After a big dinner, you may not always have room for dessert. What I like about these mini lemon pudding cakes is that they are small in size and rich without being heavy. They pack a tart Vitamin C punch, especially if you choose to use lemon sugar so really what I’m saying is they can help you ward off a cold. It’s practically a health food – what are you waiting for?
Next time I’m going to cook mine a bit longer so they get more golden on top and so the pudding holds together a bit better. These cakes are so interesting – when baking, the dessert becomes two desserts in one. The top cake layer is light and fluffy and then there’s the creamy pudding layer underneath. I enjoyed the addition of the vanilla bean paste and thought this played really well with the lemon tartness. I bet these would also be delicious with key lime juice or freshly squeezed orange juice as well. Yum!
Mini Lemon Pudding Cakes
Adapted from Food & Wine
Ingredients:
- ¾ cup lemon sugar (regular granulated would also work here)
- 1/3 cup flour
- 3 eggs, separated
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup skim milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 5 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Fresh raspberries and blackberries, for serving
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Spray six 6-ounce ramekins with nonstick spray and place in a small roasting pan.
- Whisk the lemon sugar and flour in a medium bowl. In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the softened butter until everything is well combined. Whisk in the milk, vanilla bean paste, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Pour the lemon mixture into the sugar/flour mixture and continue to whisk until smooth.
- In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites with the salt until stiff peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the lemon mixture then pour the batter into the prepared ramekins. Place the pan in the oven then carefully pour in enough hot water so that it reaches halfway up the ramekins.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the pudding cakes have puffed and are golden on top. Transfer the ramekins using tongs to a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes. Serve the cakes in the ramekins on plates garnished with berries.