Lemon Custard Cakes

98 Ratings
  • 5 30
  • 4 29
  • 3 20
  • 2 15
  • 1 4

These tangy lemon desserts are baked in a hot-water bath, which helps them to stay creamy and custardy beneath their golden, cakey tops.

Everyday Food, March 2004

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Recipe Summary

prep:
20 mins
total:
45 mins
Servings:
6
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Ingredients

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Set a kettle of water to boil. Butter six 6-ounce custard cups and place in a dish towel-lined baking dish or roasting pan.

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  • In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar until light; whisk in flour. Gradually whisk in lemon juice, then milk and zest.

  • With an electric mixer, beat egg whites and salt until soft peaks form. Add to lemon batter and fold in gently with a whisk (batter will be quite liquid).

  • Divide batter among prepared custard cups; place baking dish in oven and fill with boiling water to reach halfway up sides of cups. Bake until puffed and lightly browned (but pudding is still visible in bottom), 20 to 25 minutes. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature, dusted with confectioners' sugar.

Cook's Notes

Baking the desserts in a hot-water bath keeps them creamy and custardy beneath their golden, cakey tops. If you do not have individual custard cups, bake the batter in an eight-inch square baking dish (or other shallow two-quart baking dish) for thirty to thirty-five minutes.

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Reviews (19)

98 Ratings
  • 5 30
  • 4 29
  • 3 20
  • 2 15
  • 1 4
Martha Stewart Member
05/29/2016
These boys are like souffle, but with cakey top , custard bottom, absolutely yummy! do not over baked, or it will loss the silky custard beneath. sub the sugar with honey which gave it a golden brown top! will make them again.
Martha Stewart Member
08/10/2013
Light, full of flavor, easy to make. My guests adored it and asked for seconds. Next time I will double the dose. Just perfect!
Martha Stewart Member
03/17/2010
to the poster who wondered (two years ago!) about the towel - it keeps the custard cups from sliding around in the water bath. :-)
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Martha Stewart Member
03/16/2010
This is the most delicious thing I've had in a long while! With every bite you drift away on a cloud of creamy, lemony felicity! I would be content eating this everyday of my life, and judging by the rapt silence that fell over my family as they took their first mouthfuls and the continuous "mmmmmm"s of approval that followed, I think they agree with me.
Martha Stewart Member
03/16/2010
This is the most delicious thing I've had in a long while! With every bite you drift away on a cloud of creamy, lemony felicity! I would be content eating this everyday of my life, and judging by the rapt silence that fell over my family as they took their first mouthfuls and the continuous "mmmmmm"s of approval that followed, I think they agree with me.
Martha Stewart Member
03/16/2010
This is the most delicious thing I've had in a long while! With every bite you drift away on a cloud of creamy, lemony felicity! I would be content eating this everyday of my life, and judging by the rapt silence that fell over my family as they took their first mouthfuls and the continuous "mmmmmm"s of approval that followed, I think they agree with me.
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Martha Stewart Member
03/16/2010
This is the most delicious thing I've had in a long while! With every bite you drift away on a cloud of creamy, lemony felicity! I would be content eating this everyday of my life, and judging by the rapt silence that fell over my family as they took their first mouthfuls and the continuous "mmmmmm"s of approval that followed, I think they agree with me.
Martha Stewart Member
05/03/2009
Delicious!! I think they tasted best slightly warm.
Martha Stewart Member
03/12/2009
would my results change if i use soy milk?
Martha Stewart Member
03/10/2009
Null...I've made these often and have added more zest too. Don't worry about them falling. Mine did too and I think that's because they are souffle-like. BTW Null - Did you ever get your Dec. 08 MSL issue?
Martha Stewart Member
01/20/2009
these taste just like a lemon meringue pie - soo good - however, i will invest in some custard cups to make the presentation prettier.
Martha Stewart Member
11/12/2008
Really great!! Everyone loved this! The towel is there to keep the cups from moving around in the water.
Martha Stewart Member
11/12/2008
I'm not quite sure what the towel does in the baking process. I've never heard of doing this before. But the dessert is a hit.
Martha Stewart Member
05/22/2008
This was easy to make, and got rave reviews from my guests. I appreciated not having extra yolks or whites left over. Nicely lemony without being too sweet.
Martha Stewart Member
05/14/2008
Very easy to make even for those with little experience in the kitchen and the results..... amazing dessert !
Martha Stewart Member
04/29/2008
Does anyone know if you can substitute Splenda (for a diabetic relative)?
Martha Stewart Member
04/01/2008
This has now become a 'most requested' dessert in my kitchen. Easy to make with ingredients in the pantry and easy to dress up for dinner parties.
Martha Stewart Member
02/27/2008
Disregard about the flattening. This was the souffle. These held up and were really tasty. P.S. If anyone can tell me how to edit my prev. comment, I will :)
Martha Stewart Member
02/27/2008
Excellent. I picked fresh meyer lemons and made them the same day. Nice and light, but should be eaten very soon after baking.. I made these in the afternoon and by the time my husband got home from work, they were flat. He still liked the flavor though :)
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