This lemon magic cake is such a unique dessert. The cake batter magically separates into three distinct layers when it bakes. It only requires 5 ingredients and doesn’t contain any butter or oil. It’s an impressive cake to make for a gathering.
Magic cake is one of my favorite cakes to make because it is so unique. The cake looks so impressive even though it only takes a few minutes to prepare. You only need to make one batter but it will separate into three layers as it bakes: a fluffy cake layer on top, a creamy custard in the middle, and a firmer “crust” layer at the bottom.
I also like that this cake is made with simple ingredients. You may already have all the ingredients you need to make this cake.
Ingredients
- Lemon zest
- Eggs
- Flour
- Milk
- Sugar
Lemon zest: To give this cake a refreshing lemon flavor you will need lemon zest. We don’t add any lemon juice to this cake because the lemon juice prevents the cake layers from forming properly. Even though the cake doesn’t have any tartness from the lemon, the lemon zest adds a nice lemon fragrance. If you prefer a stronger lemon flavor in your desserts, you can add a few drops of lemon extract as well.
Eggs: Eggs are the key to the cake structure. The egg whites are beaten to stiff peaks and folded into the batter which is what creates the soft, fluffy cake layer on top. Egg yolks are needed to create the middle custard layer.
Flour: This recipe uses regular all purpose flour.
Milk: I recommend using low fat milk. I found that the cake layer is thicker with low fat milk rather than whole milk.
Sugar: Regular granulated sugar is used to sweeten the cake.
What is Magic Cake?
Magic cake is a French dessert known as gâteau magique. The cake gets its name from the way the way the cake batter transforms into a three-layer dessert as it bakes. The top layer is a fluffy sponge cake. The middle layer is a creamy custard. The third layer is a firmer layer that is sometimes referred to as a firm custard, flan or a crust. The cake is usually refrigerated for a few hours before being enjoyed which firms up the layers more and allows the cake flavors to develop better.
The original recipe has more ingredients and does include butter. A few years ago I shared my simplified 4 Ingredient Magic Cake which doesn’t need butter or oil but has very similar results. I was actually able to create a much thicker sponge cake layer without the butter. This lemon version doesn’t get as much height on the cake layer because the acid in the lemon breaks down the egg whites, but it is still a delicious and impressive dessert.
How to Make Lemon Magic Cake
- The egg yolks, sugar, flour and 1/2 cup of milk are first beaten together until you have a smooth batter. The rest of the milk is then added in and mixed in on low speed.
- In a separate clean mixing bowl, beat egg whites at medium high speed until they reach stiff peaks.
- Fold the egg whites into the cake batter in three batches. The egg whites do not need to be fully mixed in and it’s okay to have lumps in the batter. Finally, the lemon zest is stirred in at the end. Your batter should look very light and liquidy.
- Pour the cake into your prepared baking pan and bake cake for about one hour or until done.
- Let the cake cool for about 30 minutes and then place into the fridge for a few hours or overnight before serving.
More Magic Cake Recipes
5 Ingredient Lemon Magic Cake
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs whites and yolks separated
- 3/4 cup (96 g) all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup (148 g) granulated white sugar
- 2 cups (16 fl oz/473 ml) low fat milk (1% or 2%) divided
- 5 tsp (10 g) lemon zest about 2 large lemons
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). It's important that your oven is preheated to the right temperature before your cake batter is done because the cake needs to go in the oven immediately after it is prepared. Line an 8 x 8 inch baking pan with parchment paper leaving some overhang for easy lifting later.
- In a larger mixing bowl, add egg yolks, flour, sugar and 1/2 cup (4 fl oz) of milk. It's important to add some of the milk before you start beating. If you try to beat without any milk, your flour will become a paste and you won't be able to mix out the lumps later. Also make sure to only add 1/2 cup right now. If you add all of the milk you will not be able to mix your batter because it will be too liquidy. Beat on high speed until batter is smooth and no flour lumps remain. Once batter is smooth, add in remaining milk (1 1/2 cups). Reduce speed to medium low on mixer and mix until the milk is incorporated into the batter. Your batter will be very thin.
- In a separate clean mixing bowl, add egg whites. Beat egg whites on medium high speed (I did mine at speed 8 out of 10) until stiff peaks form. Your mixing bowl and mixer must be completely clean before adding and beating the egg whites, otherwise the egg whites will not form stiff peaks.
- Gently stir and fold in 1/3 of the egg whites into the cake batter with a spatula. Because the cake batter is so thin, you do need to swirl and fold to make sure the egg whites are fully incorporated. Make sure to fold all the way from the bottom of the bowl, otherwise the liquid batter at the bottom won't get fully mixed with the egg whites. You do not need to fold until no egg white streaks remain. There should be lumps of egg whites. Just fold until the egg whites are incorporated into the batter. Repeat with the next 1/3 and then final 1/3. For the final 1/3, it's okay if you have larger lumps of egg white remaining. When you add the lemon zest, it will immediately start breaking down the egg white lumps and make them smaller so it is better if they are a little bigger. Your batter should look light, airy and be very liquidy.
- Finally, add in the lemon zest and gently stir it in. Make sure to add the lemon zest last because it will start to curdle your batter and break down the egg whites immediately. Your batter should look slightly curdled.
- Pour batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake for about 60-65 minutes, or until cake is done and is evenly browned on top. If you are unsure if your cake is done, it is better to bake a little longer (5 minutes or so) to make sure it is done so that your cake does not deflate. Turn off the oven but don't remove the cake yet. Let it sit in the oven for 5 minutes with the oven off. During this time, the cake will deflate a little. After 5 minutes, remove the cake from the oven and let it cool. The cake should be slightly wobbly. As the cake cools it will deflate even more.
- Once cooled, put the cake in the fridge for a few hours or overnight. Doing so will help the cake flavors develop, firm up the layers and also reduce any eggy smell that is normal with just baked souffle type desserts. Before serving cake, you can dust cake with powdered sugar. Cut cake with a large sharp knife. See notes for the difference of the cake texture if you eat it the same day versus the next day. Store any leftovers in the fridge.
Notes
- Make sure you don't beat your egg whites until after the rest of your cake batter is ready. You need to fold them in immediately otherwise they start to weep.
- Like many desserts made with folding in egg whites, the cake will be a little eggy when it is first done but after it is sits in the fridge the flavors will settle and develop better and it shouldn't taste eggy.
- This cake only uses lemon zest for the lemon flavoring because adding lemon juice will prevent the cake layers from forming properly. If you want a stronger lemon flavor you can add a few drops of lemon extract at the same point you add in the lemon zest. Make sure to only add the lemon zest at the very end because the batter will start to curdle.
- Make sure your oven is ready and preheated before you finish making your cake batter. You want the cake to go in the oven immediately after it is done, otherwise the batter will separate and break down too much if you let it sit out waiting for your oven to finish preheating.
- We found this cake works best with low fat milk. You can use whole milk but the cake layer will be thinner.
- The texture of the cake does change a little if you eat it a few hours after it is baked versus the next day. When it is first baked, you have a light sponge on top, a cream filling in the middle and a firmer flan layer at the bottom. If you let the cake settle overnight, the bottom two layers firm up more. The middle layer becomes a creamy custard. The bottom layer becomes something like a very moist pie crust. The cake can be served at room temperature or cold. Any uneaten leftovers should be stored in the fridge.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
Absolutely delicious, made perfect first time.
Thank you for such a detailed and well explained recipe.
We’re so glad you loved this recipe!
I must have missed it. Baking pan size?
Why do you suppose there are no reviews here?
This recipe uses an 8 x 8 inch baking pan! You posted your comment the same day this post was published. This is a very new recipe so that is likely why there aren’t many reviews.