The cookbook that I used was "Lost Recipes" by Marion Cunningham, who also wrote the classic "Fannie Farmer Cookbook". The book was designed to get people back into home cooking, so the recipes are usually easy, and without a lot of ingredients - something you could theoretically make on a busy weeknight (it might have to be a weeknight in which you get home at 4:30pm, but I like the idea anyway).
I had a few leftover lemons that were getting to be past their prime, and needed to be used that day, and since we were planning to have dinner at home that night, a nice dessert seemed like a good idea. This cake was easy put together, low in flour (only 1/4 cup for the whole cake), and made a nice summery dessert served with freshly whipped cream and fruit.
Lemon Pudding Cake
- 1 C. sugar
- 1/8 t. salt
- 1/4 C. all-purpose flour
- 4 T. (1/2 stick) butter, melted
- 1/3 C. freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Grated peel of 1 lemon
- 3 eggs, separated
- 1 1/2 C. milk
- Heavy Cream
Butter a 1 1/2 quart baking dish or 8 inch square baking dish
Mix 3/4 of the sugar, the salt, and the flour together in a bowl.
Add the melted butter, lemon juice, lemon peel, and egg yolks, and stir thoroughly until blended.
Stir in the milk.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with the remaining 1/4 C. sugar until they are stiff but remain moist.
Fold the beaten whites into the lemon mixture, then pour the batter into the prepared baking dish.
Set the baking dish in a larger pan at least 2 inches deep and pour enough hot water into the larger pan to come halfway up the sides of the baking dish.
Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned.
Serve warm or chilled, with whipped heavy cream.
What happens during baking is that the top and bottom separate, so that you get a light sponge cake on top and a pudding-like bottom. I cut into mine too soon and it was really runny, so make sure you let it cool for awhile before digging in. Chilled is also a nice way to go, and it would be great with a sprig of mint on top on a hot night.
