Warm Lemon Pudding Cakes
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Spoon into these lovely lemon pudding cakes and discover a layer of luscious lemon pudding beneath the cake!
As someone who cooks for a living, I’m always mindful of dessert portion sizes, yet I make an exception for these irresistible lemon pudding cakes. They’re refreshingly light and practically guilt-free. Plus, they come with a delicious surprise: the batter separates during baking into a fluffy cake layer and a luscious lemon pudding beneath. If you don’t have ramekins, an 8-inch square or a 2-quart baking dish works just as well—the baking time will be about the same.
“Absolutely delicious and really easy! Makes such an elegant dessert…I get rave reviews when I serve this.”
What You’ll Need To Make Lemon Pudding Cakes
Step-by-Step Instructions
First, spray six (6-oz) ramekins with nonstick cooking spray then begin making the batter by whisking the egg yolks, milk, lemon zest, lemon juice, melted butter, and salt in a large bowl.
Add the flour and sugar and whisk until smooth.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form.
When you lift the beaters out, the peaks should curl.
Whisk a bit of the beaten eggs into the lemon mixture to lighten it. Then add the remaining beaten egg whites to the mixture.
Gently fold with a rubber spatula until the mixture is smooth.
The batter will be light, foamy, and liquidy.
Place the prepared ramekins into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Ladle the batter evenly into 6-oz (180-ml) ramekins (it will come almost to the top). Using a teapot or pitcher, pour room temperature water into the pan to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins. The water bath (also called a bain marie) regulates the temperature and keeps the cake baking at a gentle temperature so the custard, or pudding, can form.
Carefully place the baking pan in the oven and bake for about 45 minutes, or until the cakes are puffy and lightly golden on top.
Using tongs, carefully remove the ramekins from the baking dish and let cool on a rack for about 20 minutes before serving. (They will sink a bit as they cool; that’s okay.) Dust with Confectioners’ sugar and serve with berries, if desired. Enjoy!
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Warm Lemon Pudding Cakes
Spoon into these lovely lemon pudding cakes and discover a layer of luscious lemon pudding beneath the cake!
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs, separated
- 1 cup milk (low-fat or whole)
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest, from 2 lemons
- 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, from 2 lemons
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- Fresh berries and Confectioners' sugar, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and set a rack in the middle position. Spray six (6-oz) ramekins with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, milk, lemon zest, lemon juice, butter, and salt. Add the flour and sugar and whisk until smooth.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. (The peaks should curl when you lift the beaters out of the bowl.) Spoon about ¼ of the egg whites into the lemon mixture and whisk until smooth. Add the remaining egg whites and, using a rubber spatula, gently fold into the lemon mixture until smooth. The batter will be light, foamy, and liquidy.
- Place the prepared ramekins into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Ladle the batter evenly into the ramekins (it will come almost to the top). Using a teapot or pitcher, pour room temperature water into the pan to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Carefully place the baking pan in the oven and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the cakes are puffy and lightly golden on top. Using tongs, carefully remove the ramekins from the baking dish and let cool on a rack for about 20 minutes before serving. (They will sink a bit as they cool; that's okay.) Dust with Confectioners' sugar and serve with berries, if desired.
- Make Ahead: The cakes can be made a day ahead of time. Once completely cool, cover the cakes with plastic wrap and store at room temperature. Before serving, preheat the oven to 350°F and set a rack in the middle position. Remove the plastic wrap and place the ramekins on a baking sheet; heat for 10-15 minutes, until warmed through.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (1 cake servings)
- Calories: 248
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated fat: 3 g
- Carbohydrates: 43 g
- Sugar: 36 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Sodium: 152 g
- Cholesterol: 105 g
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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So delish. I put lemon curd in the middle – a little dollop and it really takes the dish to astronomical levels.
Oh, my!!!!! This recipe is so easy and SOOOO Delicious.
I just made this recipe [2-3 hours ago] and while warm, I am eating and writing….. Thank you so much. I did double the zest for a more lemony flavor….I LOVE lemon in any form…. and, I will make this many times over.
Thank you!!!!
Hi Jenn, just made these tonight and omg they were SO delicious perfect lemon flavour!! Just had one strange issue, around the outside bottom of the ramekins the lemon custard kind of set harder than the middle it was like a ring around the bottom outer edge of ramekin that was a bit like rubbery custard, but in the centre and above it was a beautiful creamy lemon sauce as was supposed to be. I made some in ramekins like the ones you used and some in Aluminium Dariole moulds and reheated them in 175C oven for 15 mins as per recipe and it happened in both the ramekins and the dariole molds, so I’m not sure if they were like this before I reheated or if it happened when reheating them. I did use a fan oven but after 45 mins cooking they were still a little on the pale side so I left them in the full 50 mins and were the colour of yours so I don’t think the oven was too hot. I also used GF flour I cant imagine that would have impacted like that though, any ideas?
Hi Tara, sorry you had a problem with the texture! It sounds like they were a little overbaked. Also, if you aren’t already doing it, make sure to reduce the oven temperature by 25°F if using a convection oven. (My recipes are tested and published assuming a standard/non-fan oven.)
2nd time I baked them and a big hit both times! Great recipe.
I have one left over. How long will it keep in refrigerator?!
It’s at its best for one day, but you can probably push it to two. Glad you like them!
Delicious and easy!!! I used half and half. 🙂
Just made these based on the reviews. Looking for a quick easy dessert with lemons. And I was not disappointed! They were easy to make and my husband raved about them. Definitely making them for guests! We did add whipped cream which was the icing on the cake!
Tonight I served your delicious dessert during a visit with friends. They enjoyed every bite, and loved the tartness of the lemon sauce with the cake. I used Gluten free flour, as I did the first time I made it, and no one knew the difference. It is such a treat to be able to make and eat an impressive dessert! Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful recipes.
Hi Jenn. I’ve made your warm lemon pudding cakes twice now (forgot to take a picture both times!). They are truly delicious and received wonderful raves from our friends. They are so easy to make ahead of time and just heat before serving! Love your recipes. Thank you.
So delicious! I did everything just how it was instructed except I used one oval baking dish rather than ramekins. The cake is light and the pudding rich and full of flavor. Textures were perfect. My family absolutely loved it! This will go in my regular spring bake plan! Thank you!
Hi Karen,
How long did you bake it for in one dish? This is what I would like to do as well, but do not want to overbake! Thank you!
Hi, Jenn,
This recipe looks delicious! I’m trying to cut calories, and wonder if it’s possible to reduce the sugar, and if so, by how much. I also wonder if I can substitute the butter with avocado oil, apple sauce or anything else. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Hi Elliot, I think you can get away with reducing the sugar by 1/4 cup and substituting the butter with avocado oil. Please LMK how they turn out if you try it with these tweaks!
Absolutely decadent and a perfect dessert for a cold day!