Lemon Magic Custard Cake

• Grease and line an 8×8-inch (20x20cm) baking pan with parchment paper. Leave an overhang of parchment paper making it easy to lift out the cake after baking
• Separate the eggs. Yolks in one bowl and whites in another.

Egg whites

• Using a handheld mixer, beat the egg whites on medium speed for about 4 minutes. Be careful not to overbeat the egg whites past this stage. Or the result will be curdled egg whites.
• When the beaters are lifted from the bowl, the whites should now form stiff peaks. Set aside.
• Rinse out and dry the whisk or beaters before you use it on the egg yolk mixture in the next step.

Egg yolk mixture

• Add white granulated sugar to the bowl with the yolks.
• Beat until the mixture turns pale and creamy (about 3 minutes)
• Pour the melted butter and vanilla extract into the bowl and mix until combined.
• Add the flour: With a spatula use a folding motion to mix in the flour.
• Add freshly squeezed lemon juice and lemon zest and beat with a whisk or handheld beater until just incorporated.
• While beating, slowly pour in the lukewarm whole (full fat) milk. Mix until fully combined.

Preheat the oven

• Preheat the oven now to 325° F / 170°C (150°C if you are using a fan assisted oven)

Combine the egg yolk mixture with the beaten egg whites

• Use a spatula to transfer the beaten egg whites to the yolk mixture.
• Fold the beaten egg whites gently into the yolk mixture with a spatula.
• Don't worry if you see a few specks of egg white on the surface. It's fine. You don't want to overbeat it.
• Pour the mixture into your prepared pan: The mixture will look thin and quite runny as you pour it into the baking pan. This is also perfectly normal.
• Bake for approximately 40-45 minutes, or until the center is barely moving and the top feels firm when touched. But start checking the cake after 30 minutes as baking time may vary depending on your oven or pan.
• Do not over bake the cake as this will cause it to become rubbery and lose its custard layer.
• If the top is browning too quickly before it's baked, then shape foil into a dome and place it over the cake. It should not touch the batter.
• To test if baked: A skewer inserted in the middle of the cake should come out clean

Remove from the oven and cool

• Remove the cake from the oven, but leave it in the pan to cool for 20 minutes.

Then refrigerate for 1 hour

• Just leave the cake in the pan and pop it in the fridge for an hour. That way, the custard sets nicely, and you'll get those beautiful distinct layers. The cake will shrink down slightly as it cools, and this is normal

Slice and serve

• Remove the cake from the fridge. Sift powdered sugar over the top if you like Use the overhang of the parchment paper to lift the cooled cake out of the pan.
• Then slice into portions and enjoy.

How to store Lemon Magic Custard Cake

• Store the cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
• The slices can be enjoyed either cold straight out of the fridge or left to reach room temperature before serving. Eaten cold, the texture of the entire cake is firmer. At room temp, the texture of the cake is softer and the custard creamier.