Magic Milk Pie Cake

Magic Cake

This magic cake is upside down, the cake layer is very thin in this one at the bottom, custard layer,  and top layer.

Funny or non-descriptive names for food appeal to me. I'm the one who's often the first to try a Crazy Chicken Sandwich or a Monster Sandwich versus something with a more typical name. So when I saw Magic Cake, it automatically went onto my to try list. It's been on my to try list a while already. The reactions were varied. Some thought it was okay, others liked it and my mother 's whole face lit up and said, "Ooh milk pie, I love milk pie!" It turns out my grandmother used to make this but called it milk pie and my mother and grandfather used to eat it. My little brother wanted to know the real name of the cake, he thought we were joking when we said Magic Cake. That's what happens when you have an older brother who tells you everything's magic and is teasing. We told him that's what it's really called.
 I'm not sure he liked it because he said it,"It doesn't taste like magic."
I asked him, "What does magic taste like?"
His answer,"Tingly."
I held back my laughter and made a  mental note to include pop rocks the next time I make or call something Magic Cake for this brother.

***We took some to my grandmother and asked her how she liked it and if it tastes like milk pie. She said, "better." So there you have it, it tastes even better than milk pie.

The magic in this cake is that it's one batter that separates into 3 layers. It's not a hard cake to make by any means. I sort of got 3 layers, my cake layer was very thin though.


All this recipe is making it's rounds all over the worldwide web, I wanted to describe my experiences making it.

 I had to leave the eggs out of the fridge to get to room temperature-that took a while, but I went about my business in the meantime.

Then I basically followed the directions. I included some notes based on some research and my experience. You can find them at the end of this recipe.

• 4 eggs (separate yolks from whites) at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 150 g (3/4 cup) sugar
• 125 g (1 stick) butter, melted
• 115 g (4 oz or 3/4 cup) of all purpose flour
• 500 ml (2 cups) milk lukewarm
• powdered sugar for dusting cake

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 F degrees. Grease a 8 inch x 8 inch baking dish.
2. Separate eggs and add the egg whites to a mixer and mix until egg whites are stiff. Place egg whites in a bowl and set aside.
3. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar until light. 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.
4. Slowly start adding the milk and beat until everything is well mixed together. Add the egg whites, a third at a time and gently fold them in using a spatula, repeat until all egg whites are folded in. Another variation to folding in the egg whites would be to add a third of the egg whites and gently whisk them in to the cake batter, then reverse the process and add a bit of the cake mixture to the egg whites and gently whisk in, repeat until all cake batter has been whisked in.
5. 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.
6. Sprinkle some powdered sugar after cake has cooled.

Notes: You may want to add 4 drops of vinegar to the egg whites when beating them and to beat them last so they don't re-liquify. 

Fold the egg whites gently using a whisk, you can use the whisk from the mixer. I used a spatula but videos show using a whisk. Update: I have since started using the whisk to fold the egg whites. I have since been getting bigger cake layers, although they're probably not related.

It is important to place ingredients in the order that the recipe specifies. 

It will look kind of lumpy and curdled, and you will probably not be able to get all of the egg whites in.

Do not worry if it looks like your batter separates while you are pouring it in to the pan. It's just the densities of each layer separating and re-arranging. It's really science-not magic. They will arrange themselves in the pan.

To make a 9x13 pan double the recipe.

Can use powdered sugar instead of regular sugar, might be less sweet.

If cake starts to crack lower your oven to 300 degrees.

I check on mine at the 40 min mark, I usually think it's still too jiggly then, so I leave it in for a little longer, it's usually slightly jiggly, but more set than jiggly. I know this is confusing, it's one of those recipes that are bit hard too explain and you need to experience it yourself to see what I'm talking about.

It's delicious cold too.

This cake should be kept in the refrigerator.