Lemon Pudding Cake Recipe (5-Ingredient/Gluten-Free/Dairy-Free)

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.

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. 😉

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

1. Preheat oven to 350° F (180° C).
2. Combine sugar and flour in a medium bowl and set aside.
3. Separate egg yolk from whites. Beat egg whites on high speed until stiff, about 1-2 minutes. Set aside.
4. 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)
5. 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).
6. 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.
7. 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!

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5 from 4 votes

Lemon Pudding Cake Recipe

Make this easy lemon pudding cake recipe with just 5 staple ingredients. It is luscious and has a creamy layer of lemon pudding beneath the soft, spongy cake. It is also both gluten-free and dairy-free!

Course:Dessert

Cuisine:American

Keywords:lemon cake with pudding, lemon pudding cake, lemon pudding cake recipe, recipe for lemon pudding cake

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

resting time 10 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 8

Calories264 kcal

Author Denise Browning

Cost $ 0.50 per slice

Equipment

• mixer
• bowls
• oven

Ingredients

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (to make this gluten-free, use an all-purpose gluten-free flour)
• 4 large eggs, separated at room temperature
• 1 tbsp lemon zest (optional)
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1 1/2 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

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.

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 with 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 completely cool, cover with plastic wrap and store at room temperature (for 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. Do not freeze, as this will alter the consistency, making the pudding layer turn grainy. 

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 grainy. 

Nutrition

Calories: 264kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 39mg | Potassium: 173mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 119IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg

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