It was about 3 years ago that Magic Cake popped up on my cyber radar. The name caught my attention (who doesn’t love anything ‘magic’?!) but then I began to see variations of it everywhere, most likely on Pinterest where recipes tend to spread their wings.
Loving the roots of anything new, I did some digging to find the originating recipes and history which I shared with my first attempt at making Blood Orange Magic Cake and Candied Almonds. I’m fascinated by the chemistry that is baking anyway but this cake really, well, ‘takes the cake’.
What is Eggnog Magic Cake?
Magic Cake presents three layers when it is done; a thin crust, a custard layer and a lofty-cakey layer on top. It’s cool to look at and it’s cool to eat. But the coolest thing is how it goes from a watery ‘I’m-sure-I-must-have-done-this-wrong’ looking batter to the definitively layered end result.
We are a bit eggnog obsessed in December. Multiple cartons are usually open in our fridge all month long. If I have time on a weekend, I’ll whip some up. For adults I’ll make my Great Grandmother’s version which after tasting it I fondly renamed ‘Designated Driver Required Eggnog’. When I got the itch to make Magic Cake again I decided to make it Eggnog flavored (and yes with a little rum too; which can be omitted if desired).
I was reminded about what a strange recipe it is when mixing it up. The batter seems fairly traditional until the liquid overwhelms the dry ingredients; my stomach always clenches about then when I haven’t made it for awhile. Then when the lofty beaten egg whites are folded in it looks dreadful; a swampy mess with little bumps of egg white. This is where the leap of faith comes in. Fifty minutes later and out of the oven looks come a golden-brown cake, not anything like what was inserted into the oven originally.
The most fun part of course is after the cake has fully cooled, cutting into it to see the magical layers that formed. It’s a bit of science in dessert form and one you’ll love eating! For those non-nog folks, the flavor is light not overwhelming so I think you’ll love it too!
Can I Double the Recipe In a Larger Pan?
I have only made Magic Cake in an 8-inch by 8-inch pan. Baking is chemistry and this cake in particular has a very unique balance to the ingredients to acheive the outcome.
I have researched and not found any other Magic Cake recipes using a larger pan.
My recommendation if you feel you will need more than on 8-inch by 8-inch pan will serve would be to make multiple cakes rather than doubling it in a larger pan.
Eggnog Magic Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups prepared Eggnog , lukewarm
- 1 stick unsalted butter , melted and cooled (cannot be hot) (plus some unmelted butter for preparing the pan)
- 1 ½ cups Confectioners’ Sugar (plus some for dusting the top of the finished cake)
- 4 Eggs , room temperature and separated
- 1/8 teaspoon White Distilled Vinegar
- 1 cup gluten-free flour (I used King Arthur’s Gluten-Free flour blend); if making a gluten version, all purpose flour may be substituted
- 3 tablespoons Dark Rum (can be substituted for more eggnog if preferable)
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- Whole nutmeg to grate on top or ground nutmeg to sprinkle
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter an 8x8 inch baking pan and set aside.
- To warm the eggnog: place eggnog in microwave container and warm in 15 second increments until lukewarm (about 1 to 1 ¼ minutes)
- Combine the room temperature egg whites and distilled white vinegar and whip eggs with a mixer on the highest speed until forming stiff peaks. Set aside (note: the vinegar helps stabilize the peaks which is a key to success especially at high altitude).
- In a second bowl, mix together the egg yolks and sugar until fully combined and sunny yellow! Add melted butter; mix on low speed until the mixture is fully combined.
- Add the flour very gradually to the batter while mixing, to allow the flour to integrate with the rest of the batter.
- Add the rum and vanilla to the warmed eggnog. While keeping the mixer running on low speed, trickle the eggnog mixture into the batter allowing it to incorporate with the batter. By trickling the eggnog, it has time to mix in easily. Note: by the end the batter will be very watery and should be so don't worry!
- By hand, fold in egg whites one fourth at a time, stirring to combine with the liquid batter. There will be small lumps of egg white in the end and the batter will still be fairly liquid. Pour into the prepared pan and place in the preheated oven for 50-55 minutes. The cake will have a browned top but may seem to have some movement when removing it from the oven which is normal.
- Allow to cool on a cooling rack for until completely cool (about 3 hours) OR allow to cool on the rack for 30 minutes, then cover with foil (shiny side out) and place in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Cut, sprinkle with confectioner's sugar and freshly grated nutmeg; serve!
Recipe Notes
The majority of the Total Time is 3 hours for cooling at room temperatures. This can be sped up by placing the cake in the refrigerator as noted in the recipe instructions.
Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert says
December 4, 2018 at 3:06 amThese would disappear in our house!
Sabrina says
December 2, 2018 at 1:26 amThis was so interesting I just had to try it and it came out AMAZING! Thank you so much for sharing!
Anna says
December 1, 2018 at 8:23 pmIt’s impossible to have just one piece of this cake! It’s absolutely amazing!
Kimberly says
December 1, 2018 at 7:23 pmMagic cakes are so fun and eggnog is such a delicious idea!
Jamielyn Nye says
December 1, 2018 at 4:07 pmThis eggnog cake is what dreams are made of!
Margaret Mueller says
November 30, 2018 at 1:20 pmCan you double this and bake in a 9×13 pan? Thank you. It looks delicious!
Toni Dash says
November 30, 2018 at 1:31 pmAnother reader just asked this. I don’t think so. I did some research and this recipe more than others is dependent on a very specific chemistry. I would recommend making two if you need more than one cake pan will serve.
If you do decide to experiement, I’d love to hear about the outcome!
Becky says
November 25, 2018 at 8:32 pmDo you know if this recipe can be doubled and made in a 9×13? An 8×8 would not be enough for my family of 10!
Toni Dash says
November 25, 2018 at 10:24 pmBecky this cake more than most has a very precise chemistry. I did a bit of research after reading your question and every magic cake recipe I found is made in an 8 by 8 inch pan. My suggestion would be to make 2 cakes to cover your needs.
Simone says
September 23, 2016 at 3:17 amI pretty late to the party, but better late than never!! I have a question about the eggnog. I too, only drink homemade eggnog. Will it work the same as store bought? I realize baking is chemistry and the lack of stabilizers could impact the cake in the end.
Thanks!!
PS: I’m so excited you use gf flour!!
Toni Dash says
September 23, 2016 at 9:24 amHi Simone. I personally have only used eggnog I’ve purchased but have used different types some very similar to homemade. If you are up for an experiment I’d say give it a go and make a batch with your homemade eggnog to see how it turns out. Please let us know if you do about your findings!
Bob says
September 15, 2016 at 9:41 amThis looks so good, sorry to ask a stupid question but when you say stick of butter what do you mean? How many grams of butter is it I’m confused 🙂
Toni Dash says
September 15, 2016 at 10:07 amIn the U.S. butter is sold by the stick, and can be referred to by it’s volume in cups or weight in pounds. The conversion into grams would be 113 grams for a stick of butter.
Charlie says
June 3, 2016 at 11:36 amI love anything eggnog except store bought eggnog.
Thank you for the recipe.
I used to make a magic pecan pie, but lost the recipe.
Toni Dash says
June 3, 2016 at 11:57 amIt is a world of difference between store bought and homemade eggnog isn’t it? I hope you’ll love the cake.
Sharon @ What The Fork Food Blog says
December 30, 2015 at 12:07 pmThis cake does indeed look magical! Quick question, does the King Arthur’s gf flour contain xanthan gum?
Toni Dash says
December 30, 2015 at 12:16 pmNo it does not include Xanthan Gum.
valerie says
December 24, 2015 at 9:28 ammade this today. just out of the oven and smells heavenly! thank you!
CiaoFlorentina says
December 23, 2015 at 11:07 pmWow, I love these and the presentation is gorgeous ! Those cups awwww!
Julie says
December 23, 2015 at 9:16 pmThis looks so good! I love how it bakes up!
Serena | Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch says
December 23, 2015 at 5:01 pmI love magic cake and eggnog so I know this ones meant for me! Looks amazing!
Aggie @ Aggie's Kitchen says
December 23, 2015 at 1:17 pmThis looks incredible! What a gorgeous dessert.
Tracey says
December 21, 2015 at 7:11 amThis cake looks delicious!! I can’t wait to make this for my Christmas party this week!