Lemon Pudding Cake

This picture may not look like much but let me tell you, this lemon pudding cake makes for a perfect summery dessert. While baking, the pudding cake separates into two layers – sweet and cakey on top and silky and custardy on bottom. I had never made a pudding cake before and I was surprised at the simple list of ingredients. The technique relies on baking the cake in a water bath and whisking egg whites into soft peaks and then gently folding them into the batter – if you have the patience to handle that, you will love this cake. What it lacks in presentation-quality is definitely made up in taste. I preferred the cake warm while my husband thought it tasted better chilled. Either way, pudding cakes will be gracing our table from now on.

Lemon Pudding Cake
Printable Version
Printable Version with Picture

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 1/4 cups sugar
5 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons grated zest and 1/2 cup juice from 4 lemons
5 large eggs, separated
1 1/4 cups whole milk, room temperature
2 quarts boiling water (I used 3 quarts since my roasting pan is extra-large)

DIRECTIONS:
Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease an 8-inch square baking dish. Whisk the flour and conrstarch in a bowl. With the electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat 1/2 cup sugar, butter and lemon zest until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in yolks, one at a time, until incorporated. Reduce the speed to medium-low. Add flour mixture and mix until incorporated. Slowly add milk and lemon juice, mixing until just combined.

Using a clean bowl and the whisk attachment, beat egg whites on medium high speed until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. With mixer running, slowly add remaining sugar until whites are firm and glossy, about 1 minute. Whisk one-third of the whites into the batter, then gently fold in remaining whites, one scoop at a time, until well combined.

Place a kitchen towel in the bottom of a roasting pan and arrange prepared baking dish on the towel. Spoon batter into the prepared dish. Carefully place the pan on the oven rack and pour boiling water into the pan until water reaches halfway up sides of baking dish. Bake until the surface is golden brown and edges are set (center should still be slightly wiggly), about 60 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool about 45 minutes. Serve.

Recipe Source: adapted from Cook’s Country