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Few things express affection quite like flour, butter, and sugar. If you're looking to show your love through food, a well-made dessert can work wonders. Just be cautious about your recipe choice, as a complicated dish may leave you more stressed than romantic by the end. For a dessert that's both simple and impressive, give this lemon pudding cake from the Institute of Culinary Education a try.
This individual-sized cake is crafted from basic ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen, such as eggs, lemon, butter, and milk. If you're craving something a little different, you can easily swap the lemon for another fruit. "You can switch up the flavor by using something like blood orange juice," says ICE chef Carrie Smith to Mytour. "It works well with other flavors, even a fruit puree like raspberry sauce or puree, especially for a red theme on Valentine's Day."
To make the cakes, combine milk, egg yolks, melted butter, sugar, flour, and lemon juice and zest in a bowl. Beat the egg whites until they form medium stiff peaks, then gently fold them into the batter. This will give your cakes a light and airy texture.
Next, pour the batter into greased ramekins, then place them in a pan with water. Bake in a 350°F oven for 30 to 45 minutes. Serve with a light dusting of powdered sugar and fresh berries of your choice. The pudding can be served slightly warm, or you can prepare it ahead and chill it in the fridge before serving.
Smith explains that these can be enjoyed either warm or cold. 'There's no need to serve them warm,' she says. 'If you have leftovers and store them in the fridge, the flavors deepen and develop over a day or two.'
The Institute of Culinary Education, one of the largest culinary institutions in the world, has campuses in both Los Angeles and New York City. It offers career training programs in various fields, including culinary arts, pastry and baking arts, and hospitality and hotel management. You can explore the full course offerings on ICE’s website.
Lemon Pudding Cake
Yields 8 cakes
Ingredients: 4 eggs (separated), zest from 2 lemons, 3/4 cup lemon juice, 1 cup milk, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted, plus more for greasing ramekins), a good pinch of salt, 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1 pint washed blueberries, and powdered sugar for dusting.
- Butter 6-8 ramekins to grease them.
- In a bowl, combine the milk, egg yolks, lemon zest and juice, melted butter, sugar, and flour.
- Whip the egg whites to medium-stiff peaks, then gently fold them into the mixture.
- Evenly distribute the batter into the greased ramekins.
- Place the ramekins in a baking dish filled with water.
- Bake at 350°F for 30–45 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.
- Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then serve warm with a dusting of powdered sugar and fresh berries.
