Dessert is all about texture, and these lemon pudding cakes certainly deliver. They start with a fluffy, moist cake layer and finish with a smooth, creamy curd — and they definitely don’t skimp on lemony flavor. Whip ’em up for brunch — perhaps on Mother’s Day or Easter — to give your guests the perfect final bite.
Mini Lemon Pudding Cakes
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350º F. Butter and sugar eight 4-oz ramekins. Spread a kitchen towel along the bottom of a straight-sided roasting pan or baking dish that’s large enough to hold all of the ramekins.
2. In a small bowl, combine ½ cup of the sugar, flour, salt and lemon zest. Use your fingers to rub lemon zest into the mixture to distribute it evenly.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, milk and lemon juice.
4. Using hand beaters or a stand mixer, beat the egg whites and remaining teaspoon of sugar until they hold medium peaks. Take care not to overbeat, or the whites could turn grainy and be difficult to incorporate into the batter.
5. Whisk the flour mixture into the egg yolk mixture. Fold in one-third of the egg whites. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites in batches until evenly incorporated.
6. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared ramekins, then arrange them in the prepared pan. Pour in enough hot water to come about halfway up the sides of the ramekins (a tea kettle works great for this). Carefully slide the pan into the oven. Bake until the cakes are golden in spots on the top and spring back when gently pressed, about 40 minutes.
7. Transfer the ramekins to a rack and let cool for at least 40 minutes. The cakes can be served slightly warm, at room temperature or chilled.
To serve, slide a thin knife or offset spatula around the cakes and invert them onto serving plates. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream or crème fraiche. The pudding cakes can be refrigerated in the ramekins for up to three days.
they look good !
Where does the lemon curd some in? The description says, “They start with a fluffy, moist cake layer and finish with a smooth, creamy curd —” If the curd develops on the top, how do you gently press to see if they’re cooked sufficiently?
Hello Victoria,
Thank you for contacting us.
So the lemon curd absorbs into the cake – it does not develop a sauce out of the lemon curd,
It will be more like a layer of curd on top.
You can test with a skewer from the side – going into the cake portion on more of a diagonal
to make sure it’s fully baked.
For further information or assistance, please chat, email, or call Customer Service.
Sincerely,
Sarah
Craftsy
The recipe calls for ‘baking flour’. Is that the same as all purpose flour or is it
cake flour ?
Hello Anastasia,
Thank you for contacting us.
That would be all purpose flour – these pudding cakes have been around for a while
and I was able to cross reference 3 recipes and they all called for all purpose flour.
The pudding cakes do need to have some structure so that’s why the all purpose flour would work well.
For further information or assistance, please chat, email, or call Customer Service.
Sincerely,
Sarah
Craftsy
Could you use a springtime pan instead of ramekins?
Hello Darlene,
Thank you for contacting us.
I wouldn’t recommend using springform pans – unless you wrap them in foil.
As it is a two piece pan, the batter can leak out before the cake sets up.
For further information or assistance, please chat, email, or call Customer Service.
Sincerely,
Sarah
Craftsy
No ramekins, what’s another option?
Could you use a springtime pan instead of ramekins?
Hello Dana,
Thank you for contacting us.
Any oven safe pan, glass or ceramic will work – it can even be baked as a larger cake. If you have pyrex baking ware or glass custard cups – that will work.
No larger than 8″ x 8″.
Mason jars are also an option – not too large – the smaller ones – the 4 ounce size would work fine.
For further information or assistance, please chat, email, or call Customer Service.
Sincerely,
Sarah
Craftsy
Not yet
Is whole milk necessary or is 2% acceptable?
Yes, thank you for including a gluten free version for this. Please give us more GF recipes. Some won’t work by only substituting gluten free flour. Other ingredients have to be adjusted sometimes for the GF flour to work.
I’m so…excited to try this recipe because I love, love,love LEMON thank you for sharing. 🙂
Interest in answer to Nechama…otherwise, the recipe sounds good…want to try it.
Thing is wrong with your recipe. 1/2 cup sugar +1 teaspoon divide it would be 1/4 cup sugar +1/2 teaspoon each. You didn’t say combine half a cup of the sugar with the zest which one is it a quarter cup plus half a teaspoon or did you make a mistake in the original total amount?
Hi! The divide is between the 1/2 cup and 1 teaspoon, not 50/50. The instructions use 1/2 cup in Step 2 with the zest and the remaining 1 tsp in Step 4 with the egg whites.
Thank you for sharing this as a gluten free recipe!
really liked the idea of a lemon cake
This sounds delicious – can’t wait to make ‘em!