Lemon-flavored pastries and cakes are always welcome treats in our kitchen. The aroma of lemon simply adds a touch of freshness to everything – and this Lemon & White Chocolate Pudding Cake is no exception. A hint of tartness meets the sweetness of white chocolate, plus the contrasting textures… it’s an absolutely fantastic dessert! There’s no other way to put it.
Lemon juice and zest are used in so many baked goods – whether it’s sweet or savory. A little acidity enhances other flavors, and a splash of lemon juice or a bit of lemon zest can make a world of difference. It’s a lot like a pinch of salt – you might think it doesn’t do much, but you’d be wrong! A small amount of salt also highlights flavors and can, for instance, make a cake taste even sweeter. Sounds weird, I know.
In this recipe, however, the lemon doesn’t play a supporting role or something like that. Here, lemons are the stars, or perhaps co-stars alongside the white chocolate. Let’s say it like that. You certainly shouldn’t overlook the white chocolate… without it, this pudding cake wouldn’t be nearly as good.
The term »pudding cake« might sound a bit odd to some. What is it? Is it a pudding/custard or a cake? Well, strictly speaking, it’s both at once. The British call this type of treat a »self-saucing pudding«. It’s essentially a pudding that creates its own sauce as it bakes.
If you’ve been baking for a while and spend time online, this might remind you of »magic cakes«. They made the rounds a few years ago and caused quite a stir on the internet. Whatever you choose to call it, the mix of textures is what makes it special.
With a pudding cake/selfsaucing pudding, you pour a fairly liquid batter into a baking pan, and the result is something that turns out like a cake. More or less. It’s actually a cake where the bottom layer is reminiscent of a soft pudding, quite dense, though, while the top turns into a fluffy sponge. And the best part is, you don’t have to do anything special to create these distinct layers… it just happens naturally while baking.
By the way, this recipe is my contribution to this month’s »Bake Together – The Baking Surprise«. Andrea from Zimtkeks & Apfeltarte and I get together once a month to pick a theme. This month it’s all about lemons – though that probably comes as no surprise by now. We each come up with something based on the agreed-on theme and then surprise each other with the results on the last Sunday of the month. Here you go!
As already mentioned, we love using lemons in our recipes. Sometimes prominently, sometimes more subtly. But in two of our favorite lemon recipes, those yellow fruits are the absolute stars. Our No-Bake Buttermilk Lemon Cheesecake is a real highlight when it comes to lemons. It’s absolutely delicious and very refreshing. The perfect summer cake!
A bit more unique and perhaps quite unusual for some people is our Lemon Loaf Cake with Preserved Lemons. Anyone familiar with Moroccan cuisine has likely come across preserved lemons before. They are frequently used in Tajine dishes, for example. But these preserved lemons are just as great for baking sweet treats.
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
(6 servings)
4 medium eggs, separated
1/3 cup (80ml) lemon juice
1 small organic lemon, zest only
0.5 oz. (15g) butter, melted
3/4 cup (150g) sugar (fine)*
2.5 oz. (70g) all-purpose flour*
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups (360ml) milk
1.8 oz. (50g) white chocolate*, chopped
some whipped cream (optional)
some lemon curd (optional)
(6 Portionen)
4 Eier (M), getrennt
80ml Zitronensaft
1 kleine Bio-Zitrone, nur Abrieb
15g Butter, geschmolzen
150g Zucker (fein)*
70g Mehl (Type 405)*
1/4 TL Salz
360ml Milch
50g weiße Schokolade*, gehackt
etwas aufgeschlagene Sahne (optional)
etwas Lemon Curd (optional)
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
1. Have a large casserole dish or roasting pan ready that can fit a 23cm pie dish* inside. You should be able to fill the casserole dish/roasting pan halfway with water and fit the pie dish with some room around it inside. The pudding cake has to bake in a water bath.
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Place the casserole dish/roasting pan in the middle of the oven and fill it halfway with water. Grease the pie dish and set it aside.
3. Separate the eggs – whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form and set them aside. Add the egg yolks to a large bowl and mix them with the lemon juice, lemon zest, and melted butter. Combine sugar, flour, and salt and add it in two batches to the bowl, alternating with the milk and mix until well combined. Next, carefully fold in the egg whites, then add the chopped chocolate. Pour the mixture into the prepared pie dish.
4. Place the pie dish in the casserole dish/roasting pan with the water and bake the pudding cake for about 45 minutes. The cake should have set with a nice golden brown color on top. Take out of the oven and let cool down. Serve the pudding cake (in bowls) with some whipped cream and lemon curd (optional) and enjoy.
1. Der Puddingkuchen muss in einem Wasserbad gebacken werden – deshalb braucht man eine 23cm Pieform* für den Kuchen und eine größere Auflaufform bzw. einen Bräter, in den man die Pieform hineinstellen und rundum mit etwas Wasser auffüllen kann.
2. Den Ofen auf 180°C (350°F) Ober-/Unterhitze vorheizen. Die Auflaufform bzw. den Bräter auf die mittlere Schiene des Ofens stellen und etwa zur Hälfte mit Wasser füllen. Die Kuchenform einfetten und zur Seite stellen.
3. Die Eier trennen – das Eiweiß steif schlagen und zur Seite stellen. Die Eigelbe in eine große Schüssel geben und mit Zitronensaft, Zitronenabrieb und geschmolzener Butter verrühren. Zucker, Mehl und Salz vermengen und dann in zwei Portionen, abwechselnd mit der Milch, zur Schüssel dazugeben – alles gut verrühren. Als Nächstes den Eischnee vorsichtig unterheben und dann die gehackte Schokolade dazugeben. Die Masse in die vorbereitete Pieform füllen.
4. Die Form in die mit Wasser gefüllte Auflaufform bzw. den Bräter stellen und den Puddingkuchen für etwa 45 Minuten backen. Die Masse sollte fest geworden sein und eine schöne goldbraune Farbe bekommen haben. Aus dem Ofen nehmen und abkühlen lassen. Den Kuchen (in Schüsseln) mit etwas aufgeschlagener Sahne und Lemon Curd servieren (optional).
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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
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Lemon & White Chocolate Pudding Cake
- Prep Time: 00:15
- Cook Time: 00:45
- Total Time: 01:30
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: -
- Cuisine: International
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
A great dessert all year round – this Lemon & White Chocolate Pudding Cake is easy to make and really delicious. We love this lemony treat!
Ingredients
4 medium eggs, separated
1/3 cup (80ml) lemon juice
1 small organic lemon, zest only
0.5 oz. (15g) butter, melted
3/4 cup (150g) sugar (fine)*
2.5 oz. (70g) all-purpose flour*
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups (360ml) milk
1.8 oz. (50g) white chocolate*, chopped
some whipped cream (optional)
some lemon curd (optional)
Instructions
1. Have a large casserole dish or roasting pan ready that can fit a 23cm pie dish* inside. You should be able to fill the casserole dish/roasting pan halfway with water and fit the pie dish with some room around it inside. The pudding cake has to bake in a water bath.
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Place the casserole dish/roasting pan in the middle of the oven and fill it halfway with water. Grease the pie dish and set it aside.
3. Separate the eggs – whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form and set them aside. Add the egg yolks to a large bowl and mix them with the lemon juice, lemon zest, and melted butter. Combine sugar, flour, and salt and add it in two batches to the bowl, alternating with the milk and mix until well combined. Next, carefully fold in the egg whites, then add the chopped chocolate. Pour the mixture into the prepared pie dish.
4. Place the pie dish in the casserole dish/roasting pan with the water and bake the pudding cake for about 45 minutes. The cake should have set with a nice golden brown color on top. Take out of the oven and let cool down. Serve the pudding cake (in bowls) with some whipped cream and lemon curd (optional) and enjoy.
Notes
Let’s get baking!
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