Custard Cake

A delicious round cake made of a chiffon layer and a custard then topped with a sweet caramel, Custard cake is such an indulgent and luscious treat!

Here is one cake I cannot get enough of: Custard Cake. It has two layers namely, the custard (or flan) layer, and the chiffon cake.

I love how the smooth texture of flan just melts in my mouth. The chiffon cake, buttery and tasty is such a delicious base.

This is definitely a delicious dance of texture and flavors in my mouth. Rich against plain, silky flan against soft and tasty chiffon, such a delight!

A Round Custard Cake

• Traditionally, you will see this cake at Filipino Parties in huge, rectangular cake form. I initially made a recipe for that size, but I find it too huge for a regular day-to-day dessert.
• I want one that is perfect to have at home. One that you can make to enjoy with your family on a special weekend or something.
• This cake uses a 9-inch round pan, the perfect size for daily consumption for a few days 😉.

What’s to Love?

• The ratio of custard to cake is perfect for me. I like a balance between the rich flan and the chiffon cake. The thickness of the custard is just enough to add indulgence to a much plainer chiffon cake.
• Smooth, velvety, and melt-in-your-mouth custard (milk flan), it is such a heavenly dessert!
• The chiffon is golden and toasty on the outside, but the crumbs are buttery and soft.
• The top layer caramel adds a sweet finish and gorgeous color.

Let’s Make Custard Cake!

The Caramel

Add 4 tbsp of sugar to a 9-inch round cake pan. Place the pan on the stove. Over medium heat, allow the sugar to melt into liquid.

Once melted, swirl and tilt the pan around so that the entire surface is covered with the liquid. Once the liquid is amber in color, turn off the heat and remove the pan.

This caramel sets pretty quickly so make sure to swirl it as soon as the sugar melts. Set this aside and let it cool.

The Custard Layer

In a mixing bowl, gently mix together egg yolks, condensed milk, and evaporated milk until everything is fully incorporated.

Use a strainer to pour this mixture over the hardened caramel in the pan, at the same time filtering out the egg strings in the custard. Discard the residue that is in the strainer.

Set the round pan on a larger rimmed pan so that you can make a water bath set up for baking it later.

The Chiffon Cake Layer

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In another mixing bowl, add the egg yolks and the sugar. Beat this using a hand whisk until the color is light and the mixture is a little frothy. Add the milk, oil, and vanilla extract. Stir well.

Add the flour mixture to the yolk mixture and use the whisk to stir everything until the batter is smooth. This will be a thick batter.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar. Once the mixture forms soft peaks, gradually add ¼ cup of sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form.

Using a rubber spatula, fold about 1/3 of the beaten egg whites into the batter just to thin it down a bit. Fold the remaining meringue in two gradual additions to the batter, until the color is uniform.

Gently pour and scrape the final batter over the custard in the round pan. Fill the larger pan with about 2 inches of water. This is a water bath setup.

Gently place the pan in the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted at the center of the cake comes out clean. Take out the round pan from the water bath. Set the pan on a wire rack to let it cool completely.

To unmold the cake, run a knife along the edges of the cake. Then, invert a rimmed serving plate over the pan and turn everything over. Gently tap the pan to release the cake.

Serve the cake and enjoy each luscious bite.

Storing Custard Cake

• Keep the cake in a container with a tight lid. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.
• To serve, allow the cake to come to room temperature first.

Also try:

• Ube Flan Cake
• Easy Egg Pie
• Filipino Style Egg Pie