Magic Cake – one simple thin batter, bake it and voila! You end up with a 3 layer cake, with a delicious custardy layer in the center. It really is magical.
I’m reposting this Magic Cake here on Jo Cooks today because to this day it’s the most popular recipes here and it’s the one recipe that I usually get the most questions on. Plus I’ve also made a video for you guys to see just how easy it is to make, simply scroll down to see it.
Where do I begin? I started out very skeptical when I saw this cake on foodepix.com years ago. The name intrigued me at first. I had to click to see the recipe just to see why this cake is called magic cake, because there really is no such thing. Unfortunately the recipe was in another language, but there’s always google translator, the only problem is you know you always lose something in the translation. But not to worry, it was enough for me to realize why this cake is called magic cake.
WHAT IS MAGIC CAKE
If you look closely enough you can see this cake has 3 layers, with a layer of custard in the middle. The way it looks it almost reminded me of a Napoleon dessert. So at first sight you might think this cake is a lot of work where you make the cake separately and the custard separately and you cut the cake in half and put custard in the middle and so on. Not at all!
This truly is a magic cake and what happens is pure magic. OK maybe not, but close enough. You really only have to make the batter which is very thin, when you read the recipe you’ll see that the ratio of milk to flour is high, so the batter is very thin, similar to a crepe batter.
The best part is that’s the hardest thing you have to do, is make the batter, pour the batter in a 8 inch x 8 inch baking dish, place it in the oven and let the magic happen. After an hour you have a perfect 3 layer cake with the most delicious custard layer.
Many people have asked me why does the cake end up with 3 layers and I’ve thought about this for a long time and especially after making it dozens of times I really think it’s because of the thin batter and the egg whites that are folded in.
HOW DO YOU GET 3 LAYERS IN MAGIC CAKE
My trick to make sure you do get the 3 layers is to make sure you don’t fold in the egg whites completely, you want to make sure you still have some of the white bits in it. This is my only tip, really.
This truly is one of the easiest cakes you’ll ever make and one of the most impressive and not to mention delicious. Now try and stop at eating only one piece, that will require some magic.
NEED MORE MAGIC CAKE RECIPES? TRY THESE
- Chocolate Magic Cake
- Butterscotch Magic Cake
- Lemon Magic Cake
- Pumpkin Magic Cake
- Impossible Coconut Pie
- Magic Flan Cake
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Magic Cake
Ingredients
- 4 eggs at room temperature
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 8 tbsp butter unsalted and melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk lukewarm *
- powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 F degrees. Grease a 8 inch x 8 inch baking dish or line it with parchment paper so that it’s easier to get the cake out.
- Separate the eggs and beat the egg yolks with the sugar until light and fluffy. 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.
- Slowly start adding the milk and beat until everything is well mixed together.
- Add the egg whites to a mixer and mix until stiff peaks form.
- Add the egg whites to the cake batter and gently fold them in. Another variation to folding in the egg whites would be to whisk them in to the cake batter, this is a lot faster and easier. Make sure you don’t fold the egg whites in completely, you still want to see some of the white bits floating at the top.
- Pour batter into baking dish and bake for 40 to 70 minutes or until the top is lightly golden. 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.
Video
Recipe Notes
- * To get the milk lukewarm I usually warm it in the microwave for about a minute.
- The baking time can vary greatly for this cake. I’ve baked this cake in 3 different ovens and I’ve always needed different times which were from 40 to 70 minutes. The oven I have right now only requires about 45 minutes to get a nice golden color on the cake, whereas other ovens I’ve used required the full 70 minutes. Test if after 40 minutes to see what it looks like. The cake is done when it only jiggles slightly but feels firm to touch.
- General guidelines for baking at high altitude (not all may apply to this recipe): If baking at altitudes of 5000 feet or higher, keep this in mind:
- 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.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
Nutrition Information:
Update: There have been a lot of questions on this cake so I’ve compiled a list of questions and answers for people.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT MAGIC CAKE
Question: Where is the chocolate magic cake recipe?
Answer: Click here to get the recipe.
Question: If there are 8 oz in a cup, why is 3/4 cup only 4 oz.
Answer: There are 8 fluid oz in a cup, however the weight of flour for 1 cup is 4.41 oz.
Question: The batter is very thin, very liquidy, is this ok?
Answer: Of course, when you have 2 cups of milk and very little flour, it will be a very thin batter, but that’s the beauty of this cake, this thin batter turns into a 3 layer cake.
Question: Can I use soy milk, almond milk, skim milk?
Answer: I’ve only made it with 2% milk, however other readers have and have commented that the cake still turned out fine, however it might not be the same as with regular milk.
Question: Can I use gluten free flour?
Answer: I have only tried it with all-purpose flour, so I can’t guarantee that it will turn out the same. Other readers have and some said the cake turned out fine and for others it didn’t. It’s up to you if you want to try it.
Question: What is all purpose flour? Is it the same as self rising flour.
Answer: All purpose flour is just plain regular white flour. Self rising flour is all purpose flour with baking powder and salt added to it. I would recommend using all purpose flour for this cake.
Question: Can I use stevia or splenda instead of sugar?
Answer: I’ve only made it with regular white sugar, so I’m not sure what would happen if you substituted with stevia or splenda.
Would this recipe work in an 8×8 pyrex?
As long as it’s oven safe, yes!
I’ve made this cake six times, and every time, even though I’ve followed the recipe to the letter, I only get two layers – one very firm gelatin-y layer on bottom, and a sort of angel food cake my layer on the top.
It’s driven me quite mad – what could I change to have it come out right??
Interesting, Quite similar in nature to vanilla slice although missing the pastry and corn flour or cornstarch in the custard.
Thanks for posting, always nice to come across scratch recipes that are less time consuming than usual.
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We are so glad you enjoyed it!
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This recipe is so easy anyone can make it. The texture and flavour is to die for. I can’t get enough!!
I have had this recipe bookmarked for long time and have finally made it recently. Let me tell you I’m blown away. I caught that you said this was in another language and found in your other post that it’s Romanian. I am so happy to have found another cultural element to this.
Have you found any way to ONLY replicate the top cake layer? I really love the light texture of it. Please share with us if it possible to just get that sponge. I’ve done other sponges but this top Magic layer is my favorite. Thanks for your passion!
The cake layer is essentially just a basic vanilla cake! The closest recipe we have on the blogs would be either the yellow cake mix recipe or the chocolate cake (minus the cocoa and espresso powder)
Could you add Lemon?
For sure, here’s my lemon magic cake recipe: https://www.jocooks.com/recipes/lemon-magic-cake/
Can this recipe be doubled for a bigger pan or should I make two separate ones?
I would go with two seperate ones to ensure the layers set properly!
The real magic is how fast it was eaten! Loved it. The finished product looks more complicated than it really is. Will try other variations!
lol so true! Happy you liked the recipe 🙂
Made this for the first time – huge hit for everyone! I will make this many many times in the future I’m sure. Pretty easy for such a elegant and yummy dessert! I put just a couple drops of Almond flavoring too – um,… yes!!
This is a fab recipe
Love love love it
All my family does
I made it with free from flour and it worked well
I used freee dove flour
Will be a stable in my house
Thank you
Hi Jo! I tried this tonight and it was so tasty! However my custard layer didn’t exactly split into two layers like your photo. I baked for about 55 minutes! What do you suggest I try differently next time?
Merry Christmas!
Amazing custardy sponge cake! Made twice – first time followed recipe but with extra vanilla. WONDERFUL!! Second time – almond milk and cane sugar. It didn’t blend well. Result was wetter, two-layer cake. Will follow recipe to the letter next time, and there will be a next time! So YUMMY!!
Just made this with my niece and it tastes amazing! Swooped out the vanilla with caramel essence. Tastes similar to a milk tart we make here in South Africa.
Hello! How many days are these good for before they spoil?
It’ll last in the fridge 3 to 4 days.