of this?
REPLY
Nagi says
April 21, 2017 at 6:49 am
Hi Theresa! Was the batter pretty smooth? Egg white lumps are ok but flour lumps will cause lumps in the
custard
REPLY
Rita says
April 19, 2017 at 3:42 am
PLEASE HELP, IT’S BEEN ALMOST 2 HOURS, I’M AT MY WIT’S END, THIS CAKE IS JUST NOT COOKING, IT
STILL JIGGLES AND THE CENTRE IS GOOEY
REPLY
Sherry says
April 17, 2017 at 8:48 pm
Really want to try this out but don’t have any butter on hand, could I substitute with vegetable oil??
REPLY
Nagi says
April 18, 2017 at 9:33 am
I’m sorry Sherry, pretty sure the batter will split
REPLY
Roberta Caudill says
April 13, 2017 at 5:27 am
I was wondering, could this recipe be doubled have baked all at once without any horrible repercussions??
Would like to make for Easter! Can it be made a day ahead of time?
REPLY
Nagi says
April 14, 2017 at 9:45 am
Hi Roberta, I’m sorry to say I haven’t tried!
REPLY
Dolores says
April 9, 2017 at 9:46 pm
I made this cake yesterday and ialthoufh it tastes good it is only one layer. It did not seem to rise.
REPLY
Nagi says
April 10, 2017 at 6:21 pm
Hi Dolores! I’m sorry to hear that, do you think you beat the eggs enough?
REPLY
Mayra says
April 7, 2017 at 8:48 am
I’m making this cake over the weekend. I’m also interested in the raspberry version. Can so kindly provide me
with the recipe. Its the one that shows this intagram addrss : experimenteausmeinerkueche. I tried logging on
Instagram acct but it says is private. Thank you. Looking forward to your reply
REPLY
Beth says
April 7, 2017 at 5:23 am
Hey Nagi, I was wondering if you could come by sometime this weekend and make this for us?!! For real
though, I cannot wait to try it & I’ve already enlisted the help of my ten year old sons! A friend just brought us
fresh eggs from her farm so great timing that I stumbled across your recipe!!
REPLY
Nagi says
April 7, 2017 at 6:17 pm
Why don’t you just move next door? ?
REPLY
Pam says
April 6, 2017 at 6:25 pm
Hi, made this magic cake however the top of the cake shows many deep cracks can you let me know Why this
happened. Is it because my oven was too hot?
REPLY
Nagi says
April 7, 2017 at 6:11 pm
Hi Pam! I think that’s why, try turning it down by 10C.
REPLY
Heather says
April 4, 2017 at 1:38 am
Hi Nagi… saw your recipe for 3 layered cake. I made it in a glass/ pyrex dish & it worked out beautifully. This is
very similar to the impossible tart.
I live in south africa… i saw the comment from another lady about our milktart
In south africa being so hot. Thus cake/ pudding is very welcome. Thanks for the very detailed instructions . I
forgot to melt the butter . I just added it as in was in small pieces still worked out well.
REPLY
Nagi says
April 5, 2017 at 9:18 am
I love hearing the other names this cake is known by!!! I’m so pleased to hear you enjoyed this version,
thank you for letting me know!
REPLY
Heather Felix says
April 5, 2017 at 3:38 pm
My son who is training to b a chef added a sprinkle of cinnamon …. thats how we eat milktart in SA which
added a different touch. You r the 1st person to reply to my comments. It feels great that you read all your
posts. Have a great day!!!
REPLY
Nagi says
April 6, 2017 at 7:07 am
Really? That’s disappointing. I read and respond to every single one of the comments on my blog.
Admittedly some probably get caught in my overzealous spam filter, but if I don’t use the filter, I get
hundreds of spam comments a day! Love the idea of adding cinnamon to this, thanks for the tip
Heather!
REPLY
Lisa says
March 24, 2017 at 4:27 pm
Hi
Just made cake. Looks great but has sunk quite a bit.
Should i have used fan forced? I baked 160 for 40 min and when i checked it was up over the rim of the pan and
golden brown. Should it sink soooo much?
REPLY
Nagi says
March 25, 2017 at 9:03 am
Hi Lisa – did you keep it in for the whole baking time or take it out at 40 minutes??
REPLY
Ina says
Ina says
March 24, 2017 at 11:42 am
Hi Nagi, Here in South Africa w have made this “cake”” for over sixty year, but we call it Crustless Milktart.
Milktart is similar to custard pie and is typical South African. We even have a cookbook with only milktart
recipes and we have a National Milktart Day.
REPLY
Nagi says
March 25, 2017 at 9:05 am
Oh WOW! I love hearing that Ina, thanks for letting me know! I must look it up N xx
REPLY
Starr says
March 18, 2017 at 7:52 pm
Hello Nagi! I tried this magic cake last night and it was amazing. It really was magic when I cut into it and the 3
layers were there. I guess I’m easy to entertain! At any rate, I went over to JoCooks to check out the chocolate
version and lo and behold, she has Nutella, Lemon, Pumpkin and Butterscotch versions, too! This cake is going
to be one of my new specialties, I know, so thank you so much.
I also have a new obsession (like I need another one of those!) – your blog! I really appreciate how well-tested
your recipes are. I’ll be cooking Nagi-style for a good while now. I admire your photography and enjoy seeing
Dozer hanging out with you. Give him a hug for me, ok? And thanks again for this wonderful blog.
REPLY
Nagi says
March 21, 2017 at 8:05 am
Aww thank you for your lovely message Starr! I am so thrilled you enjoyed this cake and see some other
recipes you like. Isn’t Jo amazing? Her variety of magic cakes is brilliant! I’m obsessed!
REPLY
Ali says
March 16, 2017 at 4:09 am
Could you use evaporated milk for this?? I have quite a few cans I’m trying to use up. Thanks.
REPLY
Nagi says
March 16, 2017 at 8:40 am
Hi Ali! I’m sorry I don’t know if this will work with evaporated milk.
REPLY
Connie Mogull says

March 15, 2017 at 4:37 am
My Mother who would have been over 100 made a very different version of this and it was call Lemon Dainty–it
was delicious but she was very innovative with food and she ended up making it into chocolate and of course
called it Chocolate Dainty. It was a bit larger and made in a deep round Pyrex baking dish, it was served warm or
cold (which we preferred being southern) and was served with a dollop of whipped cream. It had to be removed
from the dish by a serving spoon and appeared more like a dessert than a cake. People begged her to make it–it
was so different and delicious.
REPLY
Nagi says
March 15, 2017 at 7:53 am
I love hearing that!! Which version was your favourite? N xx
REPLY
Kathy Fischer says

April 27, 2017 at 10:02 pm
I make a lemon cake pie like this and bake in a pie crust, use zest of a lemon and juice from this lemon
with the milk
REPLY
Ralph says
March 13, 2017 at 3:57 am
Looks delicious! Anyone tried this with gluten-free flour?
REPLY
Cindy C. says
March 6, 2017 at 10:13 am
I just made this cake in a glass pan I did put parchment in the bottom, but that didn’t seem to make a difference
getting the cake out. 325 degrees for 60 minutes. This was the first time I made this cake, and it’s delicious! I
will be making this again
REPLY
Nagi says
March 8, 2017 at 8:21 am
I’m so pleased you enjoyed it Cindy, thank you for letting me know! N xx
REPLY
Susan says
March 6, 2017 at 5:02 am
What a lovely cake! It’s just the two of us here so i halved the recipe…but it still fit two dishes 15 cm square
each. Turned out lovely -well risen, great bake and taste, and all that despite the fact that I suddenly
remembered when taking them out of the dishes that the melted butter was still in the microwave! So if you
want a low-fat option, leave out the butter without fear
(Second time I have forgotten the butter … Mary Berry’s lemon drizzle cake works well wiithout butter too!)
REPLY
Nagi says
March 6, 2017 at 8:01 am
I’m so thrilled to hear that Susan! Thank you for letting me know! N x PS WOW it works without butter???
WOW!
REPLY
Nida says
March 3, 2017 at 1:58 am
Hi just tried your recipe….I got a decent cake layer with a thick fudge Base….and very little custard…..what do
you think went wrong?
REPLY
Nagi says
March 3, 2017 at 8:03 am
Hi Nida! I’ve been experimenting more with this cake and from what I could tell, it seems like the oven
temp is the biggest factor in ensuring you get all 3 layers. Do you know if your oven runs hot or weak?? Eg
when you make other baked goods, is it typically bang on the cook time per the recipe?
REPLY
Sarah says
March 3, 2017 at 2:16 pm
Hello there,
I just wanted to see if you made your cake in a glass pan? The note up top referenced your comment
as a person who used a glass pan . And I only have a glass pan that size!
Hoping it would work for this?
REPLY
Nagi says
March 3, 2017 at 5:50 pm
Hi Sarah! I myself haven’t tried it in a glass pan but other people have and it worked out just
fine, if you scroll through the messages you will see them!
REPLY
Sarah says
February 20, 2017 at 11:28 pm
For someone with a family of custard tart lovers, this cake has gone down so well. Even friends are asking for
your recipe, one added grated nutmeg to the top.
I’ve got another in the oven to which I added nutmeg to the milk! Can’t wait to try it.
Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe.
REPLY
Nagi says
February 21, 2017 at 9:53 am
I’m so pleased to hear that Sarah! Thanks for letting me know! N x
REPLY
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MENU & SEARCH

MAGIC 3 LAYER CUSTARD CAKE

JUMP TO RECIPE PRINT RECIPE

A three layered custard cake.

It really is….like magic!

Author: Nagi | RecipeTin Eats

» 4 eggs, yolks and whites separated (at room temperature)

« Chinese Barbecue Pork (Char Siu Pork) Singapore Noodles »

I’m sorry Sherry, pretty sure the batter will split

Hi Roberta, I’m sorry to say I haven’t tried!

Why don’t you just move next door? ?

Hi Pam! I think that’s why, try turning it down by 10C.

Connie Mogull says

I love hearing that!! Which version was your favourite? N xx

Kathy Fischer says

Looks delicious! Anyone tried this with gluten-free flour?

Rate this recipe:

Search this website …

Join my free email list and receive TWO free cookbooks!

COPYRIG H T © 2017 RE CIPE TIN E ATS

AN ELITE CAFEMEDIA FOOD PUBLISHER

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