Magic Custard Cake
When I saw a magic custard cake recipe on Pinterest, I was floored. I mean, it left me in a state of delicious shock that something so simple could create an incredible piece of dessert.
What is Magic Custard Cake?
Magic custard cake it truly a magical piece of cake. This dessert is to not too sweet (which I love the most) and is loaded with a wonderful middle layer that’s soft and custard-like. This cake is soft, pillow-y and melt-in-your-mouth wonderful. The delicate top layer of cake and bottom crust is what holds the custard layer together. It looked so easy and like magic, it separated into three layers. It’s cake layer on top, an egg-flavored custard layer in the middle and another dense custard layer on the bottom.

For two weeks, my obsession grew for this cake and I stalked the internet for what ever info I could find, which wasn’t much. I wanted to call this a Magic Custard Cake Recipe. After a search on Google, I realized that there were many variations of this classic “Magic Custard Pie” already being shared from kitchen to kitchen. I inhaled my first two slices in one sitting. And this is coming from someone who is usually one and done with sweets. (Salty stuff is a whole ‘nother story.)
Watch Video: How to Make Magic Custard Cake:
Be still my heart, I love this magic custard cake so much. Please make it and tell me what you think and let’s discuss in the comments below.
love,
Magic Custard Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted Butter (1 stick)
- 2 cups (480 ml) Milk
- 4 Eggs , separated
- 4 drops White Vinegar
- 1 1/4 cups (150 g) Powdered Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon (15 ml) Water
- 1 cup (125 g) Flour
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) Vanilla Extract
- extra confectioner's sugar for dusting
Equipment
- 8”x8” baking dish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F/160°C. Lightly butter or grease a 8"x8" (20x20cm) baking dish.

- Melt the 1/2 cup (113g) butter and set aside to slightly cool slightly.

- Warm the 2 cups (480ml) milk to lukewarm and set aside.

- Whip the 4 egg whites and 4 drops vinegar to stiff peaks. Set aside.

- Beat the 4 egg yolks and 1 1/4 cups (150g) powdered sugar until light.

- Mix in the melted butter and the 1 Tablespoon (15ml) water for about 2 minutes or until evenly incorporated.

- Mix in the 1 cup (125g) flour until evenly incorporated.

- Slowly beat in the warmed milk and 1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract until everything is well mixed.

- Fold in the egg whites, 1/3 at a time. Repeat until all of the egg whites are folded in.

- Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

- Bake at 325°F/160°C for 45-60 minutes or until the cake is barely jiggly in the center. If the top browns too quick before the minimum of 45 minutes, then cover the cake with aluminum foil and cook for remainder of time needed.

- Allow cake to completely cool before cutting and then dust with powdered sugar. For faster cooling you can place the cake in the fridge. Even after fully cooled, it will still be slightly jiggly because it's a custard layer cake.

Nutrition Information per Serving
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And if you’re craving more cake, this moist banana cake should be on your next to-do list!. This recipe was originally published in 2013.












wooowww, looks sooo smooth.
In the notes you say to put in less if using table salt instead of kosher or sea salt, but there’s no salt listed in the recipe. How much salt would you suggest, and is it necessary if using salted butter?
Hi Bridget,
There is no salt needed in this recipe. That sidenote at the end of the recipe is a general note that automatically goes on all recipes. If there rare case when there is no salt in the recipe, such as in this case, then you can disregard it. We will look to re-word the salt recommendation to have it more all encompassing for cases like this where there is no salt.
Thanks! Happy New Year.
Ah, that makes sense. Since several of the commenters mentioned that they had added salt, I wondered if perhaps you had intended to add that to the recipe. Since I only ever have salted butter, I wasn’t planning to add more salt. Thank you!
Hi guys could anyone tell me if you have made this with oil instead of using butter? I want to make it today but ran out of butter and don’t want to go to the store to buy some if I can use oil. 🙂
We’ve never made it with oil. Maybe it someone else has tried they can elaborate.
I would like to try with oil as well, for the same reason… Can you let me know if it worked? Thanks!
I made it with coconut oil instead of butter. It turned out wonderful!
I made this recipe a year ago and took some to my mother in law, she’s diabetic so she had just one small piece. She loved it! She asked for it again so I made a sugar free version and it was just as good. I just had to search for the recipe again and thank goodness for Google!!! This will be on my Christmas dessert list this year!
Will definitely have to make this one, when I’m not on diet that is! Looks great!
I made it sugar free with alternative healthy sweeteners, & gluten free. I also added cooked pureed carrots & sweet spices to make it healthier carrot custard souffle. It was so good & scarfed down by all 5 of us! 🙂
I have just sampled this beautiful cake – Wow! Would love to eat the whole thing on my own. I can see this recipe becoming a regular when we have guests and even when we don’t. Thank you.
Ooooh, this looks AWESOME! Definitely need to try it. My mom does a version that’s got shredded coconut in it and is delicious.
Made this today, OMG it is awesome!!!!
Hi, this looks amazing! Just a quick question, can the clean toothpick method be used here to check doneness of this cake? Or will I just have to rely on the colour of the top of the cake turning golden brown?
Because the cake is custard-ish, the toothpick method doesn’t quite work.
Hey guys! How far in advance could I make this cake? I’m going to be having a birthday party on a Saturday, and I’d like to make both versions of your amazing looking cake, but I won’t have time to do it on the day. Any help would be greatly appreciated 🙂
Hi Vikki,
For all the versions we’ve made, it still seems to be best up to 2 days after making it. Longer than than and it isn’t quite as good of flavor and texture, but you should be in great shape to make the cake a day or two in advance. Have a great party!
Cool bananas! Thanks for the quick reply 🙂
Has anyone tried this in a 9×13? Our first time was 8×8 and it came out just as expected so I know how it’s supposed to be. I doubled it and cooked in in a 9×13 yesterday and I think it was a bit undercooked but the bottom layer was really thick and the middle layer pretty thin. I wonder if this was this from undercooking or the doubled batch or did I not mix it enough? I would like to be able to take this to work and family get together a but 8×8 is not big enough and I really don’t want to make multiple batches. Thanks
Hi Todd and Diane,
My husband loves custard and I wanted to make something special for him just b/c…. I typed on Google for custard cake and urs came up first. It was so neatly photographed, I didn’t care how it tasted I had to make it. Lately I’ve been obsessed with cake making and baking in general. I made this cake today and it was heavenly! My hubby loved it and I’m so so happy I found a recipe that’s so moist and cakey, and at the same time just marvellously tasty. Thank you very much!!! Will def. be trying the chocolate version of this too! Thanks for the recipe, the great photos and for shaing..
Hi can I ask the flour used in this cake is it rice flour or just plain flour ?
Hi Sevi. It is regular flour. Thanks!
T & D
Oh my heavens! I am just floored I haven’t ever heard of this awesome desert! Where have I been??? I am trying it as we speak! I can’t wait for it to finish baking! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you sharing this recipe – I love it, have made it so many times and it’s always a big hit. However, I struggle to get the icing (confectioners) sugar to sit on the top of the cake; it always seeps in. Any suggestions on what I could be doing wrong to the batter? It certainly comes out looking like your photos…
I made this yesterday for my Dad for father’s day as he loves custard slices. It was AMAZING and went down a treat. Chocolate one next! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe 🙂
I also was wondering about doubling the recipe…