Creamy Pumpkin Magic Cake topped with a pumpkin spice icing drizzle. This is a great make-ahead dessert for the holidays!
September is in the house, and brings with it spices, apples, pumpkins and lattes. I can’t think of another recipe I’d rather make with pumpkin, and start a new season, than a Pumpkin Magic Cake recipe. If you’ve never met the magic cake, then first pop over to Todd and Diane’s place from White On Rice Couple and see how I found out all about it.
Growing up in Scotland, we never celebrated Thanksgiving, or fall for that matter. So when I came here and found a season combining all of my favorite spices, I was like a pig in mud!
My mom did make a really fantastic sticky gingerbread loaf and I’d slather slices of it in butter, but no pumpkin pies or cheesecakes.
I am definitely a bar over a cookie kind of guy, so anything like brownies or blondies may be swiftly sent my way. When I first saw the magic cake recipe back in March, and read that it’s squishy like custard but firm like a bar, a little like a flan, with a cake-like top, I knew it had to be made.
I didn’t just want to make the same as Todd and Diane’s though, so I made this Chocolate Guinness version, appropriate for St Patrick’s day!
Success…it tasted great and would like to add that it’s not too sweet. I began to think that this magic cake could be twisted into almost anything. After making some pumpkin gingersnap ice cream last week, I had some leftover canned pumpkin and my first thought was to try and turn it into a magic cake. After doing a quick Google search, all I could find was plenty of pumpkin cake and a whole lot of stuff about My Little Pony and a magic pumpkin. I may have to claim my pumpkin magic cake as the first. I think my next version will be a pecan pie magic cake…watch this space!
Pumpkin Magic Cake with a Pumpkin Spice Icing
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 4 whole egg yolks save the whites from two of the eggs
- 1 1/4 cups powdered confectioners sugar
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup pumpkin canned
- 2 1/2 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
For The Glaze Topping
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar sifted.
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter an 8 x 8 cake pan and line with parchment paper, set aside.
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Melt the butter and set aside.
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Beat the egg yolks and powdered sugar until pale and light, about 5-6 minutes.
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Mix in the melted butter and combine.
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Add the flour mixing well to break down any lumps. Beat in the milk and vanilla.
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Add the pumpkin, pumpkin spice and cinnamon and whisk until smooth.
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In another bowl whip the two egg whites until stiff peaks.
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Slowly add the egg whites whisking gently until smooth.
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Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
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Set the pan on a baking tray and bake for about 50-60 minutes. The top will still be a little jiggly but will set upon cooling.
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Cool completely before slicing into small squares and drizzling with the spice glaze.
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Combine the powdered sugar, pie spice and milk in a bowl and mix together with a fork.
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Place in the microwave and warm for 20-25 seconds until it becomes a thin pourable consistency.
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Drizzle the icing over each square and serve.
Recipe Notes
The cake will slice better after being in the refrigerator. It is also best served at room temperature.
Adapted from White On Rice Couple, http://whiteonricecouple.com/recipes/magic-custard-cake/
This deserves to go viral to beat the band. GENIUS idea! I have been oogling T & D’s Magic Cake since they posted it and have seen tons and tons of duplicates but yours is truly the first. I hope this takes off for you. You deserve it. SO CREATIVE, Gerry! Pinned!
I love the styling, too. The horizontal pic, that really shows the magic of it, mmmmmmmm so good!
Thanks Averie, I appreciate it!!
Ah wow! This is so awesome!! What a genius idea!! I am so ready to bake with some pumpkin and these look like an amazing way to kick things off!
Bring on the fall T!
These look AMAZING. That is all.
Thanks Jen :)
These look absolutely perfect and needing to be sitting next to my coffee cup!
Ha! they’d be perfect with coffee Steph!
This is so creative! It looks like decadent heaven.
Thanks Laura, it’s pretty darn tasty!
There is something about the photo showing the texture of the cake that has me convinced that I need this – soon! Love fall flavors and colors, and sweaters, fleece, scarves, etc. This is a great recipe idea!
Pure and total magic right here! I looooove these bars!
These look perfectly moist, dense and beautiful, Gerry.
Yes. Please. I totally want to try and make with with a pumpkin ale.
Now I’m convinced that I must try magic cake – I love your pumpkin version!
These look awesome!
These look magical indeed! A must make for fall. :-)
Magic cake in convenient and portable bar form? Yes please!
you may definitely be first but after posting this recipe I have a feeling you won;t be the last- everyone is going to love this including myself! I can;t wait to have a go at it
i must try this magic cake and pumpkin sounds like a great variation for fall.
Oh yum, this definitely looks like a magic trick I want to have up my sleeve this Fall. It looks wonderful!!
WOW. These look incredible.
Thanks Jamie!
Um, ditto on what Jackie said! Pumpkin Ale would be brilliant with these cakes!
I’m still searching for a good ale though Lauren and I’ll leave the beer cooking to the master, Miss J :)
Pumpkin and magic, I am intrigued!
There’s no white doves or rabbits involved though :(
I am completely split 50/50 with my love for bars and cookies. I wouldn’t be able to choose between the two! These babies look as incredible as they sound.
50/50 is a good split. So non-committed ;)
I saw your picture on Fridgg and i love spiced pumpkin anything so i just had to check out the recipe and i’m really glad i did. this cake/flan/bar thingy looks amazing!
I was also a bit shocked to find out you grew up in scotland. I’m currently living in scotland(grew up in singapore). Serendipity! only problem is its hard to get canned pumpkin in scotland. if i were to use fresh pumpkin, how much do you think i will need to make up 1 cup?
Wow, how cool is that! Yes , I agree I can’t remember ever seeing canned pumpkin being sold when I lived in Scotland..boo! I think you’d get at least 2-3 cups if you roasted your own pumpkin. Hope this helps.
http://www.pickyourown.org/pumpkinpie.php
This website has directions for getting the pumpkin cooked and ready to be used in a pumpkin pie. I am sure you could use the same method for this recipe, if that helps!
Melissa, yes!! This is great advice, thanks :)
I already broke out the pumpkin too. I couldn’t resist. These look like pumpkin perfection!
Thanks Des!
I’ve done it with grapefruit, but pumpkin fits the texture better by far. GREG
These look so amazing, I want to make them today while I sip my first pumpkin spice latte of the season. LOVE Fall!
It’s like a pumpkin pie/cake mash up! I think you’ve convinced me I need a little magic cake in my life!!
Can NOT wait for the apple pie version!
Oops…I meant pecan pie!
I’m working on it Ferrell :)
I have been wanting to try Todd and Diane’s Magic Cake but haven’t gotten around to it (crazy, I know!), but this oumpkin version sounds amazing this time of year and will have to make it a priority now! Thanks for this amazing version of Magic Cake!
Thanks Kristy, I’m trying to work out what else I can turn into a magic cake lol.
Could I double this and use a 9×13?
Could this be doubled and baked in a 13×9 pan??
Hi Judy, yes I think it could be doubled but it would certainly affect the baking time which would be longer. I would just keep checking it every 5-10 (after about 35 minutes) minutes for the middle to be on the firm/soft jiggle feel. Good luck!
Gerry —
Since there is a relatively small amount of flour in this cake do you think a gluten free flour blend would work?? It looks so yummy!
I can’t say for sure but I don’t think the cake would be completely ruined if you tried. Maybe a little flatter perhaps?
Thanks!
I baked mine in a glass dish and had to bake it a bit longer to get the pumpkin pie consistency on the bottom with a brownie hard top.
Good to know Melissa!Thanks..
You so elevated this cake with the pumpkin. It looks like it made it so moist. Love the pic. I featured it on my Friday Five – Pumpkin addition over @ Feed Your Soul Too – http://www.feedyoursoul2.com/2013/09/friday-five-pumpkin-addition.html
Thanks Peter!
I was looking at the original recipe just like you referenced and starting trying to figure out if I could make it pumpkin. After wading through the my little pony references, I found your post! I was thought the similarity of my search to you post was hilarious. Can’t wait to try it out tonight!!!
I found your blog yesterday, and made this cake last night. I was *SO* excited after reading about it here, and also many others who’ve posted their Magic Cake recipes (including WOC’s). I decided to make this version first because it’s fall, and Pumpkin *anything* is amazing. My cake turned out fine (with the 3 layers), but the custardy middle had a weird texture to it, and it left a weird coating in your mouth after you swallowed. It also tasted really bland, even though I added a little extra Pumpkin Pie Spice, and it wasn’t nearly sweet enough to be a dessert – it was actually just barely sweet. To eat it you had to add a lot of confectioners sugar on top. I didn’t try it until it was completely room temp, and then I tried it again cold – it tasted the same, just cold. I’m so disappointed, and don’t know what to do to make it better. I think next time I’ll try one of the other recipes that have less flour and more sugar and see how that turns out. But I’m really excited to try other recipes on your blog! Your photos and humor are wonderful! It’s definitely worth sticking around just to read your posts! :)
A new fan~ LaLonne
Ahh, LaLonne. I am so sorry it didn’t live up to your thoughts :( I will be remaking it and possibly adjusting the sugar and spice ratios as one other person also mentioned this. Glad you’re sticking around though. I appreciate it!
Just to be sure, is 1 1/4 cups of confectioners’ sugar one and a quarter, or just a quarter cup? Do you think it could be replaced with something like golden syrup or agave nectar? And if so, would it be the same quantity in cups?
Thanks in advance!
Hi, it would be one cup plus one quarter cup. I don’t think the agave or syrup would work as a replacement..it’d be way sweeter and too dense. Thanks!
Wow, this looks amazing! Magic cakes have been all the rage lately and this is the first pumpkin one that I’ve seen. Who doesn’t love pumpkin desserts? This is so easy, yet it looks so elegant. I can’t wait to try this and your other magic cakes as well! Thanks for sharing.
can’t…. stop…. drooling….
I was super excited for this and made it for a party I was hosting. Maybe I did something wrong, or maybe I didn’t realize what I was making but after an hour of baking I felt like the inside was still raw. I cooked it for another 30 minutes and turned up the temp to 375. Although the top looked better it was still very custardy which I didn’t expect. It didn’t cut well and was horribly messy and ended up in the trash :(. I wish mine would have turned out like the pictures. Unfortunately I don’t think this recipe is for me, but glad to see many others had success with it! Thanks for sharing.
Sad to hear that Rebecca, did you let it cool before cutting it?
oh my gawd, Gerry . . how come I am just now seeing this?! I’m always late to the party. . this pumpkin magic cake looks fabulous!!! going to check out Todd and Diane’s post now!
Wow…just wow. This pumpkin magic cake should be a requirement at every holiday table. Just lovely!
Thanks for the feedback everyone!
Yayy, you can never have too many magic cakes, yours looks fantastic!