Lemon Pudding Cake

I made oatmeal cookies again with M&Ms.  I forgot to check to see if I had any raisins and I didn't so M&Ms it was.

I saw this lemon pudding cake recipe on 4 different blogs.  I had a couple of meyer lemons hanging around so I had to give it a try. I realized that I don't own a big souffle dish.  I have a handful of little oval and round ramekins, but not a big one.  So I baked the cake in one of my little ramekins and a pyrex pie dish.

folding gently

right out of the oven

a spoonful of lemony goodness

Lemon Pudding Cake

Adapted from Luscious Lemon Desserts by Lori Longbotham & the Traveler's Lunchbox

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup sugar

finely grated meyer (or regular) lemon zest from 2 lemons
3 large eggs, at room temperature, separated
1/3 cup meyer lemon juice or 1/4 cup regular lemon juice
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
8 oz sour cream or greek yogurt
1/4 teaspoon salt
Powdered sugar for dusting

Hot water

Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter a 1-qt. souffle dish. Have a large baking pan which will accommodate your souffle dish ready.

Beat the butter at medium speed until light. Rub the lemon zest into the sugar with your fingers for a couple of minutes.  Add the sugar & zest to the butter and beat until combined. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce speed to low and add half the lemon juice, half the flour and half the sour cream and beat until smooth; repeat with remaining lemon juice, flour and sour cream.

Start boiling some water (I used my tea kettle). Beat the egg whites at medium speed until foamy. Increase speed to medium-high, add the salt, and beat to stiff peaks. Add half of the whites to the lemon mixture and gently fold in. Fold in the rest of the whites. 

Put the batter into the prepared souffle dish. Place the souffle dish into the larger pan and place it in the oven.  Then carefully pour boiling water around it to a depth of 1 inch.

Bake for about 45 minutes to an hour, until the top is golden brown, and the center is just set. Remove from the water bath and cool on a rack for 10-15 minutes. *Be careful when removing from water bath not to get the water into the souffle dish & not to burn yourself :)

Lightly dust with powdered sugar before serving.