The “magic” is that you prepare one cake batter and when you bake it, the cake separates into layers with —a golden crust on top, a thick custard-like vanilla center, a dense and cake-like layer at the bottom!
BEFORE YOU START: There are a few tricks to keep in mind before you start. Eggs separate best when cold but the whites whip to a higher volume if at room temp. So, ideally separate the eggs and then let them set. You can melt the butter and let it cool, warm the milk, measure other ingredients and prepare the pan while you wait on the eggs. Also it is essential that the mixing bowl and beater used for white be completely free of fat; whites will not whip to stiff peaks in the presence of any fat. That also means that if there is any yolk (which has fat) is present in the whites, they will not whip.
Additional tips and helps are inserted in the recipe directions
Magic Custard Cake Make one 8-inch cake
1/2 cup butter, melted and slightly cooled
2 cups Hildebrand Milk, lukewarm
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
4 eggs, separated
1 tablespoon water
1 cup Pride of the Prairie all-purpose Flour
2 teaspoon vanilla
Powdered sugar for dusting
- Prepare the pan and oven: Coat an 8-inch square pan that is 2 inches deep with cooking spray. Cut 2 (8 by 12- to 16-inch) sheets of parchment paper. Lay one sheet in the pan, leaving an overhang of at least 2 inches on each side. Lay the second piece on top, across the first, leaving an overhangs on the other sides. These will be your “handles” when you take the cake out of the pan; set aside. (Of course, you can just spray or grease the pan if preferred.) Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 325°F. (The center is a custard and needs slow baking to cook insure creaminess.) Note: References say an 8-inch square pan is essential; a larger size will be too shallow for the custard to form they suggest.
- Whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form, set aside.
- Beat the egg yolks and powdered sugar until pale yellow.
- Add melted butter and the tablespoon of water to egg yolks; mix until evenly combined, about 2 minutes.
- Mix in the flour until evenly incorporated.
- Slowly beat in the milk and vanilla extract until well combined. The resulting mixture will be thin.
- Gently, using a spatula, stir in stiffly beaten egg whites leaving plenty of small, fluffy, clumps unmixed—you don’t want the whipped egg white to dissolve completely. (You are not leavening or lightening the mixture so folding is not the technique of choice here.)
- Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 40 to 60 minutes, 50 to 55 minutes is typical; baking time might vary depending on your oven or pan you use, but start checking after 40 minutes. If the top browns too quickly before the minimum of 40 minutes, you can cover the cake with aluminum foil. Magic cake is done when the sides are set, the center wobbles a little, and the top is a warm brown. You will not be able to use a traditional cake tester or the tip of a sharp knife, since it will always come out a bit wet.
- Let the cake sit in the pan at room temperature until completely cooled. Loosely cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 12 hours before serving. It can even be stored in the refrigerator for a few days (again, covered lightly). Unlike most cakes, it will not get stale in the refrigerator.
- Dust cake with powdered sugar once it has cooled.
THANK YOU TO THESE LOCAL PRODUCERS:
 |
| tHilderbrand Dairy in rural Junction City. |
Pride of the Prairie Flour from Farmer Direct, Inc., New Cambria.
Recipe without photos . . .
Magic Custard Cake Make one 8-inch cake
1/2 cup butter, melted and slightly cooled
2 cups Hildebrand Milk, lukewarm
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
4 eggs, separated
1 tablespoon water
1 cup Pride of the Prairie all-purpose Flour
2 teaspoon vanilla
Powdered sugar for dusting
- Prepare the pan and oven: Coat an 8-inch square pan that is 2 inches deep with cooking spray. Cut 2 (8 by 12- to 16-inch) sheets of parchment paper. Lay one sheet in the pan, leaving an overhang of at least 2 inches on each side. Lay the second piece on top, across the first, leaving an overhangs on the other sides. These will be your “handles” when you take the cake out of the pan; set aside. (Of course, you can just spray or grease the pan if preferred.) Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 325°F. (The center is a custard and needs slow baking to cook insure creaminess.) Note: References say an 8-inch square pan is essential; a larger size will be too shallow for the custard to form they suggest.
- Whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form, set aside.
- Beat the egg yolks and powdered sugar until pale yellow.
- Add melted butter and the tablespoon of water to egg yolks; mix until evenly combined, about 2 minutes.
- Mix in the flour until evenly incorporated.
- Slowly beat in the milk and vanilla extract until well combined. The resulting mixture will be thin.
- Gently, with a spatula, stir in stiffly beaten egg whites leaving plenty of small, fluffy, clumps unmixed—you don’t want the whipped egg white to dissolve completely. (You are not leavening or lightening the mixture so folding is not the technique of choice here.)
- Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 40 to 60 minutes, 50 to 55 minutes is typical; baking time might vary depending on your oven or pan you use, but start checking after 40 minutes. If the top browns too quickly before the minimum of 40 minutes, you can cover the cake with aluminum foil. Magic cake is done when the sides are set, the center wobbles a little, and the top is a warm brown. You will not be able to use a traditional cake tester or the tip of a sharp knife, since it will always come out a bit wet.
- Let the cake sit in the pan at room temperature until completely cooled. Loosely cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 12 hours before serving. It can even be stored in the refrigerator for a few days (again, covered lightly). Unlike most cakes, it will not get stale in the refrigerator.
- Dust cake with powdered sugar once it has cooled.
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