Warm Lemon Pudding Cakes
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
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!
You May Also Like
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
Powered by 
- 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.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Feels like I did almost everything possible to mess up this recipe–my egg whites weren’t stiffening, I accidently dropped a bit of yolk in there, splashed water in 2 of the filled ramekins, and I had to take them out of the oven for 15 mins halfway through baking. I was definitely planning on my plan b (ice cream) for dessert.
But they stilled turned out fantastic! A little less golden than the picture here but light, lemony and with that luciousness at the bottom. Served sprinkled with powdered sugar and topped with berries & whipped cream. I devoured mine and my honey complimented three times. We reheated the rest in the morning as directed for a breakfast treat. I’m anxious to make again properly.
I tried this today and it was simply delicious. Thank you for this simple recipe. I had a hard time with the egg whites but this was my first time doing it and I’ll have to try again to get them to peak.
Could lime be substituted for lemon, which is hard to obtain in Mexico?
Hi Dianne, They won’t have quite the same tanginess that lemon has, but it’ll work. I’d love to hear how they turn out with lime! 🙂
Fo rthe low amount of flour I think it would work with almond flour, what do you think of that swap? I am thinking ahead for passover. I would love to switch things uo a little bit this year.
PS: think I wrote this same question in the wrong spot, in case you get it twice!
Hi Monica, I haven’t made these with almond flour but a few readers have commented that they have and have gotten a good outcome. Hope you enjoy if you try them!
Directions for making these in the Instant Pot? 😍
Hi Patti, I don’t have enough experience with it to tell you confidently whether or not/how to convert a recipe to an instant pot version, so you may want to take a peek at these tips. It looks like they could be useful. Sorry I can’t be more helpful!
I have been making these lemon pudding cakes with fresh rosemary for years, from an old 1998 recipe from Gourmet magazine.
They are wonderful, and an impressive dinner party dessert.
Lately, I have been adding lavender from the garden…….so pretty.
I love your addition of blueberries Jen.
Thanks for reminding me of this recipe!
Stacey Snacks
Does this recipe have the same tartness as your Lemon Bar recipe? (which is THE best lemon bar recipe ever.) If not, is there a way to get the same tartness?
Hi Patty, These are tart but not sure that they’re quite as tart as the lemon bars, but I wouldn’t fiddle with the recipe. (I think you’ll like them though.) 🙂
I found the answer to my question. When I go to the recipe itself it states to spray the ramekins although it is not stated in the other section above where you are describing how to make them.
Hi Nancy, the ramekins should be sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Hope you enjoy!
This may have been asked but can I make before hand and cook a couple hours later? Or alternatively make and cook beforehand and reheat for dinner party? Thanks Lesley p
Yes, they can be made a day ahead and reheated. See the bottom of the recipe for Make Ahead instructions. Hope you enjoy!
I am sensitive to milk products can I use almond milk with this recipe
Hi Pat, I’ve only made these with dairy milk, but I think almond milk should work. Hope you enjoy!
This recipe is terrific! It is a very appropriate dessert for almost any meal and I have had nothing but rave reviews from guests! It is easy to serve, pretty, very flavorful and seems “special.” I love your whole cookbook and have never had a disappointment. We used to live in the Maryland suburbs of Washington and Chez Francois was one of our favorite restaurants, both downtown and then Virginia. ( I love my cookbook from there, too! ) After 55 years in different states, we have moved back to my childhood home….Buffalo, NY! Wish I could have one of your grandmother’s coconut cakes. Best wishes for continued success! Judy Reynolds
💗
I have made this lemon recipe several times. It is absolutely delicious! I have never been a fan of lemon pie, but this recipe takes lemon to a new level!