Wondering how to make the best lemon pudding cake ever with only 5 staple ingredients? We got you covered! This easy cake is luscious and has a creamy layer of lemon pudding beneath a soft, spongy cake. It is also both gluten-free and dairy-free! A must for Spring and Easter!
Spring is here and Easter celebrations will be coming up soon. If you are experiencing a shortage of ingredients like I am, this is the best dessert recipe to make.
It is easy to prepare with only 5 ingredients: sugar, flour, eggs, lemon juice and zest, and canned coconut milk (optional).
Plus, it is cheap, light, citrusy, and so delish!
The batter magically separates into a thin spongy cake on top of a custardy lemon pudding. However, the lemon pudding custard layer is softer than the texture of an old fashioned cottage cheese cheesecake for example.
You can either bake the lemon cake in a 2-quart baking dish or in ramekins. The baking time will be about the same.
You can garnish the top as desired and serve the lemon cake with pudding warm by itself or topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. 😉
Table of Contents
What is lemon pudding cake?
It is a dessert whose batter magically separates during baking into a layer of spongy cake on top of a creamy lemon pudding.
The lemon pudding layer is comparable to a giant-size, crustless lemon bar-- although with a less lemony flavor if dairy or coconut milk are brought in as ingredients.
This is not a lemon pudding cake mix recipe. Rather, it is made from scratch!
How to make lemon pudding cake
- Preheat oven to 350° F (180° C).
- Combine sugar and flour in a medium bowl and set aside.
- Separate egg yolk from whites. Beat egg whites on high speed until stiff, about 1-2 minutes. Set aside.
- Whisk together the egg yolks, lemon juice and zest just until homogeneous. Alternate between adding the dry ingredients (sugar/flour mixture) and the coconut milk, stirring after each addition until combined (SEE PIC.1)
- Gently fold beaten egg whites with the lemon cake batter (SEE PIC.2 & 3). Pour into either an ungreased 2-quart baking dish or 6 to 8 individual ramekins (SEE PIC. 4).
- Set the baking dish into a larger roasting pan and fill the large pan with boiling water so that it comes to halfway up the side of the baking dish. Be careful to not pour water into the lemon pudding cake batter.
- Bake for 40 minutes on the middle rack. Let cool for about 10 minutes before serving. Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm by itself or with vanilla ice cream.
Substitutions
If you are not a fan of canned coconut milk, you can replace it with 1 ½ cups of whole milk or lemon juice.
In either case, add 2 tablespoons of melted unsalted butter (it can be a dairy-free one) to the recipe when whisking the egg yolks.
Thus, keep in mind that whole milk will make the citrus flavor more subtle and the dessert more custardy. On the other hand, lemon juice will make this treat more pungent and lemony (just like a lemon bar), and will keep it mostly dairy-free.
Make Ahead Lemon Pudding Cake Recipe
- You can make this recipe for lemon pudding cake ahead of time. Once cool, cover with plastic wrap and store at room temperature (if serving up to a couple of hours later) or in the refrigerator.
- Right before serving, preheat the oven to 350°F (180° C), remove the plastic wrap, and place the ramekins/baking dish on a baking sheet. Heat for 10-15 minutes, or until warmed through.
Storage
You can store covered lemon pudding cake in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Avoid freezing if possible!
Can I freeze lemon pudding cake?
Although you can freeze it, we don’t recommend this because it will alter the consistency, making the pudding layer turn grainy.
Other Cake Recipes:
- Berry Cake
- Strawberry Pound Cake
- Passion Fruit Cupcakes
- Lemon Coconut Pound Cake
- Lemon Meringue Cupcakes
- Easter Chocolate Cake
- Carrot Cake
- Carrot Cupcakes
- Flourless Chocolate Nut Cake
- Passion Fruit Mousse Cupcakes
- Mandarine Cake
- Raspberry and Yoghurt Cake
PIN & ENJOY!
Lemon Pudding Cake Recipe
Equipment
- mixer
- bowls
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup all-purpose flour (to make this gluten-free, use an all-purpose gluten-free flour)
- 4 large eggs, separated at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest (optional)
- ½ cup lemon juice
- 1 ½ cups canned coconut milk (or same amount of whole milk or lemon juice)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F (180° C). Combine sugar and flour in a medium bowl and set aside.
- Separate egg yolk from whites. Beat egg whites on high speed until stiff, about 1-2 minutes. Set aside.
- Whisk together the egg yolks, lemon juice and zest just until homogeneous. Alternate between adding the dry ingredients (sugar/flour mixture) and the coconut milk, stirring after each addition until combined.
- Gently fold beaten egg whites with the lemon cake batter. Pour into either an ungreased 2-quart baking dish or 6 to 8 individual ramekins.
- Set the baking dish into a larger roasting pan and fill the large pan with boiling water so that it comes to half-way up the side of the baking dish. Be careful to not pour water into the lemon pudding cake batter.
- Bake for 40 minutes on the middle rack, or until cake is set and fluffy on top. Let cool for about 10 minutes before serving. Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm by itself or with vanilla ice cream. You can also serve with lemon curd as I did!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
** Nutrition labels on easyanddelish.com are for educational purposes only. This info is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate, since the nutrition content of recipes can vary based on ingredient brand or source, portion sizes, recipe changes/variations, and other factors. We suggest making your own calculations using your preferred calculator, based on which ingredients you use, or consulting with a registered dietitian to determine nutritional values more precisely.
Please note that health-focused and diet information provided on easyanddelish.com is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Consult with your doctor or other qualified health professional prior to initiating any significant change in your diet or exercise regimen, or for any other issue necessitating medical advice.
Monica says
I plan to make this for Mother’s Day. I’m wondering if it’s still just as good served cold (with a berry mixture!)
Denise Browning says
SOrry that I didn't see your comment in time Monica. Yes you can serve it cold although slithly warm is better.
Monica says
I ended up making it in the morning. It was done around 11:30 and I let it sit on the counter to cool. We ate it around 1:15, so it was close to room temp.
It was so delicious!!! I ate the leftovers straight from the fridge and thought it was good that way too.
I served it with fresh fruit: strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, some mandarin orange segments, plus a can of peaches in heavy syrup—and I tossed the fruit in the syrup.
The perfect dessert! (And the perfect leftover snack!!)
Denise Browning says
I am so happy you tried it chilled and room temp and enjoyed both ways. Great choice serving with fruit!I hope you had a very happy Motehr's day!
Ghulam Mohyudin says
I made this lemon pudding cake for Easter and was light and so delicious. I used lemon juice instead of coconut milk and also regular flour cause we are not celiac.
Josiah - DIY Thrill says
This lemon pudding cake looks yummy!
2pots2cook says
It absolutely seems to be amazing one; definitely will do. Never have seen anything similar to this one. Thank you and I wish you have safe, healthy and peaceful Easter, dear Denise !
Denise Browning says
Thank you, Davorka! I hope you give this one a try one of these days. It was my first time trying this dessert and I really enjoyed both the texture and flavor. I served mine warm with a scoop of ice cream. Wishing you and your family a very happy Easter! Be safe!
Kari says
I love lemons, & this recipe looks divine! Will be making it
tomorrow! Thanks for sharing.
Denise Browning says
Kari, thanks a lot! I hope you make this one and enjoy. It is in my list to make again, this time replacing coconut milk with lemon juice to taste almost like a lemon bar (my favorite American treat). Happy Easter to you and your family!