Lemon Pudding Cakes

This recipe from Elisabeth Prueitt and Chad Robertson’s seminal 2013 Tartine cookbook is a lesson in baking alchemy. The pudding magically separates into two layers as it bakes. The billowy top layer teases your tongue, and the sweet tart pudding below puckers your mouth with just the right amount of punch. It is lovely on its own, but if you want to dress it up, a dollop of whipped cream and a spoonful of berries transform it from homey to elegant.

Here are a few extra tidbits to raise your baking IQ & offer some recipe options:

Baking in a water bath, or “bain marie”, regulates the temperature, cooking the cakes gently and allowing the pudding layer to form.
Gluten-free, or can’t find flour at your grocery store right now? We’ve also successfully made this recipe with GF flour or blanched, finely ground almond meal.
Know thy ramekins! Many ramekins, including ours, aren’t imprinted with size indicators. Fill one of yours with water, then dump the water into a measuring cup to see how many ounces it holds. Whatever size you have, fill them to about ½ inch shy of the top rim, and adjust your baking time accordingly. Our 4-oz. were done in 18 minutes (with no browning at all!), and our 8-oz. took about 28 minutes.
No ramekins? We have baked these cakes in wide mouthed, ½-pint Mason jars, and have also dumped all of the batter into one large (2-qt.) soufflé dish or an 8-X-8-inch baking pan, adding a few minutes to the baking time, with delightful, spoonable results!

Happy baking, and please Email us with any questions. We’re here to help!

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Lemon Pudding Cakes

Author Sasha Crehan

These pudding cakes are intensely lemony in all of the best ways. The pudding separates into two layers as it bakes—the billowy top teases your tongue, and the sweet tart pudding sauce hidden below puckers your mouth with just the right amount of punch. It is lovely on its own, but if you want to dress it up, a dollop of whipped cream and a spoonful of berries transform it from homey to elegant.

Adapted from: Tartine, by Elisabeth Prueitt and Chad Robertson
Yield Six (6-oz.) servings

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter, to grease the ramekins

1 cup sugar

⅓ cup all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon salt

4 large eggs, separated, at room temperature

1½ cups buttermilk

1 tablespoon lemon zest

½ cup lemon juice

Optional toppings:

A dusting of confectioners sugar

Lightly whipped cream

1 cup sweetened berries

Directions

Heat the oven to 325℉ with a rack in its middle position. Fill a 9-X-13-inch baking dish with hot tap water to a depth of ½ inch. Place the pan in the oven while it heats. Lightly butter six 6-oz. ramekins.

Whisk the sugar, flour, and salt together in a medium bowl. In a second bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, buttermilk, lemon zest and juice until blended. Add the egg yolk mixture to the flour mixture, whisking them together until fully incorporated and smooth. The result will be a very runny batter.

Using a stand mixer with its whisk attachment or a handheld mixer or whisk, beat the egg whites in a pristinely clean bowl until they hold soft peaks. Stir ⅓ of the whites into the yolk mixture to lighten it. Gently fold in the remaining whites, taking care not to deflate the batter. Using a ladle or ice cream scoop, divide the batter evenly into the prepared ramekins.

Pull out the oven rack holding the water bath and place the ramekins in the bath, taking care not to slosh water into the puddings as you slide the rack back into place. Bake until puffed and with a wobble when gently shaken, 25 to 30 minutes. The tops may turn lightly golden, and this is fine!

Serve hot, warm or at room temperature, dusted with confectioners sugar or garnished with whipped cream or fresh berries, if you have them.

Store well wrapped puddings in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Rewarm in a 300℉ oven for 15-20 minutes (or heat each ramekin in the microwave for 30-60 seconds) before serving.

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