Grease a 9 x 9-inch square metal baking pan. Line with parchment paper and set aside.
Separate eggs: Place egg whites into a medium-sized bowl. Place egg yolks into a larger bowl.
Beat egg whites: Add teaspoon of lemon juice to egg whites and whip to form stiff peaks using a hand mixer or stand mixer. Set whipped egg whites aside.
Prepare batter: Add sugar to egg yolks and combine using hand mixer. Add melted butter, lemon zest and lemon juice and beat until combined. Slowly add flour, mixing well. Add the lukewarm milk slowly and combine thoroughly.
Gently fold in the egg whites, ⅓ of them at a time. Make sure there are no lumps. Pour batter into prepared baking dish. Note: this is a very runny batter.
Transfer to oven and bake for 45 - 50 minutes, or until the top is lightly golden and the centre of the cake is slightly spongey to the touch.
Remove from oven and cool for 30 minutes before gently lifting the cake from the pan.
To serve: Dust the top with powdered sugar. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream, fresh berries and fresh mint.
Grease a 9 x 9-inch square metal baking pan. Line with parchment paper and set aside.
Separate eggs: Place egg whites into a medium-sized bowl. Place egg yolks into a larger bowl.
Beat egg whites: Add teaspoon of lemon juice to egg whites and whip to form stiff peaks using a hand mixer or stand mixer. Set whipped egg whites aside.
Prepare batter: Add sugar to egg yolks and combine using hand mixer. Add melted butter, lemon zest and lemon juice and beat until combined. Slowly add flour, mixing well. Add the lukewarm milk slowly and combine thoroughly.
Gently fold in the egg whites, ⅓ of them at a time. Make sure there are no lumps. Pour batter into prepared baking dish. Note: this is a very runny batter.
Transfer to oven and bake for 45 - 50 minutes, or until the top is lightly golden and the centre of the cake is slightly spongey to the touch.
Remove from oven and cool for 30 minutes before gently lifting the cake from the pan.
To serve: Dust the top with powdered sugar. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream, fresh berries and fresh mint.
Lemon Custard Cake
3.3 / 5. 32
A soft, delicate lemon cake served with a dusting of icing sugar, a dollop of whipped cream and fresh berries…
If you’re craving a light and lemony dessert, this LEMON CUSTARD CAKE is for you.
There’s something quite special about this lemon cake recipe. Sometimes referred to as lemon magic cake, magic custard cake or lemon pudding cake, it has a memorably soft, custard-like texture. The “magic” happens during the baking process, when layers form and yield a light fluffy cake with a lemon flavour that is neither overly tangy nor punchy. This LEMON CUSTARD CAKE is light on both the tongue and tummy.
Let’s get back to this feature. Here’s the deal on our LEMON CUSTARD CAKE:
INGREDIENTS
Who knew that only seven ingredients stand between you and a seriously scrumptious dessert? The photo might appear as though there are eight, but that’s the fresh lemon juice making two appearances, once during the mixing of the batter, then again in a smaller teaspoon portion that gets whipped in with the egg whites. All of the ingredients are readily available at your local grocer.
EQUIPMENT
Unlike our famous CARROT CAKE recipe, you’ll need more than a large bowl and wooden spoon to make this dessert. Have a couple bowls on hand, along with a microplane or zester, a citrus juicer, a square metal baking dish, a spatula and a hand mixer with beaters or a whisk attachment at the ready. For those wondering, of course, you can prepare the batter using a stand mixer too. Our only concern is that the bowl of a stand mixer might not allow you to gently fold in the egg whites.
LEMONS
We often think of lemons as the superstar of the citrus family. Some experts refer to them as the healthiest food in the world, getting top marks for being high in fibre plus important vitamins and minerals such as vitamin C, B6, potassium and antioxidant flavonoids. You’ll need two or three lemons for this recipe, and you can use popular varieties such as Eureka, Meyer lemon, Lisbon and Eureka Pinks. Pro tip: wash the lemons before extracting the lemon zest using a microplane or box grater.
EGG WHITES
Here are a few tried-and-true tips on whipping egg whites for this cake recipe. First, follow our direction and have your eggs at room temperature before you begin. This ensures the whites will expand when whipped. Second tip is to ensure absolutely no egg yolks makes it into the egg white bowl. Even the tiniest bit of egg yolk will prevent the whites from whipping up properly. Lastly, we add a teaspoon of lemon juice (mentioned above) to the whites. The acid of the lemon juice stabilizes the cross-linking of the proteins, meaning your egg whites will become firmer and form stiff peaks.
LINED BAKING PAN
Once you finish preparing the lemon cake batter, simply pour the mixture into the square metal baking pan that has been greased and lined with parchment paper. This treatment will prevent the finished cake from sticking to the pan. Make sure to watch the VIDEO crafted for this post where we share a nifty trick on how to easily line a pan, first shared with us by expert baker and dessert maker ANNA OLSON. Thanks, Anna!
BAKE
There are no complicated baking instructions for this LEMON CUSTARD CAKE. One thing worth mentioning, we’ve listed the bake time as between 45 – 50 minutes total time, depending on your oven. Check your cake at the 45-minute mark; the centre should be set and a bit spongy when pressed with a finger. It’s okay if the top is golden since we’ll be adding a dusting of icing sugar to hide any blemishes or spots where bits of egg white appear. Very important: cool the cake for at least 30 minutes before gently lifting it out of the baking pan.
GARNISHES
Please promise you won’t miss the opportunity to elevate the presentation of this dessert from simple to amazing. How complicated is it? Not at all! Sprinkle a bit of powdered sugar, whip up some 35% or whipping cream and have fresh mint and a few freshly picked berries washed and ready for garnish. Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and even blackberries will all work perfectly.
ICING SUGAR
Adding a dusting of icing sugar, AKA powdered sugar, across the top does wonders to give this lovely cake a bit of glam. I always add it by placing a bit of sugar into a small, fine sieve and tapping it with a small spoon to create an even sprinkle.
SERVE
Part of the charm of this beautiful cake is how less is more. We cut the cake into 16 squares, although 12 squares will work too. This smaller portion size entices one to savour and enjoy every bite.
This wonderful homemade lemon cake recipe is so scrumptious, we suggest you PIN it to a favourite dessert or baked goods board on PINTEREST or BOOKMARK this tab for easy access. SHARE it with friends so they can make it too. We’d also appreciate seeing pics of all the delicious dishes you’re making these days. Use #weekendatthecottage when you post those pics on Facebook and Instagram. Thanks!
Grease a 9 x 9-inch square metal baking pan. Line with parchment paper and set aside.
Separate eggs: Place egg whites into a medium-sized bowl. Place egg yolks into a larger bowl.
Beat egg whites: Add teaspoon of lemon juice to egg whites and whip to form stiff peaks using a hand mixer or stand mixer. Set whipped egg whites aside.
Prepare batter: Add sugar to egg yolks and combine using hand mixer. Add melted butter, lemon zest and lemon juice and beat until combined. Slowly add flour, mixing well. Add the lukewarm milk slowly and combine thoroughly.
Gently fold in the egg whites, ⅓ of them at a time. Make sure there are no lumps. Pour batter into prepared baking dish. Note: this is a very runny batter.
Transfer to oven and bake for 45 - 50 minutes, or until the top is lightly golden and the centre of the cake is slightly spongey to the touch.
Remove from oven and cool for 30 minutes before gently lifting the cake from the pan.
To serve: Dust the top with powdered sugar. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream, fresh berries and fresh mint.
