Last updated on March 13th, 2018 at 08:37 pm
Lemon Magic Cake – one simple batter that turns into a 3 layer cake. Simply magical. The popular magic cake now in lemon flavor.
You my friends asked for it, so here it is.
Lemon Magic Cake!
Another great flavor to add to my collection of magic cake recipes. I’m still trying to decide which one is my favorite. Right now I think there is a tie between this lemon version and the chocolate version. I might choose this one because I really love lemon flavored cakes. Don’t get me wrong, I also love my chocolate, but there’s just something refreshing about this lemon magic cake.
Maybe because it’s summer. I’m glad I tried this because this cake is very special, it’s so light and delicate, truly delicious and one of my favorite cakes of all time. Maybe not a cake in the traditional meaning of the word cake but truly a fabulous dessert.
So many of you have written to me and asked how to make a lemon version that I just couldn’t resist. Many of you have also asked for different flavors as well, such as a coffee version or a peanut butter version. Maybe I’ll try those too sometime, but for now let’s enjoy this lemon magic cake.
Every time I make this cake I try and think of all your questions. One common question is regarding the egg whites and how to fold them in. When you add the egg whites to the batter, don’t fold the egg whites in completely so that it’s a smooth batter. You need to leave those white bits in there. I just removed the whisk from the mixer and used that to fold in the egg whites for about 10 seconds. Also the baking time probably has a lot to do with how the layers turn out. I baked this lemon cake for exactly 70 minutes and as you can see after 70 minutes it’s still not totally golden brown on top, but I touched the top and it seemed firm enough. That’s how you know when it’s done. Make sure it’s firm to the touch, and not jiggly. If it’s jiggly it’s not cooked completely.
Many of you have also asked regarding the baking time. Some people have said that after 40 or 45 minutes the cake is done, so I really believe that each oven is different. My oven is about 4 years old and it takes 70 minutes. I used to have an older oven and it still took 70 minutes, so I can’t really speak to the cake being done after 45 minutes.
The important thing to remember is that the cake needs to be a bit golden on top and firm to the touch. Also I have made it once in a bigger pan other than the 8×8 inch square pan and it did not turn into 3 layers, so I believe that if the batter is not high enough there won’t be enough batter to turn into the 3 layers. So if you choose to make this in a 9×13 inch pan, I strongly suggest to double the ingredients.
Another thing that I did different this time is instead of just spraying cooking spray or buttering the baking dish, I lined it with parchment paper, leaving extra on the sides so that it’s easy to just lift it up. This way there is no confusion as how to take the cake out.
Check out the video for the original magic cake and see how easy it is to make this cake!
If you guys love this recipe, and most importantly make it yourselves, please let us know. 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!
Lemon Magic Cake - one simple batter that turns into a 3 layer cake. Simply magical. The popular magic cake now in lemon flavor.
- 4 eggs at room temperature, separate yolks from whites
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup butter unsalted, melted
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 3/4 cup milk lukewarm
- 1/4 cup lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 2 tbsp lemon zest
- powdered sugar for dusting cake
- Preheat oven to 325 F degrees. Grease a 8 inch x 8 inch baking dish or line it with parchment paper.
- Separate eggs and add the egg whites to a mixer and mix until egg whites are stiff. Place egg whites in a bowl and set aside.
- Beat the egg yolks with the sugar until light. Add butter and vanilla extract and continue beating for another minute or two after which you can add the flour and mix it in until fully incorporated.
- Add lemon juice and lemon zest then slowly start adding the milk and beat until everything is well mixed together. Add the egg whites, a third at a time and gently fold them in using a spatula or a whisk, repeat until all egg whites are folded in, but there should still be white bits of egg whites floating in the batter.
- Pour batter into baking dish and bake for 40 to 70 minutes or until the top is lightly golden and the cake is firm to the touch. The baking time could vary greatly depending on the oven, so take a peek at around 40 minutes and see how it looks.
- Sprinkle some powdered sugar after cake has cooled.
Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
More delicious magic cake recipes from my kitchen
Love ur website
Very easy to follow your recipe.
The Cake still cooling so the taste test is still to come.
My next version will be gluten free, dairy free and sugar free to cater for my “intolerant” family. 🙂
This recipe is so good. I Willy be happy to received your recibes.
I attempted the lemon version this week and followed the instructions to a T. After 45 minutes the cake was very dark on top, after 70 minutes it was just the consistency of a soufflé with the mildest taste of lemon. When I took it out of the pan it just all cracked and fell apart. Any ideas?
Not sure what you did, since I wasn’t in the kitchen with you. Perhaps watching the video for the regular magic cake might help.
Re: Lemon Magic Cake – I have not tried it yet, but I do have wonderful Meyer lemons on my shrub just waiting for the right recipe! Just want you to confirm, Joanna, that there is *no* baking soda, baking powder, nor salt in your recipe. Thanks!
That is correct, though a bit of salt wouldn’t hurt.
Do you think I could double the recipe and use a larger pan??
You can, probably a 9×13 pan.
The vanilla cake turned out gorgeous, but very bland flavor, needs some salt. I saw some other versions of this recipe used regular butter, not unsalted. Does that make a difference? I did put a few shakes of salt in mine, but it wasn’t enough. I will try regular butter next time.
Has anyone tried this in a cupcake/muffin pan?
I made this today and it came out well, but not quite how yours looks—the top and sides turned out much darker and there are only really two layers, a thin cake layer on top and a big custardy layer on bottom. I baked it for 70 minutes and it still seemed a soft on top but it was so dark that I was worried about it burning if I let it go longer. Any suggestions to achieving the three layers (or at least a more even ratio of cake to custard) and a lighter golden colour?
Hi, may I adapt this recipe for my podcast and link to your blog on our website?
Sure.
This looks delicious but I’m lactose intolerant. Can I use almond milk for the milk?
I have actually made this with lactose free milk and it worked like a charm. Not sure about the almond milk, since I haven’t tried it myself, but I know some readers have and some were successful some weren’t.
Would love to try this but I’m finding it hard to find an 8×8 tin. Do u think I could get away with using a 9×9 one? ?
Absolutely! It’s just not going to be as high but you should still get 3 layers.
Have you tried this gf/df? Using gluten free flour and almond milk?
Should this go in the fridge after it us made?
Yes, it’s milk based so I would story it in the fridge.
What size eggs?
I don’t want to use parchment paper because I’m using a heart shaped pan, and I’d be concerned I’d loose the shape. Would buttering the pan work out? I want the layered effect to work with the right texture because I’m serving guests!
Just regular eggs.
I want to make my 2 year old a yellow cake for his birthday, so of course I looked for a lemon cake recipe. This recipe intrigued me because I always want to make a fancy layered cake with cream, but can’t justify the effort or all the butter and sugar! So a layered cake without the work… Worth a try! However, I am stumped as to how you can make a cake without baking powder or baking soda. A recipe with milk and lemon juice is begging me to add them together to get “buttermilk” and add a tsp of baking soda to the flour to get that bubbly rising effect. Would this be something totally different? Would it ruin the layered magic? So curious for your thoughts.
You can go ahead and try it – we have not made any changes to the recipe this way when we have made it and this recipe does not call for baking soda and I am not sure you would get a layered result with making changes which is the key part to this cake and what makes it so fun to make. Let us know if you do try it this way.
I would love to make this for Easter brunch. Is it possible to make it the night before?
Thank you!
Yes you could make it the night before and store in refrigerator overnight and serve the next day for brunch.
Can the magic cake be made in a different pan? like a 9″ spring form?
I wouldn’t use a spring form because the cake batter is quite thin and might leak out, but you could use a 9 inch regular cake pan.
I want to make the Lemon Magic Cake. Are there any adjustments for high altitude? I live at 6400 ft. Thank you.
There are certain things to keep in mind when baking at high altitude. These are:
Reduce baking powder: for each teaspoon, decrease 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon.
Reduce sugar: for each cup, decrease 0 to 2 tablespoons.
Increase liquid: for each cup, add 2 to 4 tablespoons.
Increase oven temperature by 25 degrees F.
i am making right know. I like watching video to show step by step instructions. I got every ingredient ready for recipe. When I was done with video I still had on my counter Lemon and zest. I watched the video again to see what it was suppose to go in. It never said what and when to put in. So I ended up adding it to the mixer. My room temperature eggs never fluffed. So I have no clue on how this will come out.
Hi Doreen, the video in this page is actually for the original plain magic cake, so you’ll probably end up with the plain one.