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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Just made these and they are perfect! Real lemony flavor and so light. Will definitely make again!
Ok I’ve tried different lemon pudding cake recipes. I bake regularly. But every time I try this, I completely fail. It looks perfect on top but it’s a soupy mess underneath the cake layer. Someone please help! What am I doing wrong?
Hi Stephanie, Happy to help troubleshoot. Are you making any changes to the recipes? What brand of flour do you use?
Hi Jenn,
I had the same result as Stephanie – lemon soup. I followed the ingredient measurement exactly but had to take the cakes out at 35 mins as the tops were very brown. The cakes were nice and fluffy. I need to cover them and cook to 50 mins, perhaps?
Hi Cece, Did you have your oven rack in the center position? If so, next time you make these, keep an eye on them and if they are starting to brown before the 45 to 50 minute mark, I’d loosley cover them with foil and let them keep baking. Hope that helps!
I have made these several times and they are always delicious. Can this be made gluten free successfully? Thanks! Love your recipes!
So glad you like them! I haven’t made these with gluten-free flour, but several readers have commented that they have with good results. Hope that helps!
These are delicious – lovely lemon flavor and not too sweet. I think I filled my ramekins a little too much, because I only had enough for 5. Also, I overbeat the egg whites, because mine were extremely stiff – almost dry (I was using my KitchenAid stand mixer). However, even w/ those two issues, these still turned out beautifully. Topped w/ a little powdered sugar & raspberries/blueberries.
Hi, could you make the batter ahead of time and bake them later?
Hi Wilma, I wouldn’t suggest making the batter ahead, but you can fully prepare them and reheat before serving. See the bottom of the recipe for Make-Ahead instructions. Hope that helps!
Always a winter winner!
We have made this recipe and loved it. What are your thoughts on things we could sub the lemon for? Would this recipe work with rhubarb?
Hi SG, Glad you liked it! Unfortunately, I don’t think rhubarb would work here. The only other option that comes to mind is lime.
These are so delicious and very quick and easy to put together. Perfect recipe down to the cooling time. My mom said these reminded her of her childhood.
I’ve made these once before in ramekins and they were divine. This time I’d like to bake it in a 1 1/2 quart dish as others have mentioned they’ve done. How long would you recommend baking for? Thanks in advance!
So glad you like them! It should take about the same amount of time to bake in a larger dish.
These were super easy to make and tasted soooooo yummy!
I baked them ahead of time since it was a new recipe and I was serving them to dinner guests. After baking I just let them sit on the counter and just before we sat down to eat dinner I popped them in the oven to warm them up. Just before serving I added the confectioners sugar and blueberries. Oh my goodness, they were so creamy and delightful and everyone raved about the dessert. It actually made 8 instead of 6, but maybe my ramekins are smaller than yours :-). Maybe I’ll try it in a 2 quart sized baking dish so everyone can have as much as they want.
If I’m going to bake this in an 8 inch pan, do I still need to put the 8 inch pan in another pan of water while it’s baking?
Yes, Sarah, I’d still use the water bath. Hope you enjoy!
Wow! So delicious! I made this GF by simply subbing in Pamela’s baking and pancake mix for the flour. Be careful not to over-beat the egg whites…it goes fast once they start to form soft peaks.
Another great recipe!
Thanks, Jen!
Hi. If I make a day ahead, do I refrigerate or store at room temperature?
Thank you!
Room temperature. Enjoy! 🙂
This is my new “go to” dessert! I was looking for something that wouldn’t be too heavy to go with a steak dinner with all the trimmings. This dessert is perfect! It’s light and easy to make and my guests absolutely loved it.
My ramekins are 4-oz. I read in the reviews that baking will take “a little less time” than the 6 oz. ramekins 45-50 min. referenced in the recipe – and a reviewer that baked her 6-oz. ramekins for only 35 min. Also read, not to overbake or there won’t be pudding at the bottom. So, my question is, how long should I bake my 4-oz. size ramekins?
Hi Ruth, I haven’t made these in 4-oz. ramekins so I can’t say for sure, but I would guesstimate that 35 minutes would be appropriate. Feel free to check them at 30 minutes if you’re concerned about overbaking them. Please LMK how they turn out!
Another winner from Once Upon a Chef!
I used Swerve instead of sugar – delicious and diabetic friendly. Loved it with blueberries.
These are the best lemon pudding cakes i’ve ever made! Perfect balance of sweet and tart and pretty easy to make. We topped ours with whipped cream and just loved them. Every recipe i have tried on this blog always becomes my favorite, Jenn is such a great chef and her recipes are the best!
I love this! I was so easy to prepare. Plus, they were a nice light and refreshing way to end our meal.
My favorite kind of dessert. I’ve made them a couple of times with great success (and compliments!). I use 6oz ramekins and mine are done in 35 minutes or less. The water for my Bain-Marie was a bit hot this time so that may have sped things up. Glad to know I can adapt these for my sister by creating a sugar-free, dairy-free, gluten-free version so I will try that soon. A number of reviewers had success with substitutions so I’ll try monkfruit sugar, coconut milk drink, and gf flour.
For us, I don’t change one single thing in the recipe. Just perfect.
I was very glad that I could find my canning supplies so I could use the rubbery jar lifter to get the cakes out of the Bain Marie. I also put a small towel in the bottom of the pan so that they don’t slide around on my wobbly oven racks.
I serve with whipped cream and a berry sauce or compote made with frozen berries.
Thanks so much!
Question…first time I made this it came out perfect..I used a 1-1/2 quart dish. The second time I used 8 oz ramekins and followed instructions exactly and there was no lemon curd layer, just cake. I’m thinking maybe I baked it too long…??
Sorry you had a problem with these this time! Yes, it sounds like you baked them a bit too long.
Hi Jenn:
I didn’t have the ramekins so tried it in a 8 – 9 inch dish. It turned out perfect. This is definitely is a keeper. Thank you for such a wonderful refreshing dessert.
Ann
How long did you bake it using the larger dish?
Hi Jenn….I have made these several times and they are delicious. I was wondering if you think this recipe would work with limes.
Thanks,
Leslie
Glad you like it! I like the flavor that lemons provide, but this should work with limes as well. Please LMK how they turn out if you try it!
Hi Jenn… this weekend I tried this recipe with limes and it was fantastic.
I put whipped cream and a graham cracker garnish on top.
So glad you enjoyed!
This recipe was amazingly easy and tasty. loved it
I am not much of a baker but this recipe was really easy and turned out amazingly. Found I only had to keep them in the oven for c. 30 mins before they started to brown.
Can i use 4 ounce ramekins instead?
Hi Robin, They will likely take a little less time in the oven in 4-oz ramekins, but not much, so just keep a close eye on them. Enjoy!
Thanks! The 4 ounce ramekins took about 35 minutes in my oven. I had enough batter to also fill a 6 ounce custard cup. Our two friends were unable to come so I put their two ramekins in the fridge. I will reheat them today, two days later!
Glad they came out well- thanks for reporting back!
What is the best way to reheat if I make day before. Thank you!
Hi Leslie, 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. Enjoy!
Gave reply below. A winning recipe.
Another 5-star recipe from Jenn! I’ve made this multiple in recent months and it certainly brightened up our days. Light and fluffy but still moist inside because who wants dry cake? I did reduce the sugar to 3/4 cup and thought it was fine. (Trying to eat healthy here). The recipe is easy to follow that my 16-year-old son made these for my birthday!
I made these for my mom’s birthday and they were a HUGE success!! I’ve made them a couple times since then, once for a friend who has a gluten allergy so I used gluten free flour and they turned out just as delicious as when I used normal flour 🙂
This recipe is a treasure! One of my favorites as I love lemon. I do use a little less sugar and I use the King Arthur lemon oil too. This is a recipe this is always appreciated and enjoyed!
Absolutely brilliant. I cannot say enough, this is so delish and the instructions are so easy to follow. I will be making this often.
Perfection!!! I have made them twice in a row for dinner for friends. I used Meyer lemons from my own tree the second time and topped them with candied cranberries and mint for Christmas. I also used the make- ahead instructions the second time and reheated them. This is such an impressive and absolutely delicious dessert.
Made this for a dinner party and they were a hit, even asked me to share the recipe. I didn’t have ramekins so I used ceramic coffee mugs instead and it still turned out just fine! The pudding at the bottom was perfection and the blueberries added a great contrast both in flavor & color.
These little lemon cakes are scrumptious! Perfect for any company (back when we could entertain…) because you can make it ahead of time and it’s a lovely presentation with the blueberries and the surprise pudding. But easy to prepare at any time. Don’t miss out on this deliciousness!
Hands down our new favourite lemon dessert. Easy enough to make and the results are outstanding! Love ❤️ your website
This is one of our favorite desserts because we love lemon…..anything! This is a simple but delicious “comfort” dessert with the combination of cake and lemon sauce.
I love to serve them in individual glass ramekins with blueberries for the color contrast. Thank you, Jen for another great recipe!
I have no words to describe how scrumptious this dessert is. One of the BEST lemon desserts!
After making this recipe for friends, they are all convinced that I am a master baker. Ah! If they ask for this recipe, they get a copy of the page from this website with Jenn getting all the credit. These are relatively easy to make, but there are one or two steps that might present problems. Getting the final batter free from the lumps from the beaten egg whites can be a challenge, but just be patient, and it will happen. The cakes can be served more than a day later. We have stored in fridge, and then brought to room temperature before putting in cold oven, then turning it to 250 for 15 minutes.
They are the perfect size for a dessert, and can be made the day before for a dinner party. Because there are only 2 of us, we give the other 4 away with people going nuts over it. Enjoy.
this recipe is simple, straightforward and absolutely delicious! 10 stars! I really appreciate that it makes six servings and that leftovers (if you have any) refrigerate well. I recently made it for a family dinner and everyone loved it! Highly recommend!
Our family loves this cake! Excellent recipe! I have yet to be disappointed in any of your recipes!
I have made this several times. So easy & elegant! It’s the perfect light dessert after a robust dinner. I could make this every night if my diet allowed–it’s that good!
This is just the best little pudding cake and lemon is not a favorite flavor of mine! I’ve shared with neighbors and friends– the cake and also where to find the recipe. I’m not lazy with forwarding the recipe, but when it’s something this good I think the cook should take time to look at the author’s site.
The only problem—if you give these out, remember who has your ramekins!
These are like heaven in a cup! Just the perfect amount to satisfy anyone’s dessert craving! So darn good!
These pudding cakes are very light, with a fluffy cake on top and a delightful lemon pudding on the bottom. This recipe is “lemonicious” and I have made them multiple times. All of my family loved them. I will definitely be making these cakes again. I made them the day before and reheated them in the microwave when ready to serve. I placed the custard cups in the pan after I poured the boiling water into the pan. This prevented the boiling water from splashing into the pudding cakes.
These are amazing! Thank you for posting on Instagram so I could see the recipe. I love how the center is nice and pudding like but the outside is like a cake. Perfect for Valentine’s Day!
I made these for our Thanksgiving dinner and we didn’t stop at eating one.
Absolute fluffy, perfect amount of sweetness and acidity
Thank you so much for this delicious recipe. This was exactly what I was looking for. Easy to make, just a few simple ingredients and dinner party worthy.
I have made this recipe twice and followed it exactly. My ramekins must be a little smaller than most, as I got 6 full ramekins and 1 larger full dish. Since they were smaller, they only took about 40 minutes to fully cook. They came out perfect!
Like every other recipe of yours these were absolutely delicious! My dad is a picky/critical eater and was practically licking his ramekin clean. I turn to your cookbook and website for all of my cooking needs. Thank you!
So good. Made some for a group in mini muffin tins and took them out and sandwiched them. The textures are amazing.
My mother is a phenomenal cook; when she recommends a recipe, I know it will be delicious. She highly recommended this recipe, which is just delicious. Another gem from Jen! Thank you!
Hi,
Love your recipes! Want to try these tonight but plan halving the recipe. Should I use 2 eggs or 1? And does the oven temperature or timing need to be adjusted?
Thanks!
Hi Azermi, I’d use 1-1/2 eggs. To do that, take a second egg, beat it in a measuring cup, discard half of it, and use the remaining half. Hope that helps and that you enjoy!
This is a wonderful dessert! Turned out perfectly. Light, tasty and easy. Husband said it’s a new favorite. Thank you