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Lemon Pudding Cakes with Preserves

(adapted from The Craft of Baking by Karen Demasco)

Ingredients

  • Butter room temperature for ramekins
  • 1 c. buttermilk low fat
  • 1/4 c. fresh lemon juice or lime or grapefruit juices
  • 4 large eggs separated
  • 1/4 c. plus 1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour level the cup
  • 3/4 c. sugar plus 1 Tbsp. more for ramekins
  • pinch salt
  • Zest of 2 lemons or 2 limes or 1 grapefruit
  • 8 tbsp. jam or preserves I made my own

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 325°.
  2. Prepare eight 6-ounce ramekins by coating them well with the soft butter and then sugar. Set the ramekins in a roasting pan that has a kitchen towel laid out on the bottom. The towel allows a bit more insulation for the puddings when baked. Set the roasting pan aside.
  3. In a bowl mix together the flour, 3/4 cup sugar and salt. Rub the zest into the flour mixture. Set aside.
  4. Whisk together the buttermilk, lemon juice and egg yolks. Set aside.
  5. Beat the egg whites and 1 tablespoon sugar until just soft peaks. Be sure not to over beat or they will be grainy and not incorporate into the batter well. Add the flour mixture to the buttermilk/lemon mixture. Whisk until well incorporated.
  6. Add the egg whites 1/3 at a time into the batter and then fold them in with a spatula. Ladle the batter into the prepared ramekins. Fill the roasting pan with hot water up to the middle of the ramekins. Tent with foil. Bake for 20 minutes and then remove the foil.
  7. Bake for another 20 minutes until the cakes rise up above the ramekins, are golden in color and spring back when you touch the tops.
  8. Let them cool to room temperature. The pudding-cakes can be served warm, room temperature or chilled. They can be made ahead and stored in the ramekins until serving time. If you serve them chilled the pudding will be a bit denser.
  9. Run a paring knife around the edge and invert onto the serving plate. Spoon a tablespoon of jam onto each of the cakes.
  10. You could top these with orange marmalade or use fresh blueberries, raspberries or even strawberries instead of the jam.

Recipe Notes

*Note: I only made half a recipe and did four 4" ramekins. I think making just three from half a recipe would have made for a taller cake. So, I would say the full recipe (above) makes 6 cakes in a 3" ramekin.