For a fun and surprising upgrade to egg custard, Magic Custard Cake features three layers of different textures, all from one batter! Use real vanilla beans to really take the flavor up a notch. Cool and creamy, this is a delightful dessert to serve on a warm day!
Preheat the oven to 325 °F. Spray an 8- x 8-inch baking pan with baking spray and line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang to help lift the cake out of the pan.
Steep the milk: Pour the milk into a 2-quart saucepan. Using the tip of a sharp knife, split the vanilla bean and scrape the seeds into the milk, then add the vanilla bean. Warm the milk over medium heat until it just begins to simmer and steam. Remove the pan from the heat. Alternatively, you can warm the milk and vanilla bean seeds in the microwave on HIGH, about 45 to 60 seconds. Allow the milk to steep with the vanilla while you continue with the recipe.
Make the meringue: In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to whip the egg whites on high speed to stiff peaks. Set aside.
Prepare the cake batter: In a separate large mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar until the mixture is smooth, creamy, and pale yellow, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the melted butter and mix on low speed. Gradually mix in the flour in small batches until just combined.
Remove the spent vanilla pods from the steeped milk. On low speed, slowly add the vanilla-infused milk (or the milk and vanilla extract, if not using a vanilla bean). The batter will be thin at this point.
Gently fold in the meringue, a third at a time, until just incorporated. You want to keep the air in the batter, so it's ok if there are a few lumps of egg white. The batter will be quite thin, like a thick cream.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes or until top is lightly golden and firm to the touch. After 30 minutes, if the cake is still jiggling when the pan is gently tapped (not fully set) but the top is golden brown, lightly cover the pan with aluminum foil.
Let the cake cool completely in the pan before proceeding. For best results, refrigerate the cake until it's fully chilled before turning out the cake, otherwise, cake can break during the transferring process. Use the parchment paper as a sling to lift the cake out of the pan to a cooling rack.
Dust the cake with some powdered sugar and a light sprinkling of nutmeg, if desired, then cut into squares. I cut the cake into 9 squares for the pictures, but 16 2-inch squares is a good-sized serving as well.
The cake can be served cold for a more set texture, or brought to room temperature for a looser slice. Serve & enjoy!
Storage instructions: A Magic Custard Cake can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days, but freezing isn't recommended.
Recipe Notes
The egg whites need to be absolutely free of fat to whip into a meringue. To make sure there is no yolk, separate the eggs over a bowl and dump the whites into another bowl (an egg separator can help). Also, wiping the mixing bowl with white vinegar or lemon juice prior to adding the white helps to insure there is no fat in the bowl that can inhibit the meringue formation. This step is optional but highly recommended.Having the egg whites at room temperature allows them to come to stiff peaks quicker than if they're cold. Be mindful not to over-whip the egg whites or they might separate.You can use binder clips to clip the parchment paper to the sides of the baking pan so it doesn't droop into the batter while the cake is baking.