Cooking Lesson #981: Magic Cake (Gâteau Magique)

…from the Perspectives’ Kitchen

How you doin’? Justin Willman is one of my favorite magicians.  He has a Netflix series that defies logic.  I had an opportunity earlier this year to see his show at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas and it was a blast. I was actually a participant in the show as he turned my $100 bill into a worthless phony single dollar bill.
 
If you love magic as much as I do, then this magical dessert is for you. It is actually a classic French dessert that separates into three delicious layers.
 
I found out a long time ago that there’s no separating baking from magic. Or maybe there’s no separating baking from science. I love to learn the hows and whys behind kitchen magic, but even with that knowledge, when a soupy batter turns into a cake with three distinct layers, it just feels like magic.
 
My Magic Cake transforms one gooey batter into a 3-in-1 layered dessert with a thick and fudgy bottom layer, a creamy custard center, and a fluffy layer of sponge cake on top. The magic all happens in the oven—no special ingredients or equipment required.  The recipe calls for only a short list of pantry staples, plus it’s easy to customize with different flavors.
 
Magic cake is nothing new. It originates from Southwestern France where it is known as gâteau magique. With a thin batter similar to that of crepes or clafoutis, its origins are not that surprising.
 
In fact, it struck me that if you dappled the batter with some cherries or fresh berries before baking, it’d be deliciously similar to a clafoutis, a staple of the Southwestern region of Limousin.
 
The low oven temperature delays when the cake’s magic structure takes place. As the batter slowly warms in the oven, the starch sinks to the bottom, and air bubbles from the egg whites rise to the top. This results in a dense layer on the bottom, a custardy center, and an airy cake on top.
 
Prep time:  20 minutes
Cook time:  50 minutes
Chill time:  90 minutes
Yield: One 8 x 8-inch cake / 9 servings
 
Ingredients 
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup unsalted butter, diced into tablespoon-sized pieces
4 large eggs, separated
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
Powdered sugar, for dusting
 
Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 325⁰ F.
2. Prepare an 8-inch square pan with butter or spray.
3. Line the pan with a layer of parchment paper covering the bottom and up 2 sides with a slight overhang.
4. Lightly grease the parchment paper.
5. In a small saucepan, heat the milk and butter on low heat until the butter melts. Don’t let the milk come to a boil or simmer. It should be warm but not scalding hot, 105⁰ to 115⁰ F. Set aside.
6. In a large bowl and using a hand mixer, beat the egg whites on medium-high speed until they form stiff peaks, about 4 to 5 minutes. When you lift the beaters out of the bowl, the whipped egg whites should stand up at a point and hold that point.
7. In another large bowl, beat the egg yolks, sugar, vanilla extract, salt and nutmeg on high speed until the mixture is pale and creamy, about 2 minutes.
8. Add the flour to the egg yolk mixture and beat on low speed until combined. It may seem like there is too much flour, but the batter will soon be thinned out.
9. Continue mixing on low speed, or switch to a whisk, and pour in the warm milk and butter one ounce at a time. Once you've incorporated about half of the milk mixture, you can pour in the rest and whisk to combine. The batter will be thin and smooth, like crepe batter.
10. Add the beaten egg whites, using the whisk to gently mix until there are no large lumps of egg whites. Don’t overmix—there should still be a layer of foam on top of the batter.
11. Carefully pour the batter into the prepared pan.
12. Bake until the top is golden brown, the cake has begun to pull away from the sides of the pan, and the center has a slight jiggle when the pan is gently shaken, about 50 minutes.
13. Remove the pan from the oven and set it on a wire rack until it’s cool enough to go in the refrigerator, about 30 minutes.
14. Let the cake chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour before serving. You can skip chilling step and serve the cake at room temperature, though it won’t slice as neatly.
15. Dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar, then slice it into squares.
16. If desired, serve with fresh fruit and, for extra indulgence, a dollop of whipped cream.
17. Store leftover magic cake, well-covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Magic cake does not freeze well. The freezing and thawing process will affect the texture of the custard layer.

ChefSecret:  Magic cake is slightly more forgiving than you might imagine, but here are some secrets for attaining perfectly defined layers.

• The order of operations is important for achieving the distinct layers in this cake. If any yolk gets into the egg whites, they won't whip properly. Whip the egg whites first so you don't have to wash the beaters in between steps. The egg whites are added to the batter at the end, so they don't deflate and prevent the sponge cake layer from forming.
• Add the milk and butter slowly to avoid lumps. Start by adding a splash at a time, mixing it in completely before adding the next splash. Once you get through about half of the milk mixture, you’ll know it's safe to add the rest all at once without the batter clumping.
• Don’t over-mix when adding the egg whites. There should still be a layer of foam floating on the top of the batter, which will bake into the spongy top layer of the cake.

The mix of textures already makes this cake interesting. But with a simple vanilla base, it’s easy to change the flavors. Here are some of my favorite flavor variations for magic cake:

• Chocolate: Whisk 1/3 cup of cocoa powder into the warm milk and butter until dissolved and no lumps remain. Reduce the flour to 1/2 cup. For a more complex chocolate flavor, add 1 teaspoon of instant espresso powder.
• Nutella: Mix 1/3 cup Nutella into the egg yolk mixture before adding the flour.
• Zest: Stir in the zest from 1 lemon or 1 orange.
• Coffee: Dissolve some instant espresso powder in the warm milk and butter mixture. Use 2 to 3 teaspoons, depending on how strong you’d like the coffee flavor.

You can skip the chilling step and serve the cake at room temperature, though it won’t slice as neatly.

Quip of the Day:  Magic is believing in yourself, if you can do that, you can make anything, including this dessert, happen.
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