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.












I just made the magic cake this morning and it came out great! I may have overbaked it a little at 45 minutes, but I’ve been thinking my electric oven has been a bit high for some time now. Regardless, it only barely overbaked and the middle was still nice and custardy. So delicious. I added a chocolate glaze to the top and it went really well with it, especially since the cake is only lightly sweet. So good! Thanks for converting and translating, I’d been wanting to try it.
Baking this right now!
I LOVE this recipe. I’ve made it at least four times since you’ve posted this. I’ve actually made it for breakfast a couple times. I just love it.
I posted my own photos from my experience up on my blog – although not the recipe.
Looks great and simple and delicious (I love custards dessert). Reading Mabel’s recipe, she mentioned it is Romanian in origin and gave a name. I googled it and it seems quite popular in Romania. It translates to smart cookie. http://gourmandine.ro/reteta-prajituri/prajitura-desteapta/
While I loved making this, and enjoyed eating it, I feel people need to know this is an intrinsically plain cake. It is simply a custardy plain sponge, and even though the taste is pleasant enough, the magic is in the cooking, not the taste. The flash of icing sugar is a good touch, but it really can do with more of a dressing up. Think classic sponge flavours, like cream and berries, and you can’t do wrong.
Wonderful. A dream come true, that’s for sure. Next time I’ll add 1/4 teaspoon of table salt or 1/2 teaspoon of Kosher salt. I think it needs it. Oh my word the textures and flavors are wonderful. I used the vinegar in the egg whites and got a wonderful souffled sort of top.
Next will be chocolate I think. This is so easy it may be my new potluck dish!!
Thanks,
Bob
Wow… saw this recipe yesterday… tried it today… absolutely divine! ate 2 pieces as soon as it was outta the fridge…
top layer was fluffy and light, like the top of a coconut macaroon cake…the middle custard layer is dreamy and the bottom layer jus completes the taste..
added lemon zest and cardamon,,, otherwise stuck to the recipe as is…vinegar makes lovely fluffy egg whites…
AmaZing… must try for all bakers out there
I made this about 5 hours ago and it has cooled completely but the cake just under the top layer is completely liquid…my custard didn’t seem to set at all. Not sure what I did wrong…
This looks incredible. I love custard and am popping this on my to-do list now. Thanks
Oh wow! I’m impressed with the separation of the cake and the custard…just like that! Your chocolate ones looks superb! You really tempted me to bake this… I shall put this into my “To-bake list”!! Thanks for sharing Jana!
My apologies…It’s Diane! :>
Hi Jane! No worries! I totally knew who you were referring to. 🙂 enjoy the recipe! -diane
Diane, I made this earlier this week as well, and my top layer was a lot fluffier, too – I kind of liked it: http://www.flickr.com/photos/naminami/8720719378/ (sorry, my photo is nowhere near as wonderful as yours :)). I used the original recipe and simply translated it, and did use a sprinkling of lemon juice when whipping the egg whites (saw the “4 drops of vinegar” tip in the video). I liked the cake, but didn’t think it was anything too special. However, my husband LOVED it, so I guess I need to make it again soon 🙂
Off to try your chocolate version now!
Hi Pille- your cake is so beautiful!!! I love the top layer flufflier like that too. So glad your husband loved it.
Brilliant ! It’s like a sweet yorkshire pudding. The yorkshire is crispy on the outside, crispy where it meets the pan, but soft and custard like in the center. Why didn’t I think of this? Sounds so Delicious, I can hardly wait to try it ! This is just the beginning…… think of all of the marvelous variations people will come up with !!
Wow… I have to say, this cake looks and sounds totally delicious!
Have been excited to try this one for a while and finally have a reason. It’s in the oven right now and I can’t wait to see how it comes out 🙂
I made this last night, with coconut extract. Unfortunately, my pan was not deep enough to accomodate all the mix. So it ended up in two pans. The flavor and texture was much like a dutch pancake that was a bit more dense. I guess it turned out that way because of the having to split the mix. I did like the coconut though!
I made this over the weekend 2 times. The first one for my family and I brought the second one to work. People enjoyed it so much .
I used skim milk both times and whipped the egg whites just before adding to the batter.
Thanks for the beautiful pictures and write up which made to go back to baking after a long break.