Lemon Pudding Cakes

By apachefreight

Ingredients

• Softened butter for the ramekins
• 2 oz. (1/4) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
• 1-1/8 oz. (unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/4 plus 1/8 tsp. table salt
• 1-1/4 cups whole milk, at room temperature
• 1 Tbs. finely grated lemon zest
• Lightly sweetened whipped cream for serving (optional)

Preparation

Step 1

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350*F. Butter eight 6-ounce ceramic oven-proof ramekins or Pyrex custard cups and arrange them in a baking dish or rousing pan (a 10x15-inch or two 8x8-inch Pyrex dishes work well).
In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter with 2/3 cup of the sugar and the egg yolks until smooth and light, about 1 minute. Add the flour and salt and pour in just enough milk to whisk the flour juice smoothly into the egg yolk mixture. Then whisk in the remaining milk and the lemon juice until smooth. The mixture will be very fluid.
Put the egg whites in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer ( a hand-held or a stand mixer fitter with the whisk attachment) on medium speed until the whites begin to foam, 30 to 60 seconds. Increase the speed to high and beat just the white’s hold soft peaks when the beater is pulled away, another 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to medium. Stop the mixer and scrape the bowl. Beat on high speed until the whites hole medium-firm peaks when the beater is pulled away, about another 30 seconds.
Scrape one-third of the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture, sprinkle the lemon zest on top, and whisk until combined. Gently incorporate the remaining whites into the batter, using the whisk in a forking/stirring motion. The batter will still be thin.
Portion the mixture evenly among the ramekins; the cakes don’t raise much, so you can fill the ramekins to within 1/8 inch of the top. Pull out the oven rack and put the baking dish full of ramekins on the rack. Pour warm water into the dish to reach halfway up the side’s pr the baking dish.