Warm Lemon Pudding Cakes
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Spoon into these lovely lemon pudding cakes and discover a layer of luscious lemon pudding beneath the cake!
As someone who cooks for a living, I’m always mindful of dessert portion sizes, yet I make an exception for these irresistible lemon pudding cakes. They’re refreshingly light and practically guilt-free. Plus, they come with a delicious surprise: the batter separates during baking into a fluffy cake layer and a luscious lemon pudding beneath. If you don’t have ramekins, an 8-inch square or a 2-quart baking dish works just as well—the baking time will be about the same.
“Absolutely delicious and really easy! Makes such an elegant dessert…I get rave reviews when I serve this.”
What You’ll Need To Make Lemon Pudding Cakes
Step-by-Step Instructions
First, spray six (6-oz) ramekins with nonstick cooking spray then begin making the batter by whisking the egg yolks, milk, lemon zest, lemon juice, melted butter, and salt in a large bowl.
Add the flour and sugar and whisk until smooth.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form.
When you lift the beaters out, the peaks should curl.
Whisk a bit of the beaten eggs into the lemon mixture to lighten it. Then add the remaining beaten egg whites to the mixture.
Gently fold with a rubber spatula until the mixture is smooth.
The batter will be light, foamy, and liquidy.
Place the prepared ramekins into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Ladle the batter evenly into 6-oz (180-ml) ramekins (it will come almost to the top). Using a teapot or pitcher, pour room temperature water into the pan to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins. The water bath (also called a bain marie) regulates the temperature and keeps the cake baking at a gentle temperature so the custard, or pudding, can form.
Carefully place the baking pan in the oven and bake for about 45 minutes, or until the cakes are puffy and lightly golden on top.
Using tongs, carefully remove the ramekins from the baking dish and let cool on a rack for about 20 minutes before serving. (They will sink a bit as they cool; that’s okay.) Dust with Confectioners’ sugar and serve with berries, if desired. Enjoy!
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Warm Lemon Pudding Cakes
Spoon into these lovely lemon pudding cakes and discover a layer of luscious lemon pudding beneath the cake!
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs, separated
- 1 cup milk (low-fat or whole)
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest, from 2 lemons
- 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, from 2 lemons
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- Fresh berries and Confectioners' sugar, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and set a rack in the middle position. Spray six (6-oz) ramekins with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, milk, lemon zest, lemon juice, butter, and salt. Add the flour and sugar and whisk until smooth.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. (The peaks should curl when you lift the beaters out of the bowl.) Spoon about ¼ of the egg whites into the lemon mixture and whisk until smooth. Add the remaining egg whites and, using a rubber spatula, gently fold into the lemon mixture until smooth. The batter will be light, foamy, and liquidy.
- Place the prepared ramekins into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Ladle the batter evenly into the ramekins (it will come almost to the top). Using a teapot or pitcher, pour room temperature water into the pan to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Carefully place the baking pan in the oven and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the cakes are puffy and lightly golden on top. Using tongs, carefully remove the ramekins from the baking dish and let cool on a rack for about 20 minutes before serving. (They will sink a bit as they cool; that's okay.) Dust with Confectioners' sugar and serve with berries, if desired.
- Make Ahead: The cakes can be made a day ahead of time. Once completely cool, cover the cakes with plastic wrap and store at room temperature. Before serving, preheat the oven to 350°F and set a rack in the middle position. Remove the plastic wrap and place the ramekins on a baking sheet; heat for 10-15 minutes, until warmed through.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (1 cake servings)
- Calories: 248
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated fat: 3 g
- Carbohydrates: 43 g
- Sugar: 36 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Sodium: 152 g
- Cholesterol: 105 g
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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This is a wonderful dessert..it’s easy to make, has a great texture, and is packed with lemon flavor. I’d love to see recipes for other flavors of pudding cakes. Maybe chocolate, or orange, or butterscotch? Thanks for a great recipe.
This recipe is fantastic! It blows my mind that something so delicious can be made out a few simple ingredients. One suggestion – I’ve cut the sugar significantly to 1/2 c or (1/2 c + 2 tblsp). 1 cup is way too sweet for us and when served with blueberries, it’s perfect!
For some reason I only filled 4 rather than 6 bowls. In the oven I hope they turn out.
Hi. Was wondering if I could make the mixture a few hours before they go in the oven? My guests normally like to have dessert a while after dinner and I wanted to prepare this beforehand. Thanks
Hi Sarah, Instead of making the batter ahead, I would suggest just baking these in advance and reheating them. Hope everyone enjoys!
This is unbelievable! I don’t bake very often and I have to say I’m not very good at it! This recipe is easy and soooo delicious! Will be making this again and again and again! Thank you!
Should I grease the ramekins first? How about just spraying Pam for baking?
Yes, I would just spray them. Hope you enjoy!
Dear Jenn, I just made these for my parents and children. In Australia, we call this ‘lemon delicious pud’ and serve it in a single baking dish. So I bought 6 x300ml ramekins and make your recipe. It was so easy being melt& mix method rather than all that creaming butter& sugar! And they worked out PERFECTLY! The best flavour and light on top with saucey lemon curd below.I found I needed a half quantity more to fill 6 ramekins, however (filled 4). Thank you so much 😁
300 ml. is equal to a bit over 10 ounces. The recipe calls for 6 ounces ramekins. Therein lies your problem. 😁
I have made this recipe as written and it is wonderful. I was wondering if anyone has made it using stevia or another type of artificial sweetener? I was thinking of making for a diabetic friend and need a substitute for the sugar. Thanks so much.
This is a delicious and refreshing dessert. I followed the recipe, including the instructions for making it ahead. For my chocolate lover guests I crushed chocolate wafers and sprinkled that on top instead of the confectioners sugar. This will be my go to dessert for company.
Hello! This looks lovely. If I bake in a 2 quart dish or 8 inch baking dish, do I still use the water bath? Thx!
Yes, I’d still use the water bath. Hope you enjoy! 🙂
Hey Jenn,
This is exactly the recipe I’ve been searching online for the past 2 hours!
With making it ahead, like if I cook it in the morning and serve it after dinner.
When I re-heat it, will it still keep the saucey-ness at the bottom?
Thanks so much!
Yes, Daisy, you’ll get the same texture if you make these at ahead and reheat them. Hope you enjoy!
I’ve made these once before and they are delicious! My mom loved them so much she asked if I would make them for her birthday. I know it says you can make these one day in advance. Would they be ok two days in advance, refrigerated and warmed in the oven? Thank you!
I wouldn’t stretch it any longer than that, but I think you could probably get away with two days. Happy birthday to your mom! 🙂
Hi Jenn,
I love, love, love all of your recipes. I have made many of them, and they are all standouts. I am going to make your lemon pudding cakes for a dinner party. I’d like to make the batter in advance of our guests’ arrival, and then put in the oven when we sit down to dinner. My question is: will the eggs whites go flat if the batter is made a couple of hours in advance? Or should I bake and reheat per your directions? Thanks much!
Hi Bobbee, so glad to hear you enjoy the recipes! I would suggest baking these in advance and reheating them. Hope everyone enjoys!
Yum! I have no idea how this works but it does. Next time I’ll add more lemon but that’s totally a personal preference. I’m not sure how to get the cake to pudding mixture just right. It seems some had more pudding than others. I’ll keep working on that.
This is one of my favorite ways to use up a bumper crop of lemons! Even my chocaholic husband loves this pudding/cake. I use half sugar and half Stevia and have used almond milk at times with great results. Such a lovely way to end a meal, too – light and refreshing. Thanks again, Jenn!
Jenn,
I made these today in honor of the first day of spring and WOW they did not disappoint! Soooo easy!! And so incredibly delicious!! Big hit with the family. Thanks for being such a genius!!! Yay, Pilar
❤️
Wow! just made three ramekins using 2 medium eggs and half of the rest of the ingredients – except sugar, which I further cut in half (could even reduce further since I like things tart)! YUM. I referenced other reviews and substituted almond flour. What a forgiving and delicious recipe! Eager to make this keto and think that will be easy using monk fruit sweetener, cream, and almond flour. Perfect last minute company dessert!
I’m making these for the third time tonight, this time to celebrate Valentine’s Day. I use blanched almond flour instead of regular flour, and these babies always turn out right. Thanks for a great go-to treat. Best wishes.
Dear Chef Jenn,
I tried this recipe today to serve for dessert after our dinner with an invited neighbor at our home. I used whole fat milk and followed your recipe to the T, except the baking time. I used my turbo setting on my oven and set it for just 30 minutes at first, however, I noticed while they’re baking that the browning wasn’t even. I had to open the oven twice to turn my pan so they can bake evenly. I’m aware that by doing so, I was losing heat since I had to do it slowly because of the water in the pan. Each time that I opened the oven, I added a few more minutes to the timer and continued on with preparing my other dishes.
Well, good thing that I looked again and did not wait for the timer to go off because by the time I checked again, it was way more than just “lightly golden on the top!” It wasn’t burnt at all, but, I was really concern about how the pudding at the bottom will come out and if the cake will be dry. Because of my concerns and fear that I messed it up and couldn’t serve it, I did not wait for 20 minutes for it to cool down to taste it. My thought process was, in the event that it was truly beyond saving let alone serving it to our guest, I still have time to come up with another quick dessert or start over again!
Armed with 2 spoons and anxiety at the pit of my stomach, I called my boyfriend urgently to the kitchen so we both can taste it at the same time, and warned him ahead of time of the possibility that I overbaked them. My boyfriend by the way has a sweet tooth, loves, loves, all kinds of desserts, but, lemon flavor is at the top of his many favorites. Nervously, I dug in gingerly into the dessert and at the same time, taking a very close look at the top texture and its entirety. The deeper my spoon got in, my anxiety built up more because I noticed that there wasn’t a whole lot of pudding at the bottom. My heart sank needless to say as I brace myself for what my boyfriend’s one word be to describe it, “dry!”
I watched him as he eagerly spoon a big chunk of it into his mouth as I was putting mine into my mouth. The minute the warmth and tartness of the cake touched my palate, I saw stars in front of me, lots of them! I giddily held my excitement back to wait for my boyfriend’s comment, and all I heard was one word – WOW! He then looked at me like a kid who was just handed an ice cream cone for the first time with big eyes and said, “Wow, oh wow! That is insanely good and it taste just like your lemon meringue pie without the crust!” Needless to say, I only had that one teeny bitty bite and he polished off the rest of the cake before he had dinner.
As soon as our dinner was over, he gleefully stood up and exclaimed to our guest who also has a sweet tooth and loves lemon meringue pie as well, “I can’t wait for you to have her dessert, and I’m sure you’ll love it!” To make my already long story shorter, they both inhaled their cakes in less than 2 minutes in between groans and moans, then, they glared at me as I very slowly savor every small bites at a time of my cake. I glared back to both of them and scolded them, “Did you two even taste it as fast as you both devoured it???” The answer was, “Nope, that’s why we’re ready for seconds!” My math says, one batch made 6 remekins and we ate one as a sample. All three of us had one each, first. That’s 6 – 4 = 2 left, then, minus 2 for their second helping. I voiced out to both of them that they both had 2 each and I had one, and what’s wrong with this picture? “That’s because you only made one batch of 6, duh! And they’re small remekins! Which means, you need to make more because it definitely tasted like, MORE – please, pretty please???”
I was, having a very nice and civilized dinner with both mature male adults or so I thought, until dessert time. Can you guess by now what I will be making tomorrow as soon as I wake up? Yep, triple batch of this wonderful dessert so that my neighbor can have half of them just for himself and the other half for my boyfriend! What’s wrong with this picture, again???
I very seldom write comments about recipes let alone a long one for that matter, but, as a Chef (retired) myself, I know too well how much work, time, and money it takes to create recipes, re-recreate it over and over again until its perfected, take photos, write descriptions, spell-check it, etc., then finally share them. I am also aware that more often than not, destructive criticisms are what you get more of, than being thanked and grateful for all your hard work and kindness for sharing them, for free. I am truly grateful, thankful, and admire you for doing so. I myself have an Arsenal and collections of original recipes I’ve created, but, after reading soooooo many derogatory, destructive, and condescending comments of a recipe that was shared for free, I chose to keep them all locked up and they will only be seen IF I ever write a cookbook, maybe.
Again, thank you, thank you very much, for sharing your awesome, low fat, decadent, luscious, lemon-heavenly, sexy, sinfully indulgent, and delicious dessert, Chef Jenn!
Sincerely,
Chef*SaraP
❤️
What a phenomenal, easy and flavorful dessert!! Another great recipe from you and your website. Thanks so much for making me look like a star with my family and friends
Amazing! Another great recipe from your site!! Thank you Jen.
Can we use another kind of flour? Almond or something healthier. Also I need a sugar sub.
Hi Iliana, A number of readers have commented that they’ve used different types of flour (i.e., almond flour) and have had success. In terms of a sugar substitute, you could try maple syrup or honey. (I’d suggest starting with subbing half of the sugar with honey or maple syrup, then increase from there if it works out.) Please let me know how they turn out if you try them! 🙂
Fantastic. Everyone wanted the recipe.
Hi Jenn, love your recipes and can’t wait to try these! Would a muffin pan work or would the cups be too small? I think mine would fit inside a 9×13 pan.
Hi Sandy, I don’t think the wells are too small, but they’d be really hard to remove from muffin tins. If you don’t have ramekins, you could prepare it in an 8-inch or 2-qt baking dish. Hope that helps!
These look perfect for a dessert for a dinner I am having for girlfriends. Question: Can I make them earlier in the afternoon and then warm & serve for dessert . . . or do they need to be served right after baking and resting (for 20 minutes)? Thank you in advance. 🙂 Mary.
Hi Mary, you can definitely make these earlier in the day! Scroll down to the bottom of the recipe for more guidance. Hope everyone enjoys! 🙂
Hi Jenn,
These Lemon Cakes with their lovely pudding-like centers are my favorite dessert! That’s actually quite a compliment, as like you, I’m Not a dessert or sweets eater! I’ve always made them exactly as written.
Recently, I changed my diet to cut some carbs, use almond or coconut flour, and stop using granulated sugar! I made the cakes using blanched almond flour; they were perfect! Can you recommend a healthier sugar ? I’m afraid to omit the sugar completely!
Thank you so much,
Cyndi
Hi Cyndi, glad to hear you like these and that they turned out nicely with almond flour! In terms of a sugar substitute, you could try maple syrup or honey. (I’d probably start with subbing half of the sugar with honey or maple syrup, then increase from there if it works out.) Hope that helps!
Hi Jenn, do we have to use ramekins? Can we use regular glass pan instead? I don’t have ramekins and I don’t bake with them.
If yes then what temperature and how long should be baked. This is a lovely recipe and would like to try.. my husband loves lemon desserts. Thank you
Hi Sam, no, ramekins are not a must. You can use a 2-quart or 8-inch baking dish. Baking time would be about the same. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jenn! I have 10 oz ramikens and need 6 servings. Suggestions??
Hi Rebekah, I would double the recipe and increase the cooking time to 50 to 60 min. 🙂
Hi Jenn
I’m looking for a make ahead desert for Christmas. This sounds delicious can I make this ahead. Will the ingredients freeze like a chocolate fondant and cook from freezer?
Hi Vicki, you can make these a day ahead and refrigerate, but I don’t think they’d freeze well – sorry! If you’d like to make them ahead, scroll down to the bottom of the recipe to see detailed instructions. Happy holidays!
Can i use soymilk instead?
Yes, that should work, Diana. Enjoy!
Wonderful. I needed a dessert tonight and I had all these ingredients on hand. Easy and delicious.
Can they be frozen after they are cooked
Unfortunately, they don’t freeze well – sorry!
Tried these with plain flour, not sure if it works?
Also, I used caster sugar, is that right?
I want to perfect these
Yes, Chris, plain sure is correct for these and for best results, I’d use granulated sugar instead of caster sugar. Hope that helps!
What a great recipe! Thanks so much for an easy dessert that is so impressive. We have served it to company many times and everyone raves about it!!! So delicious and really looks like you fussed!
My husband and I both thoroughly enjoyed this recipe. It was quite easy and quick to make. We ate it warm and cold, with and without fresh raspberries. It was all good, but warm with fresh raspberries and a dusting of powdered sugar was the best and very pretty. I did not change a thing. Although I made this for an evening snack, this would make a lovely light dessert for company.
Hi Jenn, re Lemon Delicious Puddings – you say to incorporate the whipped egg white in with a spatula! Is that different to using a metal spoon to incorporate the whites? Would be curious to hear your comments.
Thanx Jenny Collins, Hawthorn, Victoria Australia
Either way is fine, Jenny. 🙂
Hi Jenn made the Lemon Delicious Puddings from an Australian recipe!! (scared of international ingredient variations e.g. what size egg? You say “Large” – is that 55 g, 60 g, 70 gram or what size eggs?) followed your tips however! Worked really well – have made them now 3 times, but lost my sauce last time!!! Did I bake them too long? Or reheat too long? They are soooooo yummy. Must try your Choc Lava Puds next! Kind regards & thanx for your help, Jen Collins, Victoria, Australia
So glad you enjoyed them, Jenny. The third time your oven may have been a little hot – just take them out a little earlier next time, especially if you plan to reheat them.
With the all purpose flour is that self-raising flour or plain
Hi Beverly, You’ll want to use regular all-purpose flour here. Hope you enjoy!
All purpose flour is plain flour. When I first came to the US (years ago), I would search in vain for plain flour only eventually to discover that all purpose flour IS plain flour.
Hi Jenn! I’ve been looking forward to making these for months now, and I finally have the opportunity! Question – I know with cakes it works best to use room temperature dairy. Is it the same for this recipe for the eggs and milk?
Hi Kelly, This recipe is no different than others that call for bringing some of the ingredients to room temperature. (I never bring my milk to room temperature, though.) Hope you enjoy the cakes!
Light as a feather and loaded with tart lemon flavor. I used blanched almond flour to make grain-free puddings, and they rose beautifully. Served with seasonal berries, these little jewels really shone! Best wishes.
Hi Jenn,
I absolutely LOVE this recipe and am happy to say it has been my faithful go-to recipe for both dinner parties as well as a sweet weekday treat for the family. A quick question, I made these on a visit to New Mexico and the cakes burned on the top and didn’t really rise. I have a feeling the high altitude had something to do with it, as they have come out perfectly when I bake them in my home state of Massachusetts. Do you have any suggestions for a change in tempature and bake time for high altitude? Thanks a million for all of your recipes! Your cookbook is absolutely outstanding, thank you for sharing such delicious recipes!!
Hi Jade, Thank you for the sweet note…so happy you’re enjoying the cookbook! 😊 I think you’re correct about the high altitude but, unfortunately, I don’t any experience with high altitude baking so I don’t have any wisdom to share. This guide from King Arthur is a good one if you want to fiddle around.
Can I use gf flour?
Hi Caoimhe, I’ve never made these with gluten-free flour but a number of readers have commented that they have with good results. Hope you enjoy!
Love this dessert, I used less sugar and they were delicious. The blueberries add a nice touch
Love the recipe. Also made this with half cup of sugar and it came out great. It always pleases the crowd. I would love to learn how to make a chocolate version! Thanks Jenn.
Glad you enjoyed them, Sandy! Have you tried my molten chocolate cakes?
They are great! I’ve cooked them several times already, and everybody loves them! But I can’t really eat anything dairy, so is it possible to substitute milk for almond milk and butter for olive oil for example?
Hi Natalia, I’ve only made this with milk and butter so I’m not sure how the changes would affect these. I suspect almond will be okay. I really don’t think olive oil would work – you could try coconut oil, but I’m not sure how it will impact the results. Please let me know how it turns out if you try it!
I’ve tried to make them with almond milk and 1,5 tablespoons of olive oil, they turned out to be almost exactly the same)
One of my new favorite deserts! It’s also good at room temperature. Probably special chilled too but none have ever lasted that long.
These were perfection! Threw them together while I was making dinner and they were done just in time for dessert. Tart and total deliciousness.
I did have a question: if I wanted to change the ratio of cake to pudding (more cake, a little less pudding) would I fill the casserole up with less water? Maybe only 1/3 up the side of the ramekins? Or would I just bake longer?
So glad you enjoyed them! To change the consistency/ratio of cake to pudding, you wouldn’t need to adjust the water; that won’t have an impact. I would add just a little bit more flour. Hope that helps!
Hi! Can I use lime instead of lemon and if I do how much should be used?
It won’t have quite the same bright tang that lemon has, but it should work. I’d love to hear how they turn out with lime!
Made these tonight and they were a huge hit. Even my husband who never gets excited about a dessert that’s not chocolate raves about them. I had smaller ramekins and they looked a little over cooked but still turned out delicious. Can’t wait to make these again!
WOW – excellent recipe! Served for Easter dinner dessert with mixed berries. My ONLY suggestion is to make sure the berries are sweetened to offset the lovely lemony tart flavor. This recipe is dinner party perfect, too!
I made these exactly as the recipe said and they were beautiful! Tonight I accidentally left out the milk! They tasted like a lemon bar, still so delicious! Next time I’m gong to make them without the milk and add an extra egg yoke/egg white!
I love this recipe, thanks Jenn. It’s part lava cake and part souffle, perfect for the ladies in my book club. I was looking for something light but satisfying and this fits the bill.
I have lemon curd already prepared. Could I use that in place if any of these ingredients? Incorporate it somehow?
I don’t recommend it, Lanell – sorry!