Strawberry Magic Cake Is Light, Creamy, and Impressive

Instructions

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1. 1 Spray an 8-inch square pan with cooking spray. Line the pan with a layer of parchment paper covering the bottom and up 2 sides with a slight overhang. Spray the parchment paper.
2. 2 Add the milk and butter to a small saucepan. Place the pan on low heat just until the butter melts. Don’t let the milk come to a boil or simmer. It should be warm, but not scalding hot, 105 to 115°F. Set aside.
3. 3 In a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat the egg whites on medium-high speed until they form stiff peaks, about 4 minutes. To test for stiff peaks, lift the beaters out of the bowl. The whipped egg whites should stand up at a point and hold that point.
4. 4 In another large bowl, add the egg yolks, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat on high speed (you don’t need to clean the beaters after whipping the egg whites) until the mixture is pale and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the flour to the egg yolk mixture and beat on low speed until combined. The batter may seem too thick at this point, but the milk will thin it out.
5. 5 With the mixer running on low speed—or switching to a whisk—pour in the warm milk and butter, a splash at a time. Once half of the milk mixture has been incorporated, pour in the rest, and whisk to combine. The batter will be thin and smooth, like crêpe batter. Add the beaten egg whites and whisk gently until no large lumps remain. Avoid overmixing. There should still be a thick layer of smooth foam on top of the batter.
6. 6 Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Gently lay the sliced strawberries over the top of the cake. They should float on top of the foam, but it’s okay if some of them sink below. 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 cake is gently shaken, about 50 minutes.
7. 7 Remove the pan from the oven and set it on a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes. Place the pan in the fridge and chill for at least 1 hour before serving. If preferred, you can skip chilling and serve the cake at room temperature, but it won’t slice as cleanly.
8. 8 In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and freeze-dried strawberry powder. Use a small sieve to dust the top of the cake with the powdered sugar mixture (you may have some of this mixture left over), then cut into squares. Strawberry magic cake is best the day it is made, as the strawberries release more juice over time. Refrigerate leftovers, covered tightly, for up to 2 days. This cake does not freeze well; freezing and thawing will affect the texture of the custard layer. Love the recipe? Leave us stars and a comment below!