Gingerbread Magic Cake Bars Recipe - Foodness Gracious (2024)

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Gingerbread Magic Cake Bars Recipe - Foodness Gracious (2)

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Dessert

Layers of creamy custard cake on top and soft custard on the bottom. All the flavors of a real gingerbread loaf cake, but made like a magic cake.

To recipe

Gingerbread Magic Cake Bars Recipe - Foodness Gracious (3)

Gingerbread Magic Cake Bars Recipe - Foodness Gracious (4)

Recipe insights & TIPS

This will be my fourth version of the magic cake. Ever since I saw itI made a vow to turn anything (well, almost anything) I could into some kind of magic cake. Since we're almost into gingerbread season, I thought that this would be a great addition to the list.

Gingerbread Magic Cake Bars Recipe - Foodness Gracious (5)

Gingerbread has always been a favorite for me. My mom would bake three or four loaves at a time, and there was always one in the cake tin when I opened it. I'd cut a thick slice and slather it with butter. Back home we use treacle in the recipe, which is the same as molasses here in the U.S., and it tastes very rich and dark like a 90% chocolate bar. I also remember eating it by the spoon straight from the container when I was little - no wonder I love molasses!

I'll be baking more of the traditional gingerbread soon, but for now I wanted to try the flavors in this magic cake.It's hard to describe this cake, but if you've never heard of it here's the skinny: Eggs yolks beaten with sugar are mixed with whipped egg whites to create a runny, curd-like batter. As it bakes in the oven the layers separate, and you end up with a cakey top layer and a custard-flan kind of base. I suppose it would belong to the brownie family if you had to categorize it.

Gingerbread Magic Cake Bars Recipe - Foodness Gracious (6)

Magic cake should be stored in the refrigerator, but it's best eaten at room temperature to let those bottom layers get back to being soft and gooey.

Gingerbread Magic Cake Bars Recipe - Foodness Gracious (7)

Adapted from White On Rice Couple, http://whiteonricecouple.com/recipes/magic-custard-cake/

Gingerbread Magic Cake Bars Recipe - Foodness Gracious (8)

Gingerbread Magic Cake Bars Recipe - Foodness Gracious (9)

Recipe

Gingerbread magic cake is really magic

Course:

Dessert

COOKing TIME:

55 minutes

Total TIME:

75 minutes

CUISINE:

American

PREP TIME:

20 minutes

SERVINGS:

12

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter (melted)
  • 2 cups milk (slightly warmed)
  • 4 tbsp molasses
  • 3/4 cup dark brown sugar (packed)
  • 4 eggs separated
  • 1 tbsp water
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 3 tsp ground ginger
  • 2 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Ingredient Swaps

Instructions

  1. Grease an 8 x 8 brownie pan and set aside. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
  2. Melt the butter. Add the molasses to the warm milk and stir until it dissolves.
  3. In a stand mixer, beat the egg yolks and brown sugar until light and fluffy. While this is mixing, whip the egg whites until stiff peaks.
  4. Add the melted butter and tablespoon of water to the beaten egg and sugar. Mix on low speed until well combined.
  5. Mix in the flour and the spices until well combined. On low speed add the milk and vanilla.
  6. Fold in the egg whites 1/2 at a time making sure there are no large lumps.
  7. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and place in the oven.
  8. Bake for about 50-55 minutes or until the cake is a dark brown on top and the center is not jiggly.

Equipment

Equipment you'll need for this recipe.

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Gingerbread Magic Cake Bars Recipe - Foodness Gracious (2024)

FAQs

Why does magic cake work? ›

The thin, wet consistency of the batter is baked at a much lower temperature than a usual sponge cake. This allows it set very slowly, giving the ingredients time to separate into three layers based on their density.

When checking your pineapple upside down cake it seems to look like a soggy cake what might be the reason for this? ›

My #1 Tip for the Topping: Blot the wet pineapples and maraschino cherries before using. The more liquid in the fruit, the more liquid that won't “set.” Excess liquid creates an unpleasantly wet cake.

Why do my cakes never work? ›

What happened? Most common reason is when the oven door is opened too soon and the cake hasn't set up and baked properly. The mixture could be too soft due to not enough ingredients or if there is too much liquid added. Using too much raising agents can make the cake rise too much too quickly and it implodes on itself.

Should you refrigerate pineapple upside-down cake after baking? ›

Absolutely! You have to refrigerate it, especially after you bake it.

Why does my cake taste wet? ›

The ratio of wet to dry ingredients determines a cake's moisture level. If there's simply too much flour and not enough butter, a cake will taste dry. On the other hand, if there's too much milk and not enough flour, a cake will taste too wet. Finding the right balance between wet and dry ingredients is key.

Why is my cake dense or gummy? ›

Why does my cake have a gummy streak in the center? Developing too much of the flour's gluten can make the cake rise beautifully in the oven, but sink as soon as you pull it out. The sinking part is what makes the dense and gluey streaks. This can be result of over-creaming the eggs, butter and sugar.

How does magic baking powder work? ›

Single-acting baking powder

This type of baking powder contains sodium bicarbonate and a single acidic compound, almost always monocalcium phosphate. That's the formula for Canada's popular Magic brand baking powder. Single-acting baking powders give off carbon dioxide as soon as they are mixed with a liquid.

What is the point of a cake leveler? ›

A cake leveler is a tool that is used to slice off just the dome of a cake, giving you a nice, flat surface to begin stacking and decorating.

Why do fairy cakes not rise? ›

This could be down to a lack of raising agent - or even old self-raising flour where the raising agent has become less effective.

References

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