Lemon Custard Magic Cake With 3 Dreamy Layers
A Lemon Custard Cake is a soft, layered dessert made from a single, magical batter. It separates during baking into three textures: a light sponge top, a custard-like middle, and a dense base. It’s a twist on the classic Vanilla Magic Custard Cake, but with a punchy lemon twist. Think creamy, airy, and zesty in every bite.
- Prep time
- 20 min
- Cook time
- 50 min
- Yield
- 9 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 4 large eggs, separated (room temperature)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
- 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
- 2 cups whole milk, lukewarm
- Powdered sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Line an 8x8 inch baking pan with parchment paper or spray it with non-stick spray. Keep mixing bowls ready.
- 2
In a clean stand mixer or bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Set aside. This provides your cake with a light sponge finish top.
- 3
In another bowl, the egg yolks and sugar are whisked until pale and creamy. The melted butter and vanilla extract are added and combined until smooth.
- 4
Sift in the flour and gently whisk. Introduce the lemon juice and zest
- 5
stir to combine—a bit lumpy is OK.
- 6
A little bit of milk is introduced at a time while gently stirring. The batter is going to be very thin—that's exactly what makes for the layers.
- 7
Gently fold in the egg whites in three batches with a spatula. It will not be completely smooth-soft clumps are fine.
- 8
Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Put in an oven for 50-55 minutes until the top set, golden in color. The center still jiggles slightly. Let it cool completely before slicing.
- 9
Once the cake is cool, snow-dust it with powdered sugar, cut into perfect squares, and serve.