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4.50 from 6 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
Cost $ 0.50 per slice

Equipment

  • mixer
  • bowls
  • oven

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

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

** 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.

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