Friday, August 14, 2009

Lemon Pudding Cake

I was talking to my youngest brother, Grant, on the phone the other night and he surprised the dickens out of me by saying he follows my blog. Just when I think he is the most exhausting and exasperating tease on the planet, he switches it all around and leaves me dumbfounded with his interest and awareness of FFAHS.

He told me that the recipes that caught his eye were the couple I had posted that our beloved grandmother made for us when we were kids. That started a whole stream of food memories and we spent a good long time reminiscing. One that we both fondly remember and one of the very first desserts I ever learned how to make was one that she taught me, called cottage pudding, a simple, single layer (dry!) vanilla cake with a lemon hard sauce poured over (to give it some moisture and flavor, I'm sure). I made her recipe a short while back; loved the lemon sauce but the cake was definitely Sahara Desert material LOL.

So, for Grant and for my grandmother, I wanted a lemony cake that had the quality of being cake and at the same time having a sauce. I found this on Allrecipes.com. This is a self-saucing pudding cake that bursts with lemon flavor and then sweetness, both flavors separately and deliciously identifiable upon the tongue. It was a good find and one that I would make again.

Grant, dear, you surprise me and you make me smile. Out of any of us, you are the keeper and the archivist of the family memories. For you, I shall, (one of these days), post Grammy's cottage pudding because you want your children's grandchildren to know what their great- (however many times removed) great grandmother made and to have a connection with their past. What better way than to share food?

Lemon Pudding Cake

4 large eggs, separated
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups milk

Preheat oven to 350F. Have read an 8 x 8 baking pan or casserole and a separate baking dish large enough to hold it because you're going to use a water bath. Have ready hot water for the water bath.

In a medium bowl, combine and beat together egg yolks, lemon juice, lemon rind, and butter or margarine until thick and lemon colored.

Onto a piece of waxed paper or another bowl, combine sugar, flour, and salt. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk to the yolk mixture, beating well after each addition.

Making sure that there is no trace of fat in the egg whites, beat egg whites until stiff peaks are formed when you raise the beater. Blend egg whites into batter on low speed of electric mixer. Pour baking dish.

Place a pan of hot water in the oven, with only enough water to come halfway up the side of the baking dish. Set the baking dish into the pan being careful to avoid being splashed and burned by the hot water. (Or you could put the pan and the baking dish in the oven and carefully add the hot water around the edge of the baking dish, being careful not to spill it into the pudding or to burn yourself on the oven door!)

Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes.


My notes: I used a lemon zester to peel the lemon and used the entire peel of one lemon, so I probably had a little more than a teaspoon of lemon, which is fine with me. I love lemon. I added it to my sugar and whizzed it about in my Magic Bullet to make a lemon flavored caster sugar. Caster sugar is a little finer than regular table sugar but not as fine as confectioners' sugar; it gives a little better texture to baked goods. It's an extra step, totally not necessary.

48 comments:

  1. Oh Katy I am groaning here..lemon anything does that to me! I will be making this one for sure and real soon too!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I have everything to make this Katy, on my next day off, Tuesday I hope this will be mine, mine I tell ya!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. You weren't lying about pudding cake! This one looks delicious and refreshingly lemon-y!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I love anything lemon. This sounds great!

    ReplyDelete
  5. The more lemony, the better in my book. I'm printing this one off right now! :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love anything lemon. I am trying this one out this weekend! It sounds wonderful!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oh Katy this sounds so light and freshy and tasty! My mouth is drooling right now :) Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Katy this does sound excellent!! I enjoyed your description of your brother.My brother is very similar.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anything with lemon just has to be good!

    ReplyDelete
  10. This lemon pudding cake looks over the top delicious!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Awww, that's cute about your little bro. This lemon cake looks fantastic!

    ReplyDelete
  12. I can tell that this would be a hit in my home too! I love pudding of any type....some great comfort twinges going on in the mere mention. And then lemon makes it over the top. Great post...good memories! Love your brother following...cute!

    ReplyDelete
  13. That looks great katy. I just love lemon desserts. About as much I like chocolate! The recipe your Grandmother made sounds goodf too. The dry cake idea kind of reminds me sponge cake witha soaker. Hmmm.

    ReplyDelete
  14. No better way than food my dear...no better way!! This is gorgeous...I know I would love it. Thank you for posting it!

    ReplyDelete
  15. wow!Looks gr8!
    I will have to try it soon..tnx

    ReplyDelete
  16. What a beautiful cake! I've never used caster sugar. I'll have to look for it.

    I'm always surprised and delighted when a family member or friend mentions that they read my blog. :0)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Looks amazing! I totally agree on the extra lemon zest...I usually double up on the lemon zest, it is so amazing. When I think of all the times in my early cooking days that I squeezed the juice and threw away the peel it almost makes me cry.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I love lemony desserts...Lemon pudding cake looks so irresistible!

    Angie's Recipes

    ReplyDelete
  19. Pudding cake looks delicious! so gooey and moist!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Katy, LOVE LOVE LOVE lemon!
    This looks so nice.
    And what a sweet post about your brother!

    ReplyDelete
  21. My grandma doesn't like any desserts but lemon desserts. I get tired of always making her lemon cakes and bars! This is perfect!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Katy while I was reading through the ingredients list I thought I would rub the zest into sugar and lo you did one better!

    My grandma was an excellent cook and seem to have a magic pot that never emptied no matter how many friends or family members stopped by (& ate) while it was mealtime.
    ~ingrid

    ReplyDelete
  23. Hi Katy! This is my first visit to ur blog and I promise will keep coming back now.
    You have a whole lot of interesting recipes in your collection. The pudding is awesome, I have already bookmarked.
    Do find time to drop by.

    ReplyDelete
  24. KK love lemon and is always after me to make a lemon dessert.... I just may have to give in! YUM!

    ReplyDelete
  25. I love both lemon and pudding. Your pudding looks just fabulous! Thanks for the recipe, I will sure give it a try one day. Have a nece day.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Yum, Katypi! Do you think I could add blueberries to this? Kathye

    ReplyDelete
  27. I was thinking of adding the bluberries as well, though I think fresh blueberries would be the best choice. A blueberry sauce, in my opinion, would be too sweet, even for my very sweet tooth.

    ReplyDelete
  28. I can imagine the lemony taste... uummmm lovely!!!

    ReplyDelete
  29. This really does look luscious. A real belt buster.

    ReplyDelete
  30. This sounds so moist and delicious!! Food memories are the best - and it's even better when you can re-create the recipes. A lot of our family recipes were never written down and trying to re-create them is hit or miss at best.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Just wanted to let you know that I have been following your blog for awhile now.I commend you for a job well done. I can truly tell you enjoy cooking very much.So many yummy things,where do I start? Keep up the fantastic work.It`s always a pleasure reading your little stories.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Hi ya
    This is my first time here. U have a lovely space. Yummy pudding. Looks gr8!

    ReplyDelete
  33. your lil bro, GrantAugust 16, 2009 at 8:59 PM

    You know Gram would be so proud of you. I can see her big smiles looking down on you from above. If she could have ever lived to see all of this. Can you imagine? All I know is we are all very blessed that you have taken the initiative to keep her spirit alive, not just in our hearts and homes, but in the hearts and homes of many many others around the country and around the world. Thank you Kathy. You'll never know my appreciation for all you are and for all you're doing.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Hi Katy, I'm back. ;-)

    This post touches my heart because of the family connection here. My brother follows my blog also (actually he has made apple dumplings for me to post!). Isn't it something how family is the heart of everything we do - but when it comes to food it really takes a huge grasp on us. Its really special you brother commented here for you too.

    BTW, the lemon dish looks awesome!

    ReplyDelete
  35. Oh my goodness, that looks so refreshing. I love lemon anything. Nice to have such good family memories to share.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Katy that is one moist and decadent looking cake, not to mention, I love anything lemon.

    How wonderful you and Grant were able to relive so many wonderful childhood memories.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Oh Katy that was such a sweet post. Family is everything....I wish I had my grandma's recipes but unfortunately she just cooked with a little of this and a little of that!!! What a great looking cake. I know I will be making this one of these days. Can't resist a good lemon cake!

    ReplyDelete
  38. Pls accept gift from my blog

    ReplyDelete
  39. I love lemon desserts Katy, and the fact that this one is so easy is a big plus! This is making my mouth water!
    My brother and I were remembering some of our mothers best meals recently over the phone-Food is such a powerful memory maker, so I guess thats one reason why those family dinners are so important!

    ReplyDelete
  40. This lemon dessert looks great! Thanks for sharing your recipe :)

    ReplyDelete
  41. Oh Katy - what a luscious dessert. Such beautiful summertime fare. Don't you love heirloom recipes? Isn't it wonderful how it continues to connect us to others through time?

    ReplyDelete
  42. Katy,the pudding cake with all its lemony flavors looks delish :D

    ReplyDelete
  43. That picture sold me. I just want to take a spoon to it. :)It looks delicious, like a big lemon bar, YUM!

    ReplyDelete
  44. What a fabulous lemon dessert! I have just written down the recipe! Lovely! I love sharing recipes!

    ReplyDelete
  45. This cake is calling my name! What a fabulous summer dessert! Pudding always makes things so moist too!

    ReplyDelete
  46. Mmmmm, this one sure looks good. There's something special about lemon desserts.

    ReplyDelete
  47. Hello, Miss Katy! I've got this baby baking in the oven as I type! My nephew and I made it together. My one twin has been bugging for lemon bars. I agreed with the lemon part but wanted something different and remembered your pudding cake. We can't wait to dig in! Thank you for sharing!
    ~ingrid

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.