Lemon Pudding Cake

Lemon Pudding Cake on a plate with a spoonful showing the light and fluffy texture

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5 from 15 votes

Intense lemon flavor in a light, pillowy soft cake over a rich, velvety smooth pudding on the bottom.

Prep Time30

Cook Time30

Total Time1

Course: Cake, Dessert, pudding

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cake, dessert, lemon, pudding

Servings:

Calories: 323kcal

Author: Tricia

Ingredients

¼ cup all-purpose flour (30g)
2 teaspoons cornstarch (7g)
2 tablespoons lemon zest about 4 lemons
1 cup granulated sugar plus 2 tablespoons (222g + 30g)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
½ cup lemon juice (4oz)
5 large eggs separated
1 ¼ cups whole milk room temperature (10oz)
boiling water for the hot water bath

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325°F. Place a folded kitchen towel on the bottom of a roasting pan. Grease six (8-ounce) ramekins or one 8-inch square baking dish with vegetable cooking spray or butter. Arrange the prepared ramekins on the towel; set aside.
Place a kettle of water on to boil. Once boiling, set aside and keep warm.
Combine the flour and cornstarch in a small bowl; set aside.
In a small food processor combine the zest with 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Process until the zest is broken down into tiny pieces and the sugar turns bright yellow. If you don’t have a small processor pour the sugar and zest in a small bowl and smash with the back of a spoon until combined and the lemon oil is released.
In a large mixing bowl combine the lemon sugar, 1/3 cup of the remaining granulated sugar and the butter. Using an electric mixer beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks one at a time and beat until incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and blend again.
Reduce the speed to medium-low and add the flour mixture mixing just until blended. Slowly add the milk and lemon juice mixing just until incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula and blend again for 15 seconds. The batter will be runny.
In a clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites on medium-high speed until soft foamy peaks form, about 2 minutes. With the mixer running on medium-low, add the remaining 2/3 cup of sugar. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the egg whites are firm and glossy, about 2 minutes.
Whisk one-third of the egg whites into the cake batter until incorporated. Gently fold in half the remaining egg whites with a rubber spatula. Finally, carefully and gently fold in the remaining egg whites taking care not to deflate the mixture.
Pour or spoon the batter into the prepared baking dish(s). Carefully place the pan on the oven rack and pour boiling water into the pan until it comes halfway up the sides of the ramekins or baking dish. Bake until the surface of the puddings are light golden brown and the edges are set. The center should jiggle slightly when shaken, about 30 minutes for ramekins and 55-60 minutes for one large pudding.
Remove the cakes from the water bath and transfer to a wire rack and cool for 45 minutes to 1 hour before serving. Dust with powdered sugar if desired. Serve with fresh fruit.

Notes

This cake can be made in:

six (8-ounce) ramekins
eight (6-ounce) ramekins (cut the baking time to 20-25 minutes)
8-inch square baking dish

Original recipe adapted from Cook's Country

Nutritional information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered as an estimate. When multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Nutrition