Nutella Magic Cake

I've been seeing a lot of Magic Cakes on the web since March...and honestly, I wasn't so interested. But when I found the Nutella Magic Cake at Kirbie's Cravings, I knew I have to try it! You see, we're big Nutella fans in this family.  We eat it with toasts, bagels, pancakes, waffles, crepes, crackers, ice cream, strawberries, bananas, and even apples. We bake with it, make desserts with it, use it as a dip...and sometimes, we would just eat it plain on a spoon. It's just so good and addicting, you know! And the thought of how yummy a Nutella Magic Cake could be, was enough to make me jump on the Magic Cake bandwagon!

So what is so magical about this cake, you may ask. Well, if you can see in the photo above, the cake has three layers...i.e., sponge cake on top, custard in the middle and fudge at the bottom. But would you believe that it was made from a single batter? Yes, you read it right! This cake was made from one batter that magically turned into 3 layers while baking...and that is why it is called Magic Cake. Of course, there's no magic involved here at all. It's actually Science that made it happen. Though I am no scientist to explain it fully, I think density has something to do with the layering that took place. Being less dense, the part with the meringue (beaten egg whites) went to the top of the cake, the part with the egg yolks and milk which is more dense went to the middle and the Nutella part which is the most dense settled at the bottom. Oh well, no matter what the scientific explanation behind this Magic Cake is, I must say that it turned out really amazing...and in the eyes of my daughters, there really was magic in it! :) 

I've read that some who have tried the original version think that it tastes like a chiffon cake lacking flavor...so I'm glad I made the Nutella version. At first, I was afraid that I will end up having only two layers as what happened to some. I was looking through the sides of the baking dish, and all I could see are two visible layers...but when I sliced it,  there were indeed 3 layers! It was so awesome and beautiful to look at! And the best part is --- IT WAS SO DELICIOUS! You really can't go wrong with Nutella!

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs (white and yolk separated)
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 2 cups milk, lukewarm
• 1 cup cake flour
• 1 ½ cups powdered sugar plus 2 Tbsp for dusting
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 cup Nutella

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly grease an 8" x 8" baking dish.

2. Whip the egg whites and cream of tartar on high speed until stiff peaks form. Set aside.

3. Beat the egg yolks and sugar in low speed until light in color. Beat in the vanilla extract, melted butter and Nutella until smooth. Add the flour into the batter and continue beating until free of lumps. Very slowly (so it won't splatter everywhere) add the milk and continue beating until everything is well incorporated. By the time you finish, your batter will be very liquidy.

4. Using a spatula, fold in the egg whites, 1/3 at a time, trying to mix in as much egg white as possible into the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for 55-60 minutes. When you move the cake, it should shake slightly from the custard layer. If it moves too much, then the custard is not yet set. If you aren't sure if the cake is completely finished, insert a knife or toothpick and pry a little slit into a small section of the cake until you can see the custard layer to check. Turn off the oven. Leave the cake in the oven for 10 minutes (with the oven door slightly opened) so that it can shrink slowly before you take it out.

5. Let cake cool completely (at least an hour) before cutting and serving. Sprinkle some powdered sugar after cake has cooled.

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