Chocolate Magic Cake
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Chocolate Magic Cake – one simple thin batter, bake it and voila! You end up with a 3 layer chocolate cake, magic cake.
Well I finally did it! I finally made the chocolate version of this delightful magic cake. The original version was very popular and a lot of people were asking about different flavors, so I decided to give it a go and see how it turns out. Well I knew it couldn’t be bad, because I loved the original version so chocolate magic cake could only make it better.
I also found out that the origin of this cake is from Romania, and the actual name of the cake is intelligent cake because of how it separates into 3 layers. I made a couple changes to my original recipe, such as add a bit of vinegar to the egg whites and some vanilla extract for additional flavor. The rest of the recipe is exactly the same with the exception of the addition of some cocoa powder.
I baked it for exactly 60 minutes but I think I could have baked it for another 10 min. Some readers were saying that their magic cake was done after 45 minutes or so, so I want to stress again that the baking time can vary drastically based on the oven, each oven is different, so you really have to watch it and when it looks done you remove it from the oven and let it cool. I’ve seen many versions of this cake and it seems like for a lot of people the top layer which is the cake layer ends up being very thin, this layer should be nice and airy, just like a normal cake, not thin and condensed.
So yes, you can have the original version of this cake or this chocolate version and if I had to pick one for a favorite I’d go with this chocolate version just because I love chocolate. You still end up with the 3 layers of the cake, with the middle layer being a custard like layer. It’s absolutely divine.
To see original version click on the image below:
OR
Check out the video for the original magic cake and see how easy it is to make this cake!
Click the image below for the Butterscotch Magic Cake recipe with step by step photo instructions:
For an easy version of a impossible coconut pie, same ingredients, different preparation technique click here or the image below.
If you guys love this recipe, and most importantly make it yourselves, please let us know. Leave a comment below and rate this recipe or take a picture and tag it #jocooks on Instagram so we can see it. I always love to see what you guys come up with!
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Chocolate Magic Cake
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 1 hr
Total: 1 hr 20 mins
Serves: 9
Chocolate Magic Cake – one simple thin batter, bake it and voila! You end up with a 3 layer chocolate cake, magic cake.
Ingredients
- 4 eggs at room temperature and separated
- 1 tbsp water
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 8 tbsp butter unsalted and melted
- 6.5 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 6 tbsp cocoa powder
- 2 cups milk warmed up
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 F degrees. Grease and flour an 8x8 inch baking pan.
- Separate the eggs and add the egg yolks to the bowl of a mixer. Add a tbsp of water to the egg yolks and add the sugar. Beat this at high until eggs are light and creamy.
- Add melted butter, vanilla extract and salt to mixer and continue beating until butter is fully incorporated and mixture is light and fluffy.
- You can mix the cocoa and flour together and add to the mixing bowl in batches, 3 times should be enough. After each addition mix thoroughly.
- Once flour and cocoa powder has been mixed in, add the milk a bit at a time and mix. The milk should be warm so not to cool the butter. Make sure the milk has been mixed in thoroughly, the mixture should be pretty liquidy, so don't get scared.
- Clean the mixing bowl and whisk attachment and make sure you dry it out. Add egg whites to mixing bowl and the vinegar and mix until egg whites are stiff.
- Add a bit of the egg whites to the chocolate mixture and gently fold in. Next you're going to reverse and add a bit of the chocolate mixture to the egg whites. This way it will be easier to mix everything together. Repeat until everything is well mixed and the mixture should be thin like a pancake batter.
- Pour the batter in the prepared baking dish and bake for roughly 60 minutes or until done. The cake will still jiggle in the middle when you take it out, so that's normal. Let it cool completely then cut into squares and serve.
Recipe Notes
Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
Nutrition Information:
Serving: 1pieceCalories: 245kcal (12%)Carbohydrates: 26g (9%)Protein: 6g (12%)Fat: 14g (22%)Saturated Fat: 8g (50%)Cholesterol: 105mg (35%)Sodium: 86mg (4%)Potassium: 159mg (5%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 20g (22%)Vitamin A: 509IU (10%)Calcium: 80mg (8%)Iron: 1mg (6%)
Click the image below for the Nutella Magic Cake recipe:
Wendy Freeman says
Great recipe, loved it, came out perfect at 50 min. A winner, yumm
jo says
Glad you liked it!
Kerstin says
Hi, I was wondering if this would be suitable for putting out as a dessert on a buffet? There will be plates and spoons so people won’t hve to pick it up with their hands, but I am not sure if it would hold up sitting out for a couple of hours in a fairly warm room?
Thanks!
Jo Cooks Team says
3-4 hours is the max I’d let it sit at room temp! Should be perfect for a buffet.
KT says
Hi jo,
I did this for the first time and wondered if the cocoa powder shld be 6tsp (not 6 tbsp)? The butter flour cocoa mixture was quite dry to mix thro before the milk. I used metrices for the recipe. thanks!
Nicole Beaulieu says
6 Tbsp is correct!
Gregg says
Both this & the standard have become my go-to recipe’s whenever I’m asked to supply a dish. When making the chocolate one last week I had a momentary flash of inspiration. I substituted 3/4 cup of the milk with coconut/almond coffee creamer. The middle turned out a wee bit more dense as a result but the Almond Joy totality of it all was pure heaven. Heartily recommended! (Methinks I’ll be trying some other flavoured creamers in subsequent attempts.)
Nicole Beaulieu says
Yum! That sounds so good. Let us know what else you experiment with!
Yana says
Hello Joanna, I finally made the cake (I’ve been eyeing for some time now 🙂 It turned out wonderful; however, I only ended up with 2 layers: my 1st and 2nd layer became one and my 3rd layer tasted more of a pudding style. I baked it exactly 60 minutes, followed all the instructions.
Joanna Cismaru says
Yeah sometimes it happens, the bottom two layers are not as pronounced as the top layer, and it has to do with the egg whites. Glad you liked it though!
Yana says
Thank you for the reply, Joanna. Did I over beat the egg whites? Its a great recipe and I will be making it again for sure. Thanks again
Joanna Cismaru says
It’s possible, or you mixed them in to the batter too much.
Yana says
I think its the fact that I dumped all my egg whites at once, instead of your instructions… I didn’t realize that until it was a bit too late 🙂 next time I will make sure I add them the way you’ve suggested it 🙂 Thanks again, Joanna 🙂
Joanna Cismaru says
My pleasure!
Jelena Salom says
Wonderful!!! It’s so beautiful to look at! I don’t know why, but my custard part ended having 2 layers, lighter one and chocolate one. So there were 4 layers in total :-). I used 1/2 cup (190g) of honey instead of sugar and whole wheat flour, like i always do.
Nikki says
What If you use salted butter instead of unsalted ?
Joanna Cismaru says
That’s fine, just don’t add anymore salt.
Babara Bullock says
I can’t wait to try this b/c I make something called a ‘Magic Crust Custard Pie’ and love it (it’s a lot simpler to make though because you just put all the ingredients in your blender and then blend for 2 minutes before pouring into a pie pan and baking.) I too love chocolate and this is definitely not chocolate but I have to stop myself from eating more than I’m suppose to.
Syltel says
Hi, I tried your original version and loved it! The top layer wasn’t as thick and the bottom layer wasn’t as visible as yours. But it was so good nonetheless. I’m now planning to make this chocolate version. But I’d like to know why does this recipe have an additional Tbsp of water added to your egg yolk mixture and vinegar to the egg whites? Thanks
Joanna Cismaru says
It’s because of the cocoa powder. Let me know how it comes out. 🙂
Kimberly Barber says
Does the cake hold up enough to be eaten like a bar? I’m wondering if it would work at a bake sale (where everyone eats the goodies on site).
Nicole Beaulieu says
There is a custard layer so it may get a bit messy. I would serve them with napkins!
Gregg says
The acid in the vinegar helps prevent awkward over beating of the whites. You can also use a pinch of Cream of Tartar or lemon juice for the same effect.