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Lemon Delicious Pudding – Extra Saucy! Recipe

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3.9 from 12 reviews

This Lemon Delicious Pudding is a classic British self-saucing dessert featuring a light, soufflé-like lemon sponge resting atop a silky, tangy lemon custard sauce. Made with one simple batter that magically separates while baking, this warm and cosy pudding is perfect after hearty meals and reheats beautifully, making it ideal for dinner parties. The recipe requires no butter softening or eggs and milk brought to room temperature and uses everyday ingredients such as lemons, sugar, eggs, and butter.

Ingredients

For the Pudding Batter:

  • 60g / 4 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into ~1cm / 0.4″ cubes
  • 1 cup caster sugar / superfine sugar, or regular / granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp lemon zest
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice (from 2 large lemons)
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
  • Pinch of salt
  • 3 large eggs, separated (fridge cold is fine)
  • 1 1/2 cups milk, full fat is best but low fat okay (fridge cold is fine)
  • 1/3 cup plain flour / all-purpose flour (or gluten-free flour)

For Serving and Decoration:

  • Whipped cream (made from 3/4 cup cream) or crème fraîche
  • Icing sugar (for dusting)
  • Small lemon slices (for decoration)
  • Raspberries (for decoration)
  • Mint sprigs (for decoration)

Instructions

  1. Preheat and Prepare Baking Vessel: Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan-forced). Choose a 5 to 6 cup ceramic or glass baking dish (1.25 – 1.5 litres/quarts) or 6 ramekins of 200 ml/7 oz each. No need to grease the dish.
  2. Barely Melt Butter: Place butter cubes in a heatproof bowl and microwave in 20-second increments until almost melted. Whisk by hand to complete melting using residual heat; it will look milky, not fully liquid yellow oil.
  3. Make the Batter: Add sugar, vanilla extract (if using), and lemon zest to the melted butter and whisk gently to combine. Whisk in the lemon juice and egg yolks until smooth. Add the flour and whisk until lump-free. Finally, whisk in the milk; the batter will be very thin.
  4. Beat Egg Whites: In a separate, clean bowl, beat the egg whites using a handheld or stand mixer with the whisk attachment until they form stiff, upright peaks (firm but not dry).
  5. Fold Egg Whites into Batter: Fold a big scoop of the beaten egg whites into the batter first to lighten it. Then carefully fold in the remaining whites with a rubber spatula using gentle big scooping motions to retain air. Some small lumps of egg whites are acceptable.
  6. Fill Baking Dish and Prepare Water Bath: Gently pour the batter into the baking dish or use a ladle to evenly distribute it among ramekins, leaving about 1 cm (0.2″) from the rim. Place the baking dish or ramekins into a larger roasting pan.
  7. Add Boiling Water to Water Bath: Pour boiling water into the roasting pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the baking dish or ramekins. This water bath will ensure gentle, even cooking and create the custard sauce below the sponge.
  8. Bake: Bake for 35 minutes if using a single baking dish or 30 minutes for ramekins. The top should be golden and the pudding will be jiggly to the touch because of the custard underneath.
  9. Rest and Serve: Allow the pudding to rest for 5 minutes. Dust the top with icing sugar. Serve by scooping portions ensuring everyone gets spoonfuls of the silky lemon custard sauce beneath. Top with a dollop of whipped cream or crème fraîche and decorate with lemon slices, raspberries, and mint sprigs if desired.

Notes

  • Baking Dish: Use a dish that holds 5 to 6 cups (1.25 – 1.5 liters) as the batter volume is just under 5 cups. Leave about 1 cm (0.2″) from the rim as the pudding doesn’t rise much.
  • Ramekins: Ideal size is 6 ramekins of 200-250 ml (7-8 oz). Adjust quantity accordingly if using different sizes.
  • Butter Melting: Barely melting the butter prevents it from getting too hot so added ingredients don’t cook or separate. If fully melted and hot, allow to cool before using.
  • Folding Egg Whites: Fold gently with a rubber spatula using large scooping motions to preserve the air for a light, airy sponge. Avoid vigorous stirring which deflates the whites.
  • Gluten-Free Option: Can be made with gluten-free flour successfully, as reported by many readers.
  • Storage and Reheating: Leftovers keep for 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Reheat gently in the microwave in short bursts to warm through without drying out. Ramekins reheat more evenly.
  • Make-Ahead Friendly: Pudding makes a great dinner party dessert as it reheats beautifully and maintains texture and sauce.

Find it online: https://cookedbysarah.com/lemon-delicious-pudding-extra-saucy-recipe/