Magic Cake (Gâteau Magique)

For me, there’s no separating baking from magic. I am a self-professed baking geek who regularly devours textbooks on the science of cooking (picture Hermione and her “light reading”). I love to learn the hows and whys behind my favorite kitchen endeavors. But even with that knowledge, when a soupy batter turns into a cake with three distinct layers, it just feels like magic.

This aptly named magic cake transforms one batter into a 3-in-1 layered dessert with a thick and fudgy bottom layer, a creamy custard center, and a fluffy layer of sponge cake on top. The magic all happens in the oven—no special ingredients or equipment required. 

I love the range of textures in this dessert without the work of making a crust, a custard, and a cake separately. The recipe calls for a short list of pantry staples, plus it’s easy to customize with different flavors.

What Is Magic Cake?

While I’ve been seeing magic cake all over social media, it originates from Southwestern France where it is known as gâteau magique. With a thin batter similar to that of crepes, clafoutis, or far Breton, its origins are not that surprising.

In fact, it struck me that if you dappled the batter with some cherries or fresh berries before baking, it’d be deliciously similar to a clafoutis, a staple of the southwestern region of Limousin.

Essential Tips for Achieving Layers

The low oven temperature delays when the cake’s structure sets. As the batter slowly warms in the oven, the starch sinks to the bottom, and air bubbles from the egg whites rise to the top. This results in a dense layer on the bottom, a custardy center, and an airy cake on top.

Magic cake is slightly more forgiving than you might imagine, but I do have some tips for attaining clearly defined layers. 

• The order of operations is important for achieving the distinct layers in this cake. If any yolk gets into the egg whites, they won't whip properly. I like to whip the egg whites first so I don't have to wash the beaters in between steps. The egg whites are added to the batter at the end so they don't deflate and prevent the sponge cake layer from forming.
• Add the milk and butter slowly to avoid lumps. I start by adding a splash at a time, mixing it in completely before adding the next splash. Once I get through about half of the milk mixture, I know it's safe to add the rest all at once without the batter clumping.
• Don’t over-mix when adding the egg whites. There should still be a layer of foam floating on the top of the batter, which will bake into the spongey top layer of the cake.
• Cool the cake completely before slicing to give the custard a chance to set. I like this cake fridge cold, so once it's close to room temperature, I chill it for about an hour before slicing it. This also allows for cleaner slices.

Easy Recipe Variations

The mix of textures already makes this cake interesting. But with a simple vanilla base, it’s easy to change up the flavors. Here are some of my favorite flavor variations for magic cake:

• Chocolate: Whisk 1/3 cup of cocoa powder into the warm milk and butter until dissolved and no lumps remain. Reduce the flour to 1/2 cup. For a more complex chocolate flavor, add 1 teaspoon of instant espresso powder.
• Nutella: Mix 1/3 cup Nutella in the egg yolk mixture before adding the flour.
• Zest: Stir in the zest from 1 lemon or 1 orange.
• Coffee: Dissolve some instant espresso powder in the warm milk and butter mixture. Use 2 to 3 teaspoons, depending on how strong you’d like the coffee flavor.

Cakes for Snacking

• Chocolate Depression Cake
• Classic Coffee Cake
• Whole Clementine Cake
• Dr. Pepper Cake
• Gooey Butter Cake