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Lemon Caketop Pudding is a lovely old-fashioned dessert my grandmother loved. Served hot, the dessert separates into two layers: a pool of lemon pudding on the bottom and meringue-like cake on top. Served cold, the two layers merge and form a moist, lemony-bottomed cake. It’s delicious either way. To dress up Lemon Caketop Pudding, let cool, unmold on a platter, and top with raspberries or other fresh fruit. For individual servings, divide batter between 6-ounce custard cups and reduce cooking time to 35-40 minutes. I’ve made the recipe with regular lemons and with Meyer lemons. If using sweeter Meyer lemons, you may want to reduce the amount of sugar to 3/4 cup. I bake it in a souffle dish that fits nicely in a water bath, but have also used a 9″ square baking pan.
- 3 eggs
- 2 Tbsp. melted butter
- 6 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp. grated lemon rind
- 1 cup sugar, divided
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 1/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter souffle dish or other deep baking dish.
Separate eggs, being careful not to get any part of the yolk into the whites. Beat egg-whites until they form soft peaks. Add 1/4 cup sugar and continue beating until egg whites are stiff and form peaks that stand up when beater is lifted.
In separate bowl but using the same beaters, beat together melted butter, lemon juice, and lemon rind. Beat in 3/4 cup sugar, salt, and milk. Whisk in flour by hand. Whisk in a spoonful of beaten egg whites, then fold in the remaining whites. Pour batter into buttered baking dish.
Bake in water bath: Boil water. Put empty pan, large enough to hold the baking dish, in the oven. Put baking dish in pan. Pour in enough boiling water to reach halfway up the baking dish, being careful not to splash water into pudding. Bake 45-50 minutes, until top is golden brown. Remove pudding from oven (and water bath) and cool on rack.
Serve warm or at room temperature.