Gluten-Free Lemon Pudding Cake
Hi Bakers, We are fully into Summer now and another lemon dessert is always a welcome complement to the fresh berries in season. We planted a lemon tree everywhere we lived since it was such an essential part of our cooking. We used it almost daily in my mom's salad dressing and in numerous desserts. This is a favorite of mine because it feels like magic when the batter cooks into two separate delicious layers! This is the Lemon Sponge Custard recipe from The Joy of Cooking and the only changes I made were to use gluten-free flour and a pinch of salt. My sister likes to add a fresh raspberry puree which matches really well with the sweet lemon flavor and adds a kick of color too. I usually just give mine a dusting of powdered sugar and add a side of fresh berries if I have them. Enjoy this beautiful dessert and the wonder of how it becomes a cake and a pudding! -Carolyn
Lemon Pudding Cake
Makes four 10-ounce cakes
WET
3 eggs, separated
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 cup milk
1/4 cup lemon juice
Dry
3 tablespoons Cup4Cup gluten-free flour
Pinch of salt
Preheat the oven to 350F and place a large roasting pan in the oven with about an inch of water in it on the center rack. Be sure the pan is large enough to fit all your ramekins into. Grease four 10-oz ramekins and set them aside.
Separate Eggs
Using three ceramic, glass, or metal bowls crack an egg into the first bowl. If the yolk breaks save the egg and get a clean bowl. Any yolk residue will prevent it from whipping. Using your hands, carefully scoop up the yolk and separate it from the white. Place the yolk in a bowl for yolks and the egg white in a bowl for whites. Start the process again by cracking the next egg into the empty bowl and repeating the steps for separating.
In a medium-sized ceramic, metal, or glass bowl, beat egg whites until they have stiff peaks and set aside.
Cream butter, sugar, and zest together in a large bowl.
Beat in three egg yolks and scrape the bowl as needed.
Mix milk and lemon juice together in a medium-sized bowl and set aside. This will curdle but will cook just fine!
Alternate stirring in the flour and pinch of salt with the milk mixture. The batter will be very thin! Using a rubber spatula, fold in egg whites. Distribute batter into ramekins and set inside the hot water bath in the oven. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until the cake is slightly browned and set but there is still a pudding layer on the bottom. If you overcook these you will have all cake and no pudding. I use a knife to test the cake and make sure I don't lose the pudding layer! Eat immediately or remove from the water bath and cool. Enjoy!
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