Lemon Delicious Pudding (Self-Saucing)

a bowl of lemon delicious pudding, topped with cream.

5 from 1 vote

Lemon Delicious Pudding (Self-Saucing)

You will love this lemon delicious pudding, made from scratch with real lemons. One simple batter magically transforms into two distinct layers as it bakes; a light and fluffy sponge with a zesty lemon curd sauce underneath. Easy to make and ready in less than an hour, this dessert is perfect for lemon lovers.

Prep Time10

Cook Time40

Total Time50

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Australian

Servings:

Calories: 408kcal

Author: Andrea Geddes

Equipment

baking dish (at least 6 cup (1.5L) capacity)
baking tray with sides - for the water bath. The baking dish used for the pudding needs to fit flat inside the baking tray. The sides should be at least 3cm in height.
electric beaters

Ingredients

3 large eggs - at room temperature
80 grams butter - unsalted, softened at room temperature. Plus a little extra for greasing the baking dish.
315 grams caster sugar
zest of 1-2 lemons - use 2 lemons if you want it to be extra lemony
1 ½ cups milk
80 grams self-raising flour
⅔ cup lemon juice - freshly squeezed lemon juice

To serve

icing sugar for dusting
vanilla ice cream or double cream

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 170°C/338℉. (150℃ fan forced). Grease a 6-cup capacity (1.5L) baking dish with butter.
Place the baking dish into a large baking tray with sides that are at least 3 cm deep. **The pudding will be baked in a water bath inside the bottom baking tray.
Separate the eggs, placing the egg whites into a mixing bowl and the yolks in a separate bowl or jug.
Using electric handheld beaters, beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
Place the butter, caster sugar and lemon zest into a mixing bowl and beat until pale and combined.
Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating between each addition, until well combined.
Add the milk and self-raising flour and carefully beat on low speed, until the mixture is smooth and just combined.
Add the lemon juice and beat on low speed, until just combined.
Gently spoon the beaten egg whites over the top of the batter. Working slowly and carefully so as not to deflate the egg whites, gently fold the egg whites into the batter until combined (a few small lumps are ok). The mixture should almost double in volume and become thick, foamy and airy. Don't overmix!
Carefully pour the pudding batter into the prepared baking dish.
Add water for the water bath: without splashing into the pudding or baking dish, carefully pour boiling water into the bottom baking tray, until it reaches about halfway up the outer sides of the baking dish.
Carefully place the baking tray into the oven. Be mindful of the boiling water when you do this.
Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the pudding is lightly golden on top and fluffy in the middle.
Remove from the oven and allow the pudding to sit in the dish for 10 minutes before serving. The sauce will continue to thicken during this time. Decorate the top of the pudding with a dusting of icing sugar and serve warm with double cream or ice cream.

Notes

I highly recommend using a scale to measure your flour. Too much flour can lead to the pudding being too dense and thick. If you don’t have a scale, be sure to fluff your flour with a spoon and scoop it into the measuring cup before levelling it off with a knife. This is the best method to measure flour without packing too much into the cup.
Room temperature ingredients – make sure the cold ingredients (butter, eggs, milk) are at room temperature. If they’re cold, they will solidify the butter and possibly deflate the egg whites.
If you forgot to remove your eggs from the fridge, you can quickly bring them to room temperature by placing them in a bowl and covering them with warm water for 5 minutes. Room temperature eggs will mix more easily into the batter.
It’s easier to zest a lemon before juicing, so be sure to zest them first.
Don’t overmix the batter. Gently fold the egg whites into the cake batter and don’t overmix, or the air will be pushed out and the cake won’t rise as nicely.
Use any oven-safe casserole or pudding dish that has at least a 6-cup capacity (1.5L).
Don’t skip the water bath. A water bath creates a moist and humid environment for the pudding to cook. This is imperative for its soft and tender pudding-like texture.
Test the pudding is ready by inserting a skewer or toothpick into the middle. It should come out mostly clean, with a few crumbs sticking.
Once the pudding has been removed from the oven, let it sit for 10 minutes before serving. The sauce will continue to thicken during this time.
Storage; Leftover lemon delicious can be stored in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap for 3-4 days.
Freezing; Lemon delicious can be wrapped well and frozen in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. Allow the pudding to cool completely and store whole or in individual serves. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Reheating; To reheat individual serves, place bowls of the pudding into the microwave one at a time and heat for 45-60 seconds, or until steaming hot all the way though.
Please note that the nutrition information is based on the pudding being divided into 6 bowls, with one bowl being one serve. The nutritional information is an estimate only and does not take into account any additional toppings or sides served with the pudding.
This recipe is made using Australian cups and spoon measurements. Any reference to cups or spoons in this recipe is in Australian metric. Due to cup sizes varying from country to country, I advise adjusting if necessary.

Nutrition