Molten Lemon Cake

Can’t stand baking.  What with the exact measuring/timing and all.  And then there’s all the stuff – measuring spoons, cups, little boxes of powder, cannisters of things.  Excavating for baking dishes buried in the far reaches of the cabinet. What a hassle.

But there’s a few things we’ll bake now and again, and here’s one of them.  An old family recipe, labeled “Lemon Pudding”  —  kind of misleading because the top half actually turns into an airy lemon cake.  The bottom, though, is a thick lemony pudding.  Nice contrast, and easy to put together. This is great after a holiday dinner.  Something light and tart after a leg of lamb or a big ol’ standing rib roast.  And for baking, it’s not that annoying to prepare.

The Goods:

• 1 C sugar
• 2 T butter, melted
• 5 T fresh squeezed lemon juice
• Zest from 2 lemons, minced fine
• 1½ C whole milk
• 4 T flour
• 1/8 t salt
• 3 separated eggs

The Execution:

Oven to 350º. Beat egg yolks into sugar, add in everything else except the egg whites.   Beat whites into stiff peaks, gently fold into mix.  Pour into buttered 1½ quart casserole.  Put in pan of warm water and slide carefully into oven for 45 minutes at most.  Evacuate when top gets browned — like this:

Serve warm with a sprig of mint, maybe a snifter of Grand Marnier mixed with a touch of Cognac on the side…

p.s. – you can do these in individual ramekins too, just reduce the baking time. We rolled out individual lemon puddings for the tot and her little compadres a while back, was a big hit.