Lemon Pudding Cake
A quick lemony dessert that is like an airy, fluffy lemon cloud. The batter magically separates into two layers when baked—a smooth lemon custard topped with delicate lemon cake.
If you’ve never made a pudding cake, I would start here. This is a super easy recipe, especially when considering the end result: Layers that magically split while baking to create a pudding layer on the bottom with an airy, light, spongecake topping (not to be confused with Gâteau Magique, or “Magic Cake”, that splits into 3 layers).
Kudos to whoever was expecting their cake to turn out differently, recognized the serendipity of it splitting into two distinct layers, and kept making it this way. As the TV painter Bob Ross said, “We don’t make mistakes, we just have happy accidents.”
Why it works: When whipped egg whites are folded into a very wet batter, a natural separation occurs in the baking process, with the egg whites rising and bringing just enough flour with it to make a fluffy, cake layer (it’s as if it levitates, like Doug Henning levitating a lady on top of a building in the ‘70’s, only much more easily explained). All sorts of flavors are possible, like chocolate and vanilla, but tangy lemon is one I return to again and again, and the only thing to add is a spoonful of unsweetened whipped cream.
RECIPE
Makes one 2-qt/2L soufflé dish or 6 individual ramekins
• 150g / 3/4 C granulated sugar #1
• 6 Tbsp GF flour
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 4 large eggs, separated
• 360ml / 1 1/2 C whole milk, buttermilk, or any kind of milk
• 1 1/2 tsp lemon zest
• 150ml / 1/2 C + 2 Tbs lemon juice
• 50g granulated sugar #2
• Confectioners sugar for dusting
Preheat the oven to 325°F/160°C.
Butter the bottom and sides of the soufflé dish (or the individual ramekins).
Make a water bath: choose a baking pan large enough to accommodate a 2-qt/2L soufflé dish (or individual ramekins) without touching, and deep enough to hold water that will reach halfway up the sides of the dish. Place the pan with hot water in the oven while it is heating.
In a large mixing bowl, stir together the dry ingredients and sugar #1 and make a well in the center.
In another bowl, stir together the egg yolks, milk, lemon juice and zest, and add them to the well of the dry ingredients and whisk together til smooth.
Whip the egg whites and sugar #2 together until they hold stiff peaks. Fold about one-half of the beaten whites into the batter, then fold in the second half.
Transfer to the prepared dish and set the dish inside the larger pan in the oven. Pour more water into the pan if necessary to reach halfway up the sides of the soufflé dish. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until lightly browned, and the top springs back when touched (this is one cake that you cannot use a cake tester on because of the pudding in the bottom).
The pudding cake can be served straight out of the oven, at room temperature, or chilled. Just before serving, dust the top surface with confectioners’ sugar, and serve with unsweetened whipped cream (optional).
Will keep refrigerated for 3 days, but best eaten the day it is made.
On a hot day everyone loved the not-too-sweet taste of lemons singing, as well as the light texture.
I added a tad more zest, including some Meyer lemons. Served with raspberries.
I also tried with ramekins, which were sooooo lovely with a tiny pansy from garden adorning each. However, WAY more than 6 ramekins 😊 After filling 10, I also filled a smaller soufflé dish. Liz -- I'm curious, what size ramekins and what is your recommended baking time for those instead of larger dish? Unsure, I was checking too frequently and lost a tad of the lift.