Berry Layer Magic Cake

  3.7 – 3 reviews  • Cake
This cake is truly magic. You make just one batter, but after baking you end up with three distinct layers of cake, fruit and custard.
Level: Easy
Total: 3 hr 20 min
Active: 1 hr 20 min
Yield: 9 servings

Ingredients

  1. 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  2. 3 large eggs, at room temperature, separated
  3. 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  4. 2/3 cup all-purpose flour (see Cook’s Note)
  5. 1/8 teaspoon fine salt
  6. 1 1/2 cups milk
  7. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  8. 1 cup strawberries, sliced 1/4 inch thick
  9. 1 cup raspberries, halved lengthwise
  10. 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
  11. Confectioners’ sugar, for serving
  12. Whipped cream, for serving

Instructions

  1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Line an 8-inch square metal baking pan with a 12-by-8-inch piece of parchment paper leaving an overhang on 2 sides.
  2. Melt the butter in a small microwave-safe bowl in the microwave, about 1 minute. Brush the parchment paper with some of the melted butter, then flip it over and press it back in the pan. Brush the other side of the paper and the sides of the pan with butter. 
  3. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar vigorously in a large bowl until pale, creamy and thick, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in the remaining melted butter and whisk until incorporated. Add the salt and all but 2 tablespoons of the flour, mixing until completely combined. 
  4. Heat the milk in a microwave safe bowl or measuring cup in the microwave until warm, about 1 minute. Slowly add the milk and vanilla to the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly until well combined (the batter will be thin). Toss the berries with the reserved 2 tablespoons flour and gently stir into the mixture. 
  5. Beat the egg whites and the cream of tartar in a clean bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed in until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Scrape the whites into the yolk mixture, gently breaking them up a little with a whisk. Using a whisk, gently stir and fold the mixture a few times to coat the whites with liquid while keeping as much volume as possible (the batter will not be homogeneous). Pour the batter into the prepared pan and gently smooth the top with a rubber spatula. 
  6. Bake until the top is browned and puffed and the cake is mostly set with a slight jiggle in the center, about 1 hour. Let the cake cool completely in the pan, about 2 hours. 
  7. To serve, dust the top of the cake with confectioners’ sugar. Run a small offset spatula or thin knife around the edges of the pan to loosen. Use the parchment paper overhang to lift the cake from the pan and place it on a cutting board. Cut the cake into 9 squares and serve topped with whipped cream.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 of 9 servings
Calories 237
Total Fat 11 g
Saturated Fat 7 g
Carbohydrates 30 g
Dietary Fiber 1 g
Sugar 21 g
Protein 5 g
Cholesterol 88 mg
Sodium 75 mg

Reviews

Krista Smith
made this last night and it is sooo! good worked out just like it said much to my surprise 🙂
Linda Warren
Excellent, split out into a sponge layer, custard layer and fruit. I used fresh blackberries. Next time I would add 1/2 the vanilla to the egg white mixture and perhaps a tablespoon of the sugar to give the sponge more taste. or lemon zest.
Timothy Martinez
Meh. This was good, but the egg white layer on top was pretty thin.  I guess it was another layer, which is great if that kind of thing is important to you. I used raspberries and blueberries.   I made a clafoutis with tart cherries recently, and it was very similar, very tasty, and less fussy to make.  I’ll stick with the clafoutis next time. 
Michelle Gordon
Does anyone know if you can use frozen berries
Sara Austin
Do you have to use a metal baking pan or can you use glass???
Shaun Walker
Could you use rhubarb instead of raspberries?
Nathan Mcfarland
Anyone try this with Gluten -free flour instead??
Cheyenne Johnston
Not too sweet, which is great. I split the vanilla extract in between the custard and the the white egg mixture. I used blueberries in replace of the raspberries. Tasted awesome.

 

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