Lemon Cake Bloopers

Can you spot the blooper in the above photo?  This is a picture of a Meyer Lemon Pudding Cakelet, a dish that usually comes out beautifully for me. But I made one (not so) fatal error that caused the top to sport those unfortunate craters.  Oh well, it still tasted good. 

I often make these little cakes for dinner parties, and the above batch was for my book club gathering last week.  I love these cakelets because they (usually) look so impressive, and so cute in their individual ramekins, and (sshh..) they’re pretty easy to make.   And here’s the clincher:  each cakelet has a surprise nugget of tart pudding, which delights unsuspecting  tasters.  It’s like getting a culinary prize in the center of each cake.

So normally, these look really appetizing.  I’ll tell you my mistake, which I made in haste:  I didn’t save back the egg whites to fold in at the last minute.  Instead, I just sloppily mixed it all in (this is what happens to me when I cook after 9pm on a weeknight!).  But you’ve been warned—try to make these when you feel relaxed yet alert.

Making these is like conducting a magic science experiment, because it’s all one batter, and the pudding-like center is created by the cooking method.  Try this recipe and I promise, the crowd will go wild!

The recipe comes from an incredible cookbook, Blue Eggs and Yellow Tomatoes: Recipes from a Modern  Kitchen Garden by Jeanne Kelley:

Lemon Pudding Cakelets

Makes 6-8 cakelets

(note:  it’s best to use Meyer Lemons for this—but don’t sweat it if you have to use regular lemons.  I also hear you can substitute tangerines, which would make “Tangerine Pudding Cakelets.” )

1.       Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.       Separate 4 eggs.  Beat the whites with ¼ cup of sugar until you get peaks.  Transfer eggs whites to another bowl and have them wait on the sidelines (key step!).

3.       Then put the 4 yolks in same bowl you just mixed in, add ¾ cup of sugar, 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (I highly recommend getting a Microplane zester) and beat it until the mixture is light yellow, around 3 minutes.

4.       Add ¼ cup all-purpose flour, 3 tablespoons butter, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 ½ cups buttermilk, and ½ cup of lemon juice that you just squeezed from those grated lemons.  Beat until combined.

5.       Then GENTLY STIR in (don’t beat!)  those sidelined egg whites into your big mixture.

6.       Pour the batter into 6-8 individual ramekins.  Place all ramekins into baking pan.  Then pour hot water into the pan, so that it comes up to about halfway up the sides of ramekins (this is the cool step that makes your pudding!).

7.       Bake for 30 minutes until tops are golden brown and springy to touch (NOT like in photo!).

8.       These are good served either warm or chilled—so now it’s time to wow your guests with your uber-gourmet, secretly-easy dessert.

May all your Cakelets be Springy not Spongy,

Jennifer