I got online inspiration for what would become my Meyer Lemon Souffle' Cake. Scrambling for Meyer lemon recipes, I found this one from Lori Longbotham's Luscious Lemon Desserts, as seen on The Traveler's Lunchbox, via Two Peas and Their Pod via Facebook. How is that for a recipe's provenance?
When I first saw the recipe for this cake, I assumed it was like other pudding cakes I have made. I expected it would separate into layers with the flour forming a crust on the bottom and the top becoming sort of a lemon curd layer. That did not happen, but in a good way. Instead, it baked up more like a lemon soufflé than a pudding cake, or at the very least, a happy convergence of the two.
I took the liberty of renaming my cake Lemon Soufflé' Cake. It just seems more accurate than calling it a pudding cake. Whatever you call it, this cake is delicious.
This recipe calls for Meyer lemons, but it could be made using Eureka lemons. Because they are not as sweet as Meyer lemons, you should reduce the amount of lemon juice to 1/4 cup. I would leave the amount of zest the same. What I really like about this cake is the tang. It is not overly sweet, and I like that.
Michael, not a huge fan of lemon in the first place, and eating right and working out in the second place, probably won't touch it. That means if I don't take some of it to my parents, I risk eating the entire thing myself. I'll make that decision tomorrow. 🙂 Tonight I am curling up in bed with a plate of this while I binge-watch cooking show re-runs.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons softened butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 3 large eggs (at room temperature, separated)
- 1/3 cup Meyer lemon juice or 1/4 cup regular lemon juice
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- Powdered sugar (for garnish)
Instructions
- Beat the butter at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the sugar and lemon zest and beat until well combined. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce speed to low and add the lemon juice, flour, and sour cream. Set aside.
- Beat the egg whites at medium speed until foamy. Add the salt, and beat until the whites form stiff peaks. Don't over-beat or the egg whites will dry out. Add half the whites to the lemon mixture and gently fold until the whites are fully combined. Fold in the remaining egg whites until fully incorporated. Don't over mix. Transfer the batter to the prepared soufflé dish. Place the soufflé dish in a larger baking pan and carefully pour boiling water around it to a depth of 1 inch.
- Bake for 50 to 60 minutes until the top is golden brown, the center is just set. If it jiggles, bake for another 5-10 minutes. Leave the oven door closed during the main baking or the soufflé will fall. Remove the soufflé dish from the water bath and cool on a rack until room temperature.
- Garnish with a light dusting of powdered sugar before serving and serve slightly warm or room temperature.