Just look at these magical bars!
Do you remember my magic custard cakes? Well, I will let you in on a little secret. This chocolate version is even better. I know, it’s hard to believe but trust me! Somehow this batter magically creates three layers in the oven. Once cooled and chilled you will top them with a huge dusting of powdered sugar. Yes, it is necessary and yes, I mean huge! You will then bite into this dessert and wonder how you ever lived without it. It has been my basic food group for the past three days now! hee hee I am also now proud to now be a WHOoter! I created this recipe especially for their kitchen. Like them on Facebook HERE.
Get your 8×8 pan here!
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Chocolate Magic Custard Cakes
Ingredients
- 4 eggs whites separated from yolks, room temp
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ cup sugar
- 8 Tablespoons butter melted
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 2 cups milk lukewarm
- powdered sugar for dusting cake
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 F degrees.
- Line 8 inch x 8 inch baking dish with parchment.
- Separate eggs and add the egg whites to a mixer and beat egg whites stiff. Place egg whites in a bowl and set aside.
- Beat the egg yolks & sugar until light. Add butter and vanilla. Beat for two mins.
- Add the cocoa and flour and mix it in until fully incorporated.
- Slowly start adding the milk and beat until everything is well mixed together.
- Add the egg whites, a third at a time and gently fold them in using a spatula, repeat until all egg whites are folded in.
- It will be hard to fold them, but just keep trying until you no longer have large egg white clumps. Pour batter into baking dish and bake for approx 60 minutes or until the top is lightly golden.
- Cool to room temp and then chill.
- Dust heavily with powdered sugar.
- Enjoy this spectacular and magical treat!
Carolyn Hargreaves says
Love your site and you have great easy recipes
Hugs & Cookies xoxo says
Thank you!!!!!!
Chris kelly says
What size baking dish?
Hugs & Cookies xoxo says
8×8
CAROLE SABER says
8X8 BAKING DISH
carole saber says
8 X 8 PAN
Linda/Jazzymom says
This looks fabulous! A must try!
xoxoxoxoxo
Hugs & Cookies xoxo says
Yay!!! You’ll love it! xoxo
Esabel says
My batter ws very liquidy it lookeslike a bowl of hot chocolate…..is it supposed to be of a liquid consistency prior to adding the egg whites?
Hugs & Cookies xoxo says
Yes, sounds exactly right!!!!
Christina says
Very rich and chocolatey! Made this today with my 10 year old son, what better to do on a snow day? I do wonder if I baked it for less time would the bottom layer be a bit less rubbery in texture? Or maybe that’s exactly the goal?
Hugs & Cookies xoxo says
I *think* that’s the goal. hee hee
Liz Hartman says
It on for hour and top looks cool but still jiggly
Melanie says
Just made this! Pretty delicious! Now just wondering, should leftovers be fridged or just covered?
Hugs & Cookies xoxo says
I would refrigerate!
Palma Durflinger says
Just put this cake in the oven can’t wait to try it. When I folded in the egg whites there was still some lumps of egg white is this right? If not will just have to incorporate better next time. Thanks for your recipe.
Hugs & Cookies xoxo says
Yes, it does look lumpy-how was it?
Palma Durflinger says
It turned out just great. Now my husband wants the chocolate one. Thanks again.
Deb says
Where did I go wrong…my cake does not have a custard effect it’s more like a dense cake.
Hugs & Cookies xoxo says
I am not sure-was it still yummy?
Ann says
Please could we have the recipe in grams and could you tell me what all purpose flour is? Is it plain or self raising flour.
Michelle says
plain flour http://www.convertunits.com/from/grams/to/oz 🙂
Mary Beth says
Looks yummy
Stacy says
Does this double easily?
deb says
did you try doubling it?
FAYE REINHARD says
I love this. I had to bake it 10 minutes longer. I am going to fix the chocolate one this week
maureen says
can this be doubled I made one it went so quick. everyone wanted seconds so next time I want yo double it. why must We use parchment Paper can I not use bakers joy so it will not stick
Hugs & Cookies xoxo says
I am sure it can be doubled. Yay that it was a hit. I am sure spray would work too but I have only tried with parchment.
Gayle says
Danielle,
I am totally confused. You Chocolate Magic Custard Cakes look “mahvelous” and I want to make them for dessert one night next week when my son in law’s family are visiting. The only question I have is: In the end, you end up mixing all ingredients together and pour them all into an 8 x 8 pan. But, in your pictures of the cake, it looks like there are a few different layers to the cake: an almost cakey base and then the custard “layer”, etc. I know that in some of the pictures, there are two squares of the cakes on the spatula, one on top of the other. If all ingredients are mixed together, do you know why it looks like there are multiple layers to the cakes?? Don’t mean to be a pain in the kiester, but as soon as I read the recipe, I kept going back to the pictures, as I scratched my head!! Thanks so much!! 🙂
Hugs & Cookies xoxo says
You are right on Gayle and that is why these are called magic cakes. Those layers you see are somehow created as it bakes. Don’t ask me how but it truly happens! You have to try it out!
Gayle says
Thanks so much for the mighty quick reply!! Then “me eyes weren’t trickin’ me”!! I am definitely making it next week for company that is coming from Maine to our home in Maryland. I use to be a caterer until about 20 years ago when I got injured in a car accident, but my specialty was appetizers. I can’t make a pie crust for the life of me. There are FEW things in life that I am intimidated by, but you CAN put a homemade pie crust in that category!!!! Have a wonderful holiday and I will let you know HOW it came out and who enjoyed it most!! 🙂
Hugs & Cookies xoxo says
hhaah yes, let me know!!!
Carol Toftum says
Try researching NO FAIL Pie Crust. You won’t be sorry. Wrap it loosely in Saran wrap and refrigerate it, like the directions say. When rolling it out, place the “slab’ of pie crust dough between 2 pieces of Saran wrap 1st. Works beautifully.
April says
The egg whites float to the top, the flour and sugar sink to the bottom and the yolks and butter mix in the middle to make a wonderful custard.
That’s what I think anyway.
grace says
thanks for asking – I was wondering the same thing. Good to know…even more reason to try it
Rachel - helbergfarmstories says
Thank you for sharing
Nancy says
Any adjustment if you use 2% milk?
Hugs & Cookies xoxo says
I would only use whole milk here.
Kelly says
Just an FYI, only beat whites until soft peaks form, not stiff or you’ll have clumped runny batter. It makes a difference when combining the whites…much easier. It should be consistency of pancake batter when poured into the pan. Also, I lightly grease the pan, then line with parchment. Great recipe though 🙂
Carol Toftum says
the egg whites were hard to fold in to the soupy cake mixture; didn’t turn out like the picture.
Hugs & Cookies xoxo says
They are def hard to fold in and look curdled but then magically bake up right.
Jennifer says
I so wanted to like this but just didn’t! 🙁 tasted very bland to me. It looked perfectly and I followed the recipe perfectly. I’m a pretty good baker so don’t think I messed it up. I think it could have used more vanilla and more sugar. Very bummed! 🙁
Hugs & Cookies xoxo says
Sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy it, I really liked this one!! This was even sweeter than the vanilla version so don’t bother trying that one!!! LOL
maureen says
wow I thought this recipe was amazing and so did everyone else in fact they all wanted seconds and it was gone in two minutes
Hugs & Cookies xoxo says
THAT’S AWESOME!
Art says
I like very much your recipe, can i double the materials so that i have a bigger cake?
Thanks xx
Hugs & Cookies xoxo says
sure
rosalie says
can i freeze this cake?
Hugs & Cookies xoxo says
I haven’t tried. Hmmmm
K says
I split the batch and made half original and half chocolate and baked in mini-muffin papers. Turned out GREAT Baking time in convection 20-25 minutes at 325.
Kat says
Thanks for this I was curious how that would work. I work for a senior center and need to make about 40 portions. I thought if I could do it as cupcakes my life might be easier
Pat hood says
I made this today, and it is lovely, but my 8×8 tin wasn’t deep enough, so I ended u with just one layer of cake top and bottom.
Jane Gramza says
I made this today! I was so skeptical about what I was doing that I almost dumped it out. The consistency was almost that of chocolate milk! I had done everything right though and have even made sure I folded or stirred all the egg whites in until you could no longer see them. So I thought what the heck after all that I’m going to pop it in the oven and see what happens! To my surprise it turned out perfectly! Yummy!!! I can’t wait to try the original vanilla version. Thank you for this wonderful recipe! 🙂
Hugs & Cookies xoxo says
I am sooooo glad you stuck with it and din’t toss it!!! That’s the magic of it right? So cool! Thanks for sharing!!!
Jane Gramza says
I found this recipe by accident today while looking for something different to bake. This definitely caught my eye! I made it as directed but was skeptical about how the batter turned out. Almost like chocolate milk! It doesn’t tell you in the recipe what the consistency should be like. Anyway after getting all the egg whites Incorporated I decided to go for it. I’m so happy I did!! Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
Coni Szemis says
Oh darn….. another recipe I HAVE to bake….
Thank you!!
Hugs & Cookies xoxo says
hahahaaha!!!!!!
Coni Szemis says
OMGosh….. I put a couple of light dashes of cinnamon and a handful of double chocolate chips…… Ate it hot (couldn’t wait) this will be made often….. Now I have to try the Vanilla…..
Hugs & Cookies xoxo says
yay!!! so glad u loved it!
Patty Poston says
Can this recipe be used to make individual cakes in ramekins? Thanks!
Kimberly Lindsey-Amoah says
Have you made this with coconut milk or replaced the flour for coconut flour? anyone?
I am lactose intolerant and having gluten issues. going to try to tweek this but want to know if anyone else has tried it first.
THANKS!
robbie says
I’m surprised you don’t add salt to the recipe. I’ve never seen a cake recipe without salt. I usually use unsalted butter but I better not. …
Petra says
My confusion lies in the “folding” in of the egg whites. Every recipe I’ve ever made that used egg white to be folded in it was just that, folding in. This would be mixing in if you are supposed to “fold” until the clumps are gone. I folded mine in both the original recipe and the chocolate which I just baked and both had a lumpy top from the egg whites. I haven’t tried the chocolate one yet because it is still cooling and the original I over baked by a LOT yet it was still edible. Though I’m sure t would have tasted better and much less rubbery. My lumpy version look nothing like yours but if I make it again I will fully incorporate the egg whites.
Hugs & Cookies xoxo says
Mine was lumpy too but did its magic in the oven!!!
Brenda Kukla says
Can you substitute almond flour or coconut flour for the wheat flour?
Hugs & Cookies xoxo says
mmm, you could try. Not sure though!
Cheryel says
I was wondering if you could do these in muffin tins for individual servings. Probably would have to adjust timing
Hugs & Cookies xoxo says
sounds like a great idea-yes, I would check on them earlier!!
Amanda says
Well I made the chocolate one last night and followed the recipe but it didn’t come out with layers. It tastes very good, but nothing like your pictures. I’ll try again sometime.
Hugs & Cookies xoxo says
maybe it baked a few mins too long?
Amanda says
Ok thanks, I’ll keep that in mind: )
Mera Gleason says
I made this today. Followed to the letter. It came out like a brownie. No layers. Could altitude make a difference? Don’t know what else it could be. Pretty disappointed.
Hugs & Cookies xoxo says
I don’t know much about altitude changes but I know many say it does change recipes.
GRACE BAUMEISTER says
~~~I gave up on milk years ago. Keep whipping cream on hand for my morning coffee.
Could I substitute that heavy cream for the milk, or do I have to saunter out to the store
to find a quart of milk?
Hugs & Cookies xoxo says
I am not actually sure how the end result would turn out. If you try it, let us know!
Jayne Paterson says
Can I substitute the flour to gluten free flour or almond flour? Jayne
Claira says
I made this yesterday, and I followed the recipe exactly. It baked beautifully, but I didn’t get the three layers. It was just a very moist decadent cake. So I tried another one this morning, and once again followed the directions exactly. Same thing. I don’t understand what it is that I’m doing wrong.
Hugs & Cookies xoxo says
hmmm, maybe it baked too long?
Claira says
OK maybe I’ll try five or six minutes less next time. Thank you.
Mel says
My layers didn’t turn out ???? I followed the directions to a “T”. Not sure what I did wrong.
I had what would be the chocolate egg white layer then 1 thick kind of eggy, fudge, custard layer.
What did I do wrong?
Hugs & Cookies xoxo says
hmmmm, maybe baked too long???
Adriana says
Magic happens every time I bake this cake. Thank you!
Hugs & Cookies xoxo says
Awesome!!!
Eileen says
Hi can I use coconut flour or almond, want to be gluten free?
Hugs & Cookies xoxo says
not sure-if I were doing gf I would use Cup4Cup
Sara says
Is there any chance you could make a lemon magic cake version!???? That would be so amazing, I can’t wait to try the vanilla and chocolate versions 🙂 they look delicious. Thanx so much!!
Matt says
How about using a springform pan? Pecans?
Bev says
Sorry if this has already been asked, but would almond milk work okay in this recipe? Thank you!
Deb says
Can you use gluten free flour?
Alicia says
I’ve made this quite a few times, but this last time I used Hershey’s special dark cocoa powder, and OMG it put it on a whole nother level! It was so rich and decadent!
Hugs & Cookies xoxo says
Ooooh, I must try that! Thanks!
Kat says
I know some have said they doubled this, and one said she made cupcakes…. but I work for a senior center and need to make about 40 portions… I normally use a 12×18 pan for everything… how well do you think it would work in that and how long to bake it? Any ideas or helpful tips for me?
LuAnne says
How would this do with a choco. cookie crust? I’m a coco-holic & drooling over this recipe. Thank you so much.
Willa Bogie says
I have your recipe but haven’t tried them yet,sounds very good. I make one like yours but it’s with lemon juice(3 lemons and the grated rind) also very good and light.
Christina says
With lemon sounds delicious also!
Sara says
I was literally just asking about a lemon version of this magic cake, would you be willing to share yours?? 🙂
Hugs & Cookies xoxo says
Mmmmmm!