Magic Custard Cake {simple dairy must for Shavous}
I have been at this for a long time…cooking and baking that is. It never fails to surprise me how much I still have to learn. The art of combining fat with flour, sugar with salt, is a true science that produces the most delicious of experiments (most of the time).
Now in school, the subject of Science was not something I particularly excelled in. Like any student who didn’t want the wrath of their parents ruining their weekend plans, I memorized my elemental tables and crammed on my required readings ,just enough to pass my tests and keep the (must have or die) telephone in my room.
Regrets are not something I carry around, but I do wish I payed just a little more attention to Mrs. Senderowvitz in High School Science. Then maybe I can explain why this incredible magic custard cake works, a simple recipe, that when combined in one baking pan, creates a 3 layer WOW of a dessert.
I have become so obsessed with trying to figure the “magic” of this cake out, ever since I saw the recipe earlier this year, on a few of my favorite food blogging sites.
How exactly, does this extremely liquid batter, produce a piece of cake that has a gooey light custard middle sandwiched between two delicious dense, not to sweet cake layers? I filed the recipe on my must try list, until this week, when I FINALLY decided to tackle it. Not realizing my delay, kept me from experiencing what all before me had. This incredible rush of awe & giddiness, as I sliced into the cake for the very first time, and saw those 3 gravity defying layers of pure impossible deliciousness.
I am sure there is someone reading this who did better than me in Science class.
But I for one, am happy to be a student…of Magic!
Magic Custard Cake
After reading through all the blogs with this recipe, it was White on Rice Couple that had the best tips for making this cake work every time I tried it last week (just lets say that I have very happy neighbors). Their recommendation for making sure that you pay attention to the temperature of the milk and butter is key. They also figured out how to make a CHOCOLATE version of it – a definite dessert that will be on my Shavout table this year.
Now I just decided to take myself off sugar, so it was very …NO VERY hard to only take a really small taste bite of this cake (I took one for team). This cake however surprisingly is not overt sweet at all, in fact too much sweetness would ruin the overall subtle light flavor of this cake. Next time I make it, I think I would add some lemon zest to batter because I love the combination of custard and lemon.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup Butter
2 cups Milk
4 eggs, separated
4 drops White Vinegar
1 1/4 cup Confectioner’s Sugar
1 Tbsp. Water
1 cup Flour
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
extra confectioner’s sugar for dusting
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325F. Grease an 8×8 baking dish.
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In the microwave melt the butter and set aside to slightly cool.
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In the microwave warm the milk for about 40 seconds until lukewarm and set aside.
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In your stand mixer with whisk attachment, whip together the egg whites and vinegar to stiff peaks. Set aside.
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In a separate extra large bowl, using a hand whisk, beat the yolks and sugar until combined and light. Then mix in the melted butter and the water for another minute or two until totally combined.
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Pour in the flour into the egg yolk mixture and mix until evenly incorporated. Slowly beat in the milk and vanilla extract until everything is fully combined.
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Using a rubber spatula, fold in the egg whites slowly. (I found that if I do it in parts it worked better, don’t be afraid of the clumps, just break it up with tip of your spatula and continue to fold)
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Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 40-45 minutes or until the top is golden. Allow cake to completely cool before cutting and then dust with confectioner’s sugar.
You can also speed up the cooling of the cake by placing it into the refrigerator.
