Easy Magic Custard Cake
Magic Custard Cake – A fabulously easy recipe that uses one simple batter to create three distinct and delicious layers of cake. This creamy, tender, fluffy, and festive dessert is perfect for all holiday celebrations!
Why We Love This Custard Cake Recipe
While just about everyone adores a lovely and delicious layered cake, let’s be real – we aren’t all crazy about making a layered cake. Typically, to get those distinct sections, you have to either bake several cakes or masterfully carve one cake into several sections. The process can be a bit tedious, if not nerve-wracking. But not with this recipe!
Here, we have a fun and simple dessert that’s perfect to make for holiday parties. It’s made with just one fluffy batter that separates and bakes into three individual layers… like magic!
The bottom layer is a dense flan-like layer. The middle is a creamy custard layer. And the top is a soft sponge cake layer. Each individual section has a delicate vanilla-almond flavor that pairs perfectly with fresh berries or raspberry preserves.
Make this magic layer cake recipe and watch everyone fall in love!
Ingredients You Need
- Eggs – whites and yolks separated
- Milk – whole is best
- Powdered sugar – for the batter and to garnish
- All-purpose flour – or preferred gluten-free flour
- Butter – melted
- Vanilla extract and almond extract – for just the right festive flavor
- Salt
- Cream of tartar – cream of tartar is essential to make the rich and fluffy layers
Pro Tip: Cutting the finished cake is much easier to do when it has been chilled for several hours. If possible, make it the day before serving and refrigerate.
How to Make Magical Custard Cake with 3 Layers
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease or butter a 9×13-inch baking dish and set it aside.
- Carefully separate the egg whites from the yolks, ensuring no yolk gets into the whites. Place the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer, add the cream of tartar, and use the whip attachment to beat the eggs on high speed until a firm meringue forms.
- In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, salt, vanilla extract, and almond extract.
- Gradually mix the milk and flour into the egg yolk mixture, alternating between the two, until the batter is thin and smooth. Then, whisk in the melted butter.
- Gently fold the meringue into the batter using a rubber spatula, mixing until mostly smooth while being careful not to deflate the meringue.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 325°F and continue baking for another 40-45 minutes. The top should be golden brown, and the center should have a slight jiggle when you gently shake the pan. If it still jiggles significantly, like liquid in the center, bake for an additional 5 minutes.
Pro Tip: The baking time on this is pretty important to get three distinct layers. If you bake the cake too long the creamy center layer will harden. However, if you don’t bake it long enough, the center layer will be runny.
Pro Tip: It is common for ovens to run up to 30 degrees too hot or too cool… Especially older ovens, which get a lot of use. Make sure your oven temperature is accurate by placing a hanging oven thermometer off the center rack.
- Once the cake is done, remove it from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes. Then, dust the top with a generous layer of powdered sugar for a festive touch.
- Allow the cake to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until ready to serve. The colder the cake, the easier it will be to cut into neat slices.
Get the Complete (Printable) 3 Layer Magic Custard Cake Recipe Below. Enjoy!
Recipe Variations
- Vanilla Bean – Infuse your custard with fresh vanilla bean seeds for a deeper, more aromatic flavor.
- Chocolate – Add cocoa powder to the custard for a chocolate twist.
- Coconut – Replace some of the milk in the custard with coconut milk.
- Lemon – Add fresh lemon juice and zest to the custard mixture for a bright, tangy flavor.
- Berry – Fold fresh or frozen berries, such as raspberries, blueberries, or strawberries, into the custard mixture.
- Caramel – Replace some of the sugar in the custard with caramel sauce for a rich, buttery flavor.
- Spiced – Add warming spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and cloves to the custard mixture for a comforting, autumnal flavor.
- Coffee – Mix instant espresso powder or brewed coffee into the custard for a mocha-flavored treat.
- Pumpkin – Blend pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spices (like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves) into the custard mixture for a seasonal twist.
Frequently Asked Questions
The light flavors and beautiful textures go really well with fresh berries. I recommend blueberries, raspberries, blackberries – or a bit of each! You can also garnish with candied cranberries for an extra festive dessert for the holidays.
If the center layer is too runny, the cake was not baked long enough. If the bottom layers are hard and/or rubbery, the cake was likely baked for too long.
Because this cake is best when completely chilled before slicing, we recommend that you make it the day before you plan to serve. Cover the cooled baking pan with foil or plastic wrap before placing it in the refrigerator. The magic layer custard cake will keep well for up to 5 days in the fridge.
Looking for More Delicious Dessert Recipes? Be Sure to Try:
- Chocolate Pots de Creme with Espresso Whipped Cream
- Magic 4-Ingredient Chocolate Chip Cookies (Low-Carb)
- Chocolate Malt Brownie Bark Recipe
- Layered Jello Mousse Cake
- Chocoflan Impossible Cake
Get the Complete (Printable) 3 Layer Magic Custard Cake Recipe Below. Enjoy!
Easy Magic Custard Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 large eggs separated
- 4 cups whole milk
- 2 cups powdered sugar + extra for garnish
- 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup melted butter
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease (or butter) a 9 X 13-inch baking dish and set aside.
- Separate the egg whites and egg yolks, being very careful not to get ANY yolk in the whites. Place the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the cream of tartar, then use a whip attachment to whip the eggs on high, into a firm meringue.
- In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, salt, vanilla extract, and almond extract together.
- Alternate mixing the milk and flour into the egg yolks, until the batter is thin and smooth. Then whisk in the melted butter.
- Finally, use a rubber spatula to gently fold the meringue into the batter. Mix the batter until it is mostly smooth, being careful not to deflate the meringue.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Then lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees F, and bake for another 40-45 minutes. The top should be golden-brown and the center should jiggle, JUST A LITTLE, when you shake the pan. If it jiggles a lot, like it is liquid in the center, leave in the oven another 5 minutes.
- Cool to room temperature, then chill until ready to serve. The colder the cake, the easier it is to cut into pretty pieces. If possible make the day before serving and refrigerate.
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I am so making this custard slice! My all time favourite is good old vanilla slice, and I can’t wait to taste how similar this recipe is :) This is on my Christmas table for sure.
this cake is a game changer! I love this cake so much and cannot wait to make it again!