Easy and fast to make, this amazing lemon pudding cake is delicious! While baking, a creamy, lemony pudding layer forms with a luscious, light cake on top!

While pudding cakes are notoriously unphotogenic, trust me when I say that a) this picture is worlds better than the old one and b) a dish of heavenly pudding and cake doesn’t have to look good to taste incredible.

This lemon pudding cake makes for a perfect spring or summer dessert. While baking, the pudding cake separates into two layers – light and cakey on top and silky and custardy on bottom.

Lemon pudding cake on a stack of white plates.

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 is definitely made up in taste.

The cake tastes wonderful warm or chilled and our favorite way to eat it is with a little dollop of whipped cream on top to help cut the sweet tartness of the tender lemon cake and silky, creamy pudding.

A stack of white plates with a serving of lemon pudding cake.
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Lemon Pudding Cake

Yield: 6 Servings
Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
4.73 stars (11 ratings)
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Ingredients

  • ¼ cup (36 g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1 ¼ cups (265 g) sugar
  • 5 tablespoons (70 g) butter, softened
  • 2 tablespoons grated zest and 1/2 cup juice from 3 large lemons
  • 5 large eggs, separated
  • 1 ¼ cups milk, room temperature
  • 2 quarts boiling water, or enough boiling water to come up halfway on the sides of the baking pan

Instructions 

  • Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease an 8-inch square baking dish.
  • Whisk the flour and cornstarch 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.

Notes

Serving: our favorite way to serve/eat this is with a little dollop of whipped cream but you can definitely go without. Also, the cake is delightful warm or chilled.
Author: Mel
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Method: Bake
Serving: 1 Serving, Calories: 348kcal, Carbohydrates: 49g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 183mg, Sodium: 181mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 44g

Recommended Products

8-inch Baking Pan
Mixing Bowl
Electric Hand Mixer

Recipe Source: adapted from Cook’s Country

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