With the magic of the holiday season in the air, I thought I'd finally share this magical recipe with you. This cake is perfect for the winter season, especially if you want to avoid the chilly outdoors and just stay in. I bet you probably have all the ingredients for this recipe sitting in your cupboards and fridge right now. And if you don't, I'm sure your good neighbors will lend you some of theirs. Just be sure to give them a slice or two of this cake when it's done.....if you're willing to part with them, that is.
If you're a fan of custard, you're gonna love this cake. But, I bet you're wondering what makes it a "magic" cake, right? Well, all the ingredients are combined to eventually make just one batter. That one batter goes into the oven, then.......Voila! A three layer cake comes out. Like magic! There's a thin, almost pie-like crust on the bottom, a creamy, velvety custard in the middle, and a fluffy sponge cake to top it off. There's no magic wand you need to wave or spell you need to cast. It just does it. Yes, that's right. All on it's own.
I must share with you how forgiving this recipe is. I made two mistakes when making this cake and it still turned out amazingly delicious! My first mistake was forgetting to add the vinegar. The vinegar will help to give the top layer more volume, so it's not entirely necessary. But, you'll get a thicker, fluffier cake top, which will spark a lot more "ooh's" and "ahh's" around the holiday table. My cake top could use a little more air....it looks a little flat. I'll definitely be adding the vinegar next time.
My second mistake was using more butter than the recipe called for. One whole stick more. Yes, you read that right. One. Whole. Stick. I had read the measurement on the butter wrapper entirely wrong. I thought it said "1 stick = 1/4 cup." So, since the recipe calls for 1/2 cup of butter, I pulled out two sticks from my fridge and didn't bother to check it again a second time. I didn't realize my mistake until the next day, after MAC and I devoured three-fourths of the cake by ourselves. Regardless, we still finished the rest of it and loved every single bite. And to tell you the truth, I haven't told MAC about my butter mistake yet. He'll learn of it as he reads this post. It's a good thing his pants still fit, otherwise I'd feel a little guilty. So, I suggest you stick with the original recipe and just use one stick of butter, especially now, during the holidays. I'm guessing it'll still be magically delicious. After that, use all the butter you want. :)
from White on Rice Couple
Makes one 8"x8" cake
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 cups (480ml) milk
4 eggs, separated
1 1/4 cups (150g) powdered sugar
1 tablespoon (15ml) water
1/8 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
1 cup (115g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract
extra powdered sugar for dusting
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly butter or grease a 8"x8" baking dish.
2. Melt the butter and set aside to slightly cool. Warm the milk to lukewarm and set aside.
3. Using an electric mixer, whip the egg whites with vinegar to stiff peaks.
4. Beat the egg yolks and sugar until light. Mix in the melted butter and the tablespoon of water for about 2 minutes or until evenly incorporated.
5. Mix in the flour until evenly incorporated. Slowly beat in the milk and vanilla extract until everything is well mixed.
6. Fold in the egg whites gently, with a whisk, 1/3 at a time. Repeat until all of the egg whites are folded in. To fold, set the whisk in the the center and scoop it up the side of the bowl while turning your wrist over. The whites will look a little curd-like after folding them in. Just fold until there are no big chunks left.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45-60 minutes or until the top is golden. Since the middle is a custard, the cake will have a little jiggle when fully baked. Allow cake to completely cool before cutting and then dust with confectioner's sugar.
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