Cakes Chocolate Desserts

Chocolate Magic Cake

May 15, 2013

This Magic Cake has been going around Pinterest lately and I was completely intrigued by how it magically forms three layers. I saved it for another day, until I came across a chocolate version. Whoa! Since Mother’s Day was coming up, and my mom loves her chocolate as much as I do, I decided to bake the Chocolate Magic Cake for her special day. There are a lot of steps involved, but looking at the photos from White on Rice Couple’s blog, I couldn’t wait to see if I could make magic happen in my kitchen, too.

Chocolate Magic Custard Cake by So, How's It Taste

So, how’s it taste?

Meh. Not nearly as delicious as their picture looks. You can see from my photos that my “magic” didn’t quite happen so perfectly. I didn’t get three distinct layers, I got four. The top layer is cake-like and mine is a lot thicker than I expected. That beautiful custard center that I was looking forward to ended up in two layers. Not sure what happened there. The top custard layer was good, but the bottom was lighter and quite frankly, weird. The bottom layer is sort of a crust, and didn’t really have much taste to it at all. Overall the cake was tasty. It wasn’t very sweet, but chocolatey enough.

Chocolate Magic Cake by So, How's It Taste

We ate several pieces so it wasn’t necessarily bad, but we didn’t ooh and ahh over it. I definitely won’t be making the non-chocolate version. When I leave my mom’s house, I usually take home leftovers and I left all of the cake with her if that tells you anything. My mom told me later she scraped off the cake tops and ate that and tossed the rest. I’m wondering if the “magic” didn’t happen because I used skim milk. The recipe doesn’t specify which type of milk to use, and that’s the only thing I can think of as to what happened. I’m just more of this kind of cake girl!

Have you made a magic cake? If you try this one, let me know how yours turns out!

Chocolate Magic Cake

by White on Rice Couple
makes one 8x8 cake, about 16 squares

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups milk
1 cup flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
4 eggs, separated
1/8 tsp. distilled white vinegar
1 3/4 cups confectioner's sugar + extra for dusting
2 tbsp. espresso or strong coffee, lukewarm
1 tsp. vanilla extract
fresh berries for garnish, optional

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325F. Spray an 8x8-inch baking dish with cooking spray or grease with butter.

2. Melt the butter and set aside to slightly cool. Warm the milk to lukewarm by microwaving 20-30 seconds; set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and cocoa powder.

4. Add the egg whites and vinegar to a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk until stiff peaks form. Place egg whites in another bowl and set aside.

5. Using the now empty mixer and the paddle attachment, beat the egg yolks and sugar until combined. Add the melted butter, espresso, and vanilla extract until incorporated.

6. Add the flour/cocoa mixture to the batter until incorporated. At this point, you don't want to use the mixer because adding the milk makes the batter very runny and it will spray everywhere. Hand mix in the the milk until everything is incorporated.

7. Gently fold in the egg whites, 1/3 at a time until all the egg whites are folded in.

8. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50-60 minutes. You're looking for the cake to be slightly jiggly because of the custard, but not as jiggly as when you put the pan into the oven. The cake will rise and crack while baking, but while go back down as it cools.

9. Cool cake completely before cutting and dust with confectioner's sugar. The sugar will absorb in quickly, so add a lot if you want it to show. Garnish with fresh berries, if desired.

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  • amy @ fearless homemaker May 15, 2013 at 8:49 am

    I must be living under a rock, because this is the first i’ve heard of these magic cakes. I have to say, even though you didn’t love it, it looks SO fantastic. I might have to give one of the versions a try myself – I’m so intrigued now!

    • Leah Short May 15, 2013 at 11:16 am

      Maybe you’re not a Pinterest junkie like me! lol I can’t wait to hear how yours turns out!

  • Nicki @theprojectkitchen.com May 15, 2013 at 10:30 am

    This story reminds me SO much of a blue cheese mousse dip I made once. Lots of whipping and folding and blending. And it tasted…exactly like blue cheese, except a lot more work.

    • Leah Short May 15, 2013 at 11:16 am

      Ha ha! Yeah, I was so disappointed after all that stiff peaking and what not. Oh well!

  • Lauren @ Climbing Grier Mountain May 15, 2013 at 11:10 am

    Ditto what Amy said above! Why haven’t I heard of these magical cakes? Totally need make some!

    • Leah Short May 15, 2013 at 1:08 pm

      Hopefully you’ll have more of a magic touch than me 😉

  • Julie @ Table for Two May 15, 2013 at 12:43 pm

    haha yours are even more magical because you got FOUR layers! just think about it that way 🙂 but yes, i’ve seen this all over pinterest and i’ve been intrigued as well, but nervous mine won’t have the magic all up in it. at least it was still tasty!!

    • Leah Short May 15, 2013 at 1:09 pm

      “magic all up in it” You crack me up! Thank goodness it was still edible and chocolatey!

  • Erin @ The Spiffy Cookie May 15, 2013 at 2:19 pm

    Interesting, I’ve heard of magic taco pies but not a cake before. Sad it didn’t work out for you 🙁

  • Lesley Eats May 15, 2013 at 3:50 pm

    That’s a shame that it was just “meh.” But I appreciate the honesty. I’ll be skipping this one. 🙂

  • Georgia @ The Comfort of Cooking May 15, 2013 at 4:38 pm

    Oh trust me, girl, we’ve all been there with “meh” recipes. Too bad these didn’t work out for you. At least they have their looks!

  • ashley - baker by nature May 15, 2013 at 9:41 pm

    I’m pretty sure anything called chocolate magic cake is a friend of mine!

  • Jackie l Food.Wine.Fashion May 16, 2013 at 9:51 am

    Good to know! It’s still so sad when these things don’t turn out as perfect as they look on pinterest 🙁

    xo Jackie

  • Traci July 16, 2013 at 10:40 pm

    I made the chocolate magic cake tonight. I’m Not sure where the magic went. Maybe it bake off in my oven or something?! I had two layers – top layer was a tasty chocolate sponge cake. The second was a grayish brown gelatin eggish thing that reminded me of a brain, so I got rid of it quickly. I won’t be trying the vanilla version anytime soon. Glad to know I’m not the only one with bad results.