Lemon-lime Pudding Cake
I love breakfast. It’s the most important meal of the day… or so they say. But it’s still not my favorite meal. No, my favorite meal, or maybe course is a better term, has got to be dessert! I love a rich, sweet dessert. Doesn’t matter if it’s fruit or chocolate. As long as it’s sweet and in either cake, cookie, pie or pudding form, I’m in. But it never seems to be the thing that people think of for Mother’s Day.
Mother’s Day always seems to be about breakfast or brunch. Recipes that can be made by the kids and their dads at the crack of dawn and then brought up to Mom in bed. But why? That’s not the only meal mothers eat. And let’s be honest, when was the last time Mom got to sleep in? I know I rarely do. So, why can’t there be lunch or dinner or, better yet, dessert recipes? I mean, if Sunday is all about Mom and her greatest desires, shouldn’t she get what she wants? If she wants to sleep in and have breakfast in bed, great. But if she wants to be up at the crack of dawn, go work out and have an amazing dinner and dessert at the end of the day (like me), then she should get that. So, with that in mind, I’m bucking tradition and bringing you a delightfully easy dessert recipe that’s perfect for Mom and this time of year: the pudding cake.
Pudding cake has been around since the late 1800’s, but has recently had a resurgence because they’re two great desserts in one. It’s a light, fluffy cake on top with a thick rich pudding on the bottom. But the good news is, you don’t have to make two recipes and use every pan in your kitchen to enjoy this delightful concoction. The pudding and cake are created at the same time, in the same pan, thanks to beaten egg whites. See, those egg whites fill the batter with air, allowing the cake portion to float to the top, while the batter thickens and turns into a rich pudding on the bottom.
But what really makes this pudding cake special, is its ingredients. It’s made with Meyer Lemons. I absolutely adore Meyer Lemons. Actually, I like all lemons and any dessert where they’re the main ingredient. But Meyers are far and away my favorite. While the Meyer season is drawing to a close here in California, you can still find them at select farmers markets and grocery stores. So, if you see a bag or basket, grab them! They’re sweeter than your average lemon because they’re a cross between that average lemon and a mandarin orange. That combo produced a lemon whose skin is thin and a deep yellowish-orange, and whose flesh is much, much sweeter. Don’t get me wrong, the Meyers still taste like lemons, but since they’re less acidic than your standard Eureka lemon, they’re much more popular for lemon based drinks and desserts. It’s why I chose them for this and most of my favorite lemon recipes. Those Meyer lemons are also why this spring dessert is perfect for Mom, yourself or any backyard soiree.
Ingredients
- 1-1/4 cups sugar, divided
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1-1/2 cups milk
- 4 eggs, separated
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons lime zest
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease an 8x8-inch baking pan.
- Sift 1 cup of sugar, flour and salt together in a small bowl and set aside.
- Whisk the egg yolks, milk, lemon and lime juices together in a medium bowl. Add the flour mixture and stir together until smooth.
- Beat the egg whites until foamy. Continue beating, while slowly adding the remaining sugar, until the whites are glossy and stiff.
- Scoop out one quarter of the whites and fold them into the batter until combined. Fold in the rest of the eggs whites, keeping as much volume as possible.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and place in the oven. Reduce the heat to 300 degrees F and bake until the cake is puffed and dry on top but still soft underneath, 30 - 40 minutes. (To test for doneness, give the pan a little shake; it should just barely jiggle and there should be no browning on top.) Cool on a wire rack for about 30 minutes. Scoop into bowls, top with whipped cream and serve.
