A fudgey base. Soft custard center. Topped with fluffy sponge. Made with one simple batter. It’s like….MAGIC!
If you love vanilla sponge cakes and custard, you are going to be as obsessed with this cake as I am. It looks like it’s been carefully layered with three different components. But it’s not! You just pour one simple batter into a cake tin, pop in the oven, and this is how it comes out!!
There is no special ingredient nor any tricky technique. The batter is made pretty much like a traditional vanilla sponge cake, it is just much thinner. It’s the consistency of crepe batter. Almost like a thick pouring cream.
The magic happens in the oven. It is baked at a lower temperature than usual – 325F/160C. And when it comes out, the top layer is a sponge, the middle is custard and the bottom is almost like a fudge.
I was dubious the first time I made it, and even when I turned the cake out because you can’t see the layers on the edges. But then when I cut into it, I gasped with astonishment! I mean, look at how perfect the layers are!!
This recipe is the Magic Cake from Jo Cooks. I’ve been reading Jo Cooks for a long time, but it wasn’t until recently that I got to know Jo herself. Though actually, her real name is Ioana – a Romanian name, a beautiful one at that, and one of the first things I nagged her about was why she doesn’t go by her real name!
Jo and I have very similar tastes. We both love food that is absolutely scrumptious, we never compromise on flavour to follow trends or hacks (or diet versions!), we aren’t into the “cool food” scene and there are less salads on our blogs than there probably should be (though she has a lot more than me!!).
What I didn’t realise is that she is probably the reason the world discovered “Magic Cake“. She was very quick to make the point that it was not an original recipe. Perhaps she wasn’t the pioneer of it, but a search on Pinterest clearly shows that she is the reason that the world discovered it.
So I’m adding myself to the long line of people who have tried and been astonished by the miracle of this cake. 
One simple batter.
A three layered custard cake.
It really is….like magic!
– Nagi
- 4 eggs, yolks and whites separated (at room temperature)
- ¾ cup sugar (150g) (ordinary or caster sugar)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 stick unsalted butter, melted (4oz / 125g / ½ cup)
- ¾ cup plain all purpose flour (4oz / 115g)
- 2 cups milk (lukewarm) (full fat or low fat but not zero fat) (500 ml / 1 pint)
- Icing sugar (powdered sugar), for dusting
- Fresh strawberries
- Whipped cream
- Preheat oven to 325F/160C (standard oven / fan forced or convection)
- Butter a 8" x 8" / 20cm x 20cm square cake tin.
- Beat egg whites with a mixer until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
- Place the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl and beat until it turns pale yellow - about 1 minute.
- Add the vanilla extract and butter and beat until well incorporated - about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Add the flour and beat until just combined.
- Pour the milk in slowly while beating, and beat until well combined (or if using a hand held mixer, add ¼ milk at a time, beating in between).
- Use a spatula to fold in the egg whites in the batter, one third at a time, until just incorporated. You don't want to knock the air out of the egg whites. Don't worry if there are a few egg white lumps in the batter. The batter should be very thin, almost like a thick pouring cream.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin.
- Bake until the top is golden brown and the cake does not "jiggle" when you gently shake the tin - around 40 to 50 minutes. Check the cake at 30 minutes - if the top is already golden brown but the cake is not yet set (i.e. it jiggles), cover loosely with foil and return to the oven, 10 minutes at a time, until set.
- Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack.(Note 3) Cool completely before serving.
- Cut into squares - I cut it into 12 in the photo, but 9 is more realistic serving size portions.
- Dust with icing sugar just before serving.
- Serve with a side of whipped cream and strawberries, if using.
2. The baking time for this cake will differ depending on the oven. Of the 5 times I made this cake, the bake time differed by 15 minutes. Once it was 40 minutes, 3 times it was 50 minutes and once it was 55 minutes. It takes Jo from Jo Cooks (recipe source) 70 minutes, but she says her oven is weak.
The safest way to get the baking time right is to follow these directions:
a) The cake is ready when the top is golden brown and the cake doesn't "jiggle" when you gently shake the pan. If it jiggles, there is still raw batter inside.
b) I found that 4 of the 5 times I made it, the top became golden brown before the cake was set.
c) So to get the bake time right, check it first at 30 minutes. If the top is golden brown, cover loosely with foil and return to the oven until the cake is set. Check every 10 minutes - any longer, and you'll risk the cake overcooking.
3. Tor get the cake out of the tin, just turn it out like a normal cake. The custard is set, it is not like super soft jelly. What I do is place a cutting board on top of the tin, flip it upside down (it slips right out) then place a cooling rack on top then flip it again (so you end up with the right side up on the cooling rack).
Nutrition assuming 1 cake is cut into 9 pieces. Note that I cut the cake into 16 pieces for the photo but that is far too small!
Hiee..I’ve been trying this recipe quite a few times now..atleast 10 times I guess.
Every time something or the other goes wrong. This time the cake didjnt rise. I managed to get the consistency right as in the custard wasnt wobbly or anything but the layers just merged together.
What do you think would’ve gone wrong?
Hi Renu, I’m sorry to hear you are having trouble with this recipe. how long did you bake it for? Just trying to get a sense for how strong/weak your oven is. Even though the layers were merged together was it cooked through? What was the consistency like inside the cake? All cake /all custard etc.
Thank you so much for writing back.
I baked it for 45 minutes. The centre was no longer jiggly. It did fluff up a big bubble and crack but that just went down when the cake was taken out from the oven. The cake was done well. Not over baked. Like the layers could be understood. Sponge custard and thick layer at the bottom. But they were kinda merged. Like very thin layers.
Do you think my pan was quite big for the measure? Could that have been the reason? The batter filled half of the tray actually. So I wasnt expecting a really high cake. But atleast distinct layers.
Also..is it important to add lukewarm milk ? For what reasons, exactly?
Thanks so much!
What’s happens If I only have self raising flour
Hi Ashton, sorry, I’m not sure how it will come out
When you store this cake, should it be refrigerated?
Hi Angie! Not unless it is really hot where you are
Just store in an airtight container!
How do you store it once cooked? I might not have scrolled down far enough so see if some one else already asked this. I just made it, cooling in pan. But need to leave in about 20 mins. Should I just leave it in the parchment and cover with foil on the cooling rack?
Hi Claudia! Just store it like a normal cake, in an airtight container if you can
N x
Made this today, followed to the letter. When I tried to take out of pan, thin layer stuck on bottom. I loosened with egg turner and put pack on. Same thing happened when I turned on cooling rack, thin top stayed on the cutting board. And to my dismay, your picture shows a nice thick cake with nice layers. Mine is lucky to be an inch thick. What did I do wrong?
Hi Mili! Sorry to hear your base got stuck, did you grease your pan well? Also did your sponge rise like in the photo? I am trying to understand why your cake was flat. Did you use the right size pan?
Has anyone who lives in higher altitude like Denver made this cake and if so how did you do the high-altitude adjustment?
Hello! Thank you so much sharing this recipe
just wanna ask, roughly how big/heavy should the eggs be?
Hi Sophia! Good question, mine are around 60g / 2 oz each
Can I use vanilla essence in replace for extract?
Yup you sure can
Hi Nagi, I made this today and it is lovely as promised. After stating whisking the egg whites
I realised i did’t have a suitable baking tin so I has to cook it in an oven proof frying pan,
This gave me a round version with sloping sides lol, I also managed to get four layers as the
bottom got a over cooked and looked a bit like a thin version of the top, it still tasted really good
so I think I will have to invest in nice square tin and try again !!
FOUR Layers??!!! WHOOT WHOOT!
Hi! My bf made me this a few weeks ago when she was here visiting and I fell in love! Maybe it was a pregnancy craving but I wanted this cake for breakfast this morning lol! I must’ve done something wrong as it’s still in the oven as I type, even though it’s been baking for 65 mins, it is still jiggly. I tried to use a round 8×8 cake pan, could that be a problem? Also my milk was still a little cold but I did at it slowly. The cake has browned so it’s had foil over it since 40mins in the oven and it also has already cracked and it sounded like air was coming out of it when this happened (I was jiggling it, gently) I’ll be so sad if it’s ruined, how long in the oven would you say is too long?
Hi Chloe! Ovens can vary drastically, I’ve had this in the oven for 75 minutes at a holiday house once. Did it come out ok??
Thank you for taking the time to give U.K. Measurements for this recipe. Converting sticks and cups of ingredients sometimes gives me a disappointing result to some of the recipes.
This one will be tried soon, it looks lovely.
Hope you do Diane! It really is SO GOOD!
THIS RECIPES LOOKS LIKE IT CAME FROM BAKERY!!! QUESTION-HOW CAN I MAKE IT CHOCOLATE ?
HI Kathy! Check out Jo Cooks
She has a chocolate one of this!
I followed the recipe and instriuctions to the tee but the cake fell. It wasn’t jiggly when I removed it from the oven. Still tasted good but not nearly as thick as the pics shown.
Hi Veronica! How long was it in the oven for? Was it cooked in the centre? If the cake collapsed then it sounds like it was not cooked in the centre.
can half and half be used
Sorry Kristy I don’t recommend that. For this one, please use the specified ingredients. N x
Great recipe! Made it two times, but the second time I made the custard eggnog flavoured. Great taste and perfect for the holiday season to come!
Woo hoo! So glad you enjoyed it Kitty!
Dying to try this!! May I reduce the amount of sugar to 1/2 cup?
I’m sorry, I haven’t tried that and would worry about how that affects this recipe
I tried this the other night and I only got 2 layers. However, I was able to taste the difference in the textures of the layers. It just didn’t look as pretty. Do you think I may have under baked it?
Hi Jeanny! I’ve been doing some testing and finding that when the oven runs weak this happens. Do you know if your oven is a bit weak?
N xx
I have gluten free flour mixes with and without xanthum gum. Thoughts on using a Gluten free flour with this recipe? Would it still work?
Sorry Kirsten, I haven’t tried it
Would I be able to use stevia instead of sugar for this recipe?
I don’t think so Joanna, sorry!
First time I followed the recipe to the letter. Very impressed but being diabetic was concerned abt sugar content so second time around I used sugar substitute (candarel) and vegetable oil instead of butter because i dont really eat butter. The substitutes did not take anything away from flavour or texture. The whole family love this. Its their new favourite cake. Thanks
WOW! That’s amazing to hear Andy, thanks so much for letting me know! N x