Magic Cake is an enchanting (and easy) dessert recipe! A simple batter transforms when cooked to make different layers! This eggnog cake version is perfect for the holidays.
Having a fun and unexpected holiday dessert recipe keeps your entertaining on top of its game!
There is no more enchanting recipe than Magic Cake!
Adding a classic eggnog flavor turns it into a perfect easy dessert recipe for the holidays.
The most fun part 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!
Jump to:
What IS Magic Cake?
Magic Cake starts with one batter and has three layers when it is done baking!
A thin crust, a custard layer and a lofty-cakey layer on top. And it happens without you doing anything!
It's cool to look at and it's cool to eat.
The magical part is how it goes from a watery 'I'm-sure-I-must-have-done-this-wrong' looking batter to the definitively layered end result.
Eggnog Magic Cake Ingredients
What's in this magical eggnog cake recipe? Nothing out of the ordinary!
All the ingredients are easy to find in grocery stores.
Prepared Eggnog. Store bought or homemade eggnog can be used. Eggnog, or Egg Nog (it’s the same thing) has a limited seasonal availability. In the United States it can usually be found in grocery stores from mid November through the first of the year.
There are many brands, dairy and non-dairy. This recipe is made with a dairy eggnog.
Unsalted Butter. Used for preparing the pan.
Confectioners' Sugar
Eggs
White Distilled Vinegar. Maybe a surprising ingredient for a sweet cake! The vinegar is used to stabilize the whipped egg whites so they keep they form. Adding the vinegar helps especially if baking at altitude. It does not negatively affect the flavor of the Magic Cake!
All Purpose Flour. This cake can be made with traditional All Purpose Flour or a gluten-free blend. I have used King Arthur’s Gluten-Free Blend. You can also use a measure-for-measure gluten-free flour blend.
Dark Rum. Three tablespoons of dark run are used in this eggnog cake recipe. It gives the flavor of traditional egg nog.
Whole nutmeg. To grate on top or ground nutmeg to sprinkle. Ground nutmeg can also be used.
Not an Eggnog Lover? Never fear!
The flavor is light and pleasing. Not overwhelming or strong.
You can also try these two recipes for other types of Magic Cake without eggnog:
Substitution
- If you do not want to add rum, substitute an additional 3 tablespoons of eggnog.
- If you like the flavor of rum but not the booze, add a splash of rum extract to the eggnog swap out above.
Chef Notes: What to Expect
Unlike any other recipe I’ve made, Magic Cake goes through some visual and textural changes that are worth noting.
My stomach always clenches when I haven’t made it for awhile because it’s very hard to believe the batter that goes into the oven could come out looking like a cake!
Please refer to the video at the bottom of the recipe card below to SEE what to expect!
We’ve added some Chef Notes in the recipe below regarding what you’ll experience!
How to Make Magic Cake – Step-by-Step
This recipe is not so different than regular cake recipes. Here are the main steps (refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for specifics):
STEP 1. Preparation
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease an 8-inch by 8-inch square pan.
STEP 2. Make the batter
Warm the eggnog. It should be lukewarm (not cold, not hot) for the Magic Cake recipe.
Combine the egg whites and vinegar. Whip into stiff peaks.
In a small bowl mix together the egg yolks and sugar. Beat in the melted butter.
Gradually add the flour, beating while adding to combine with the batter.
Add the rum and vanilla to the eggnog. Drizzle into the batter while running the mixer to fully incorporate all the ingredients.
Chef’s Note: By the end of this step the batter will look REALLY watery and you’ll think you did something wrong. You haven’t! Every time I make Magic Cake I start to panic just a little bit around this step, thinking I over measured or forgot an ingredient.
Fold in the egg whites by hand and pour into the prepared pan.
Chef’s Note: When you have folded in the egg whites, it looks dreadful. Like a swampy mess of little bumps of egg white. Take a deep breath, know this is ‘normal’ for this recipe and keep going!
STEP 3. Bake
Bake 50-55 minutes and cool completely before serving.
Chef’s Note: Remarkably the cake comes out of the oven looking golden-brown and nothing like what you put into the oven.
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 achieve 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.
More Holiday Recipes to Try
- The Best Eggnog Recipe: A Boozy Party Punch
- Sparkling Vodka Cranberry Punch
- Wassail: a Classic Holiday Drink
- Roasted Chestnuts
Recipe
Eggnog Magic Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups prepared Eggnog lukewarm
- 4 Eggs room temperature and separated
- 1/8 teaspoon White Distilled Vinegar
- 1/2 cup (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)
- 1 cup All Purpose Flour regular or or gluten-free measure-for-measure flour blend (I used King Arthur's Gluten-Free flour blend)
- 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 8×8 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)2 cups prepared Eggnog
- Combine the room temperature egg whites (4) 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).1/8 teaspoon White Distilled Vinegar
- In a second bowl, mix together the egg yolks (4) and sugar until fully combined and sunny yellow! Add melted butter; mix on low speed until the mixture is fully combined.1 ½ cups Confectioners' Sugar, 1/2 cup (1 stick) Unsalted butter
- Add the flour very gradually to the batter while mixing, to allow the flour to integrate with the rest of the batter.1 cup All Purpose Flour
- 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!3 tablespoons Dark Rum, 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 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. NOTE: 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.Whole nutmeg to grate on top or ground nutmeg to sprinkle
- Cut, sprinkle with confectioner's sugar and freshly grated nutmeg; serve!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published: December 17, 2015
Magic Cake plus eggnog makes an enchanting eggnog cake perfect for holiday celebrating!
CiaoFlorentina says
Wow, I love these and the presentation is gorgeous ! Those cups awwww!
Julie says
This looks so good! I love how it bakes up!
Serena | Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch says
I love magic cake and eggnog so I know this ones meant for me! Looks amazing!
Aggie @ Aggie's Kitchen says
This looks incredible! What a gorgeous dessert.
Tracey says
This cake looks delicious!! I can’t wait to make this for my Christmas party this week!
michelle says
This looks like the perfect cake I’ve been searching for to make for Christmas Eve, but after reading the recipe, I seemed to have missed the cake pan size called for….Thanks for your creative and festive GF treats!
Toni Dash says
Hi Michelle! It’s in the first instruction step of the recipe; an 8 x 8-inch pan. Hope that helps!
TravelsOnTheRun says
I lived in the Boulder area all my life until moving to CA 6 years ago. Baking was a passion there, but has been frustrating here because everything bakes differently, takes longer, and is slightly unpredictable. I would really like to make this cake next week (and kudos to you, BTW for having Sweet Paul repost!) but I’m afraid that the swampy mess that goes in will be a swampy mess coming out. Any tips for coastal baking?
Toni Dash says
I have to laugh, as an ex-Californian, as I bemoan baking at altitude after loving baking at sea level so much! I’ve checked other Magic Cake recipe that I know were baked at sea level and the only difference I’ve found is a cooking time of 45-60 minute, vs. 50-55 in mine (the others were not with eggnog but the proportion of dry to liquid ingredients is the same). When the cake is done it will be browned on the top and may appear a bit jiggly still. You’ve got this! This cake is strange and magical, so don’t worry!
If you are concerned about baking in general (the length of time things take to be done) one thing I suggest to people is to be sure about the accuracy of their oven temperature. You can get a $5 oven thermometer and check it from time to time. The temperature accuracy can change over the lifetime of an oven and in turn can affect your baking times.
TravelsOnTheRun says
Thanks, Toni. I’ll let you know how it turns out. 🙂
TravelsOnTheRun says
I made it late last night, allowed it to cool for almost an hour on the rack, and then the fridge overnight. Cut a tiny piece this morning and was astonished by how firm it had become. Mine is not as cakey on top as the photos of yours, but it is delicious! I would imagine that if it were allowed to sit at room temp for a while it might soften up a bit. This was a dry run before making it for a party this week. Love that it was relatively easy and quick to put together, gluten-free, and creates such interesting textures. Thanks for sharing, and for the guidance. 🙂
Toni Dash says
Glad to get your report! The one in the photos was left out to cool fully at room temperature, overnight I believe. I don’t believe there is much difference when cooling it the way you did but you might want to try letting it cool fully at room temperature when you make it next time as a comparison. Isn’t it fascinating the way it turns out?! I love the firm custard layer myself.
Tricia @ Saving room for dessert says
I’ve never made magic cake but love this one! It is so pretty – Merry Christmas Toni – sharing!
Martine says
Hi
How much is a stick of butter ? In Australia a stick of butter is 250 grams ?
What would be the right for this recipe ?
Thanks
M
Toni Dash says
Ours are 4 ounces or 113 grams! Hope that helps.
Colleen Cayes says
I wish someone would make this for me. And I wonder how the person who “discovered” it ever persevered past the stomach-clenching point. I have some good baker friends in Sun Valley, Idaho, and I might suggest we give this recipe a try (we’re celebrating a birthday during the Christmas holidays) with confidence that even at altitude, we’ll be successful. Thank you for such an intriguing recipe.