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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What a great recipe! Thanks so much for an easy dessert that is so impressive. We have served it to company many times and everyone raves about it!!! So delicious and really looks like you fussed!
My husband and I both thoroughly enjoyed this recipe. It was quite easy and quick to make. We ate it warm and cold, with and without fresh raspberries. It was all good, but warm with fresh raspberries and a dusting of powdered sugar was the best and very pretty. I did not change a thing. Although I made this for an evening snack, this would make a lovely light dessert for company.
Hi Jenn, re Lemon Delicious Puddings – you say to incorporate the whipped egg white in with a spatula! Is that different to using a metal spoon to incorporate the whites? Would be curious to hear your comments.
Thanx Jenny Collins, Hawthorn, Victoria Australia
Either way is fine, Jenny. 🙂
Hi Jenn made the Lemon Delicious Puddings from an Australian recipe!! (scared of international ingredient variations e.g. what size egg? You say “Large” – is that 55 g, 60 g, 70 gram or what size eggs?) followed your tips however! Worked really well – have made them now 3 times, but lost my sauce last time!!! Did I bake them too long? Or reheat too long? They are soooooo yummy. Must try your Choc Lava Puds next! Kind regards & thanx for your help, Jen Collins, Victoria, Australia
So glad you enjoyed them, Jenny. The third time your oven may have been a little hot – just take them out a little earlier next time, especially if you plan to reheat them.
With the all purpose flour is that self-raising flour or plain
Hi Beverly, You’ll want to use regular all-purpose flour here. Hope you enjoy!
All purpose flour is plain flour. When I first came to the US (years ago), I would search in vain for plain flour only eventually to discover that all purpose flour IS plain flour.
Hi Jenn! I’ve been looking forward to making these for months now, and I finally have the opportunity! Question – I know with cakes it works best to use room temperature dairy. Is it the same for this recipe for the eggs and milk?
Hi Kelly, This recipe is no different than others that call for bringing some of the ingredients to room temperature. (I never bring my milk to room temperature, though.) Hope you enjoy the cakes!
Light as a feather and loaded with tart lemon flavor. I used blanched almond flour to make grain-free puddings, and they rose beautifully. Served with seasonal berries, these little jewels really shone! Best wishes.
Hi Jenn,
I absolutely LOVE this recipe and am happy to say it has been my faithful go-to recipe for both dinner parties as well as a sweet weekday treat for the family. A quick question, I made these on a visit to New Mexico and the cakes burned on the top and didn’t really rise. I have a feeling the high altitude had something to do with it, as they have come out perfectly when I bake them in my home state of Massachusetts. Do you have any suggestions for a change in tempature and bake time for high altitude? Thanks a million for all of your recipes! Your cookbook is absolutely outstanding, thank you for sharing such delicious recipes!!
Hi Jade, Thank you for the sweet note…so happy you’re enjoying the cookbook! 😊 I think you’re correct about the high altitude but, unfortunately, I don’t any experience with high altitude baking so I don’t have any wisdom to share. This guide from King Arthur is a good one if you want to fiddle around.
Can I use gf flour?
Hi Caoimhe, I’ve never made these with gluten-free flour but a number of readers have commented that they have with good results. Hope you enjoy!
Love this dessert, I used less sugar and they were delicious. The blueberries add a nice touch