Warm Lemon Pudding Cakes With Marbled Raspberry Cream Food

WARM LEMON PUDDING CAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F and set a rack in the middle position. Spray six (6-oz) ramekins with nonstick cooking spray.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, milk, lemon zest, lemon juice, butter, and salt. Add the flour and sugar and whisk until smooth.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. (The peaks should curl when you lift the beaters out of the bowl.) Spoon about ¼ of the egg whites into the lemon mixture and whisk until smooth. Add the remaining egg whites and, using a rubber spatula, gently fold into the lemon mixture until smooth. The batter will be light, foamy, and liquidy.
• Place the prepared ramekins into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Ladle the batter evenly into the ramekins (it will come almost to the top). Using a teapot or pitcher, pour room temperature water into the pan to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Carefully place the baking pan in the oven and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the cakes are puffy and lightly golden on top. Using tongs, carefully remove the ramekins from the baking dish and let cool on a rack for about 20 minutes before serving. (They will sink a bit as they cool; that's okay.) Dust with Confectioners' sugar and serve with berries, if desired.
• Make Ahead: The cakes can be made a day ahead of time. Once completely cool, cover the cakes with plastic wrap and store at room temperature. Before serving, preheat the oven to 350°F and set a rack in the middle position. Remove the plastic wrap and place the ramekins on a baking sheet; heat for 10-15 minutes, until warmed through.

LEMON PUDDING CAKES WITH SUGARED RASPBERRIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 6 (8-ounce) ramekins. Place them in any large baking pan where they can sit without touching one another, such as a 9-by-13-inch pan.
• In a large bowl, whisk together butter, egg yolks, 3/4 cup sugar, buttermilk, lemon zest and juice, and salt until smooth. Whisk in the flour until well combined.
• Using an electric mixer (either handheld or a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment), beat egg whites on medium speed until they are thick, white and very foamy, 2 to 4 minutes. Increase speed to high and gradually beat in remaining 1/4 cup sugar, continuing to beat until stiff and glossy peaks form, about 2 to 3 minutes longer.
• Using a rubber spatula, gently fold about a third of the egg whites into the lemon mixture, taking care not to deflate the whites. When no white streaks remain, fold in remaining whites, working carefully. Stop folding when most of the second batch of whites are mixed in, but a few white streaks remain.
• Spoon the batter into the ramekins. Transfer the pan of ramekins to the oven. Carefully, so you don't splash the cakes, pour enough very hot tap water into the pan to come about halfway up the sides of the ramekins. The higher the water level, the more pudding and less cake you'll have.
• Bake until the puddings are puffed and lightly browned on top, 35 to 40 minutes. Take care not to overbake, or there won't be any pudding at the bottom of the ramekins. Carefully transfer the ramekins from the pan to a rack to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. (The combination of tongs or a spatula, plus oven mitts, works well for moving the cakes.)
• As the cakes bake, mix the raspberries and a few pinches of sugar in a bowl, mashing the raspberries slightly to release their juices. Let the raspberries macerate until the sugar melts, about 15 minutes. Then, taste and stir in more sugar if the berries are very tart.
• Serve the cakes warm or at room temperature, with the sugared berries and some of their syrup.

LEMON PUDDING CAKE WITH RASPBERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• To prepare the cake: Preheat the oven to 325°.
• Whip the egg yolks and 1 cup of the sugar until it reaches the ribbon stage. Add the flour and mix well. Whisk in the lemon juice, salt, and milk until completely combined.
• In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add 1/2 cup of the sugar, and whip until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the lemon mixture.
• Pour the batter into a plastic wrap-lined 9 by 13-inch pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool slightly, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Place a piece of plastic wrap over the pudding cake and flip it onto a flat surface. Cut eight 3-inch circles with a ring cutter.
• To prepare the sauce: Reserve 16 raspberries for the garnish. Purée the remaining raspberries with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar for 2 minutes, or until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve.
• Spoon some of the raspberry sauce in the center of each plate and top with a circle of pudding cake. Place 2 raspberries and a mint sprig in the center of each cake.

LEMON PUDDING CAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter eight 6-ounce ramekins or a 2-quart baking dish. Set in a shallow baking pan. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.
• In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks with 1/2 cup granulated sugar until pale and smooth. Whisk in butter, lemon zest and juice, milk, and flour mixture. (Refrigerate mixture, up to 3 hours.)
• In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat egg whites with 1/4 cup granulated sugar until stiff peaks form, 5 minutes; fold into batter. With a ladle, divide batter among ramekins, keeping sides clean. Pour enough hot water into baking pan to come halfway up sides of ramekins. Bake until cakes are puffed and slightly golden on top, 30 minutes. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve immediately.