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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I need 7 of these. Could i just not fill to the top to get 7 smaller desserts?
Hi Lisa, I think you can get away with it.
So good and easy to make. Thank you for a great recipe.
I live alone and my only oven is an airfryer. I have made flan in it and it came out well. Do you think I could make these lovely lemon pudding cakes, too?
Hi Natasha, I don’t own an air fryer so unfortunately, I can’t tell you confidently whether or not this would work in one. I’m sorry!
This looks absolutely dreamy!
Can this be eaten at room temperature or is the pudding not going to be runny enough?
And if I do reheat, can this be reheated in an air fryer?
Hi Kiara, You can get away with eating these at room temperature. Enjoy!
Hi Jenn, would it be a possible to sub Splenda for the sugar? My husband is on a diet.
The recipe sounds delish and we are surrounded by lemons in AZ. Thank you!
Your recipes are the best. 😁
Hi Mary, I’ve never used a sugar substitute, but a number of readers have commented about various recipes that they’ve been able to use sugar substitutes like Slenda, etc. successfully, so I think it’s worth a try. Please LMK how they come out if you try it!
D E L I C I O U S! These turned out waaaay better than I’d hoped. I am a lemon dessert lover. I wonder how this would be with limes?
Glad you enjoyed them! I like the zing that lemons provide, but this should work with limes as well. Please let me know how they turn out if you try it. 😊
Jenn, I don’t have 6 oz. ramekins (and in my 80s I’m trying not to buy more “stuff”) but I do have 6 oz. heat-proof glass custard cups. Is there a reason not to use these? I’ve wanted to make this desert for a long time!
Hi Judy, as long as they’re oven safe to 350°F, they should work. Hope you enjoy!
Thank you! I used the custard cups, and my husband said, “ This is just outstanding!” I completely agree with him. And by the way, I also used half sugar and half Splenda with no issues. What a yummy dessert!
Wonderful dessert, have made it several times for different people. Everyone loved it.
Hi, have loved SO many of your recipes! Curious when you re-heat if you lose the ‘pudding’ aspect? Would it be advisable to make ahead and keep half to bake off the following day? I’ve become slightly obsessed with eating things (especially treats) as freshly baked as possible. Thanks!
Hi Karmen, Glad you love the recipes! You really don’t lose the pudding aspect when reheating, so you could go either way. 🙂
Wow. This was phenomenal.
I made adjustments for our families dietary needs but it worked out so well! I made it gluten free and added 1 tablespoon extra gluten free flour for our elevation. Other than that it was exactly as Jenn wrote it. So delicious, 🤤 lemony bright, fluffy and oh so perfect. Thanks for another amazing recipe!