Tuesday 14 March 2017

Magic or Physics?


When I was in upper secondary school, I was in a perpetual coma during physics. I just didn't get it. Inertia, momentum, potential energy and all those complicated formulas were lost upon me. I hated physics.

I was enrolled at La Salle, Petaling Jaya, for a very short time after Form 5. During physics practical, I would sit as far back in the lab as my spectacles would allow me (I am shortsighted and cannot read the blackboard if I sat too far back).

One day, we learnt about light refraction. You know, how the light path is deflected when it passes through a prism at whatever angle. As usual, I was in la la land.

Our teacher (Mr Chua, I think) was writing a very long formula on the board, when a hand suddenly shot up at the front. "Sir! I think you made a mistake", piped the class genius (Kevin, wherever you are, God bless you).

What the.... Mr Chua stood back and studied his formula before conceding his error. At that point I knew I had to get the hell out of there. Which I did when I was accepted into a local university matriculation program.


It was this Magic Custard Cake got me thinking about physics. I believe there is some physics involved and it has to do with the viscosity and buoyancy of the batter which then separates into layers with different density. I finally understand physics 😜

Thanks to Aunty Young and her Coffee Magic Custard Cake, I was very motivated to bake one as well.

I used this Hazelnut White Coffee mix plus a teaspoon of instant coffee to make mine.

 

This Magic Custard Cake was a sensation at one time and I attempted it once before


I quickly snapped a pic of the cake when it came out of the oven before it got wrinkly.


It shrinks as it cools and you will see the sides crumpling. So don't worry, you didn't do anything wrong.

This cake is supposed to separate into 3 layers - the bottom nonya kueh layer, the custard middle layer and the cake top layer. 


Bah! Mine separated into only two layers like before. The bottom layer is a hybrid of nonya kueh and custard and it was so soft and wonderful.

The coffee flavor shone through and I really enjoyed eating this cake. And Aunty Young is right, this cake tastes even better after it is chilled.

Coffee Magic Custard Cake
Recipe source : Adapted from Aunty Young

Ingredients :
- 4 eggs, yolks and white separated (I used M sized eggs)
- 113g butter, melted and cooled
- 400ml milk
- 1 sachet Nescafe Oh So Nutty White Coffee
- 1 tsp instant coffee
- 80ml hot water
- 1 tbsp water
- 115g flour, sifted
- 190g icing sugar, sifted
- 25g castor sugar

Method :
1. Mix Nescafe hazelnut white coffee, instant coffee and hot water. Set aside to cool.
2. Using a hand mixer, beat egg whites and castor sugar until stiff peaks. Set aside.
3. In another bowl, beat egg yolks and icing sugar until fluffy.
4. Add melted butter and water and continue to beat until emulsified.
5. Add flour and beat until well mixed.
6. Add milk and coffee mixture and use a hand whisk to fold everything together.
7. Fold the stiff egg whites into this mixture 1/3 at a time.
8. The batter will be lumpy and fold until you have smaller lumps.
9. Pour batter into a lined 8" baking pan with removable bottom and bake at 140C for 55 minutes or until top is dry and golden brown (I used 140C because my oven is hot. Adjust according to your oven).
10. Remove from oven and let cool for about 20 minutes before removing cake from the pan.
11. Let the cake continue to cool before removing the baking paper.
12. Chill the cake before slicing.

44 comments:

  1. I never liked Physics nor Chemistry but I enjoy Biology. Your Magic Custard Cake looks delicious and perfect even though it may be 2 layers.

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  2. Hi Phong Hong,
    Oh yes, I baked a magic custard cake too. Have always wanted to bake a chocolate or pandan flavour but still in my "to-do list". This coffee flavour must be good.

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    1. Hi Karen! The coffee flavor was good. Must try other flavors and hope to get 3 layers hah..hah..

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  3. Wuihhh....mana nak jumpa seorang chef yg mengaitkan kek dengan hukum Fizik sekali gus! U lah the only one tau hihi...
    Mcm leceh je method dia PH....harus tak boleh sabar ni

    I pun dulu tak paham satu benda Fizik tu PH. Lagi satu Chemistry...
    Mmg out sungguh.

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    1. Hainom, rupa-rupanya ramai yang tak suka fiziks hee..hee... Yang PH suka ialah biologi.

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  4. physics is my weakest subject too. i was thinking to myself eh i have seen this cake but is 3 layers and then you confirmed that it should be 3 layers. if only i can taste your cake. it sure looks delicious from your photos.

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    1. I am glad to know hah..hah..that many are not fond of physics. I will try the cake again but different flavor. Who knows can get 3 layers :)

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  5. Haha, I guess chemistry might be the most important science to understand for cooking, but biology and physics would be close behind! I didn't enjoy the sciences either, especially the dreaded science experiments - I was in the science stream for SPM, but I switched to arts for STPM and in retrospect, I'm really grateful that my family didn't pressure me to stick to science ;)

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    1. I liked biology and chemistry was ok too. You are lucky that your family is understanding. Like you, I dreaded the time in the lab (even for biology) doing experiments.

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  6. Don't think I came across cake like this before, but looks very yummy to me! Don't mind to try that! ^^

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    1. It's good, a cross between nonya kueh and cake.

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  7. I never appreciate Physics and Chemistry but I think I will enjoy biology because I find Physics and Chemistry too abstract for me

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    1. I loved biology and chemistry was not too bad.

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    2. I love anything custard, your cake looks yummy

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    3. It's good, something like nonya kueh texture.

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  8. LOL, my dad was a Physics professor and spent his day teaching college students. It never did click with me---and I had my own teacher at home!!! I've seen these magic cakes, but have never tried one---I think I must. Yours is beautiful!

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    1. Oh wow! Your dad was a physics professor! I am impressed. I hope you try baking this cake. Would love to see how yours turns out.

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  9. Subjek fizik.. Menakutkan SB masa form 4&5. Nasib baik spm tak lingkup gara gara fizik. Btw, nescafe so nutty tu blom jumpa kat sini. Kena cari lepas ni

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  10. Looks good. Once I tried red velvet with jelly. I lined the bottom with the cake and when I poured the jelly in, the cake floated to the top...so in the end, I had what I wanted upside down, so to speak.

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    1. It must be nice eating cake and jelly at the same time :)

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  11. terbaiklah PH, siap kaitkan dengan fizik sekali. hihi

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    1. hee..hee...subjek yang paling menakutkan :(

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  12. Science does have a place in baking! :p

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  13. I hated Physics and Biology but could tolerate Chemistry probably because of the cool experiments we could participate in. I had to click into Aunty Young's recipe to see what 3 layers looked like. In fact, they looked like two also except that there's a differentiation in colour in the bottom two layers. I think the custard is so soft it just melts into the nyonya kueh layer. If an expert like phonghongbakes can't get 3 layers, there's no hope for non-bakers like me...kekeke...I'll just drool at your cake! ;D

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    1. Oh yes, those chemistry experiments! The best are those that result in mini explosions and small fires :D

      The custard part of the cake was lovely. So soft and smooth. I couldn't stop eating hee..hee...

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  14. HIGH 5! I hated Physics too like poison. What has your cake got to do with Physics? I would jump eat this yummy Coffee Magic Custard Cake with nice coffee and think of Art subjects.

    The funny note is that I married a wife who is a Physics Lecturer! She loves Physics like her back hand and would blab so much things around me that revolves around physics from the way I drive my car and hike the hills. Adoi..!

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    1. See, I told you your wife is a superwoman :D Taichi gold medalist, yoga practitioner, angel to the homeless and now physics lecturer pulak!

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  15. I have a similar recipe from home, of course with a few different ingredients, but similar concept. We call it "impossible pie." ;-)

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    1. I googled that and I printed a recipe or two to try. Thanks for mentioning it :)

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  16. You know what? Me too. A total blackout during physics class (Form 4). The only subject I got red pen in my report card till I hate it so much that I determined to study hard to understand it. I conquered it in my Form 5 but I believed it was still my weakest subject. Lol.

    A very nice coffee cake. Pity I dont fancy coffee otherwise I would like a bite.

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    1. I am glad to know I am not the only physics hater hah..hah...

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  17. Don't think i tried this before, can share a piece with me, hehe...

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  18. Anything custard is ALWAYS better after chilled heh...

    Physics? What the heck is that? Don't remember anything of it, engineer as I am... :/

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    1. LOL! I bet you were good in physics or else how to become engineer...

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  19. Be it two layers or three layers, your cake still looks wonderful! Anyway, isn't it most important that the cake tastes good? Also, thank you for your shout out, really appreciate it.

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    1. Somehow I feel I missed out not getting the 3 layers. But I agree, what's more important is the taste :)

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  20. First i gelak je bila you mention tak suka fizik, we are in the same boattt, the formula always give me headache!!

    Pretty nice 🍰, love it.

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    1. hah..hah...so many tak suka fizik! I feel so puas hati hee..hee..

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  21. I saw this recipe before and I'm amazed by the result too!

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