by Cindy Pawlcyn with Pablo Jacinto and Erasto Jacinto
from Big Small Plates
(Ten Speed Press, 2006)
Serves 6 to 8
I got the recipe for this cake from my cousin Joan years ago. You can bake it in an eight-inch square glass baking dish or, for individual servings, in eight 4-ounce ramekins.—Cindy Pawlcyn
convert Ingredients
For the cake
2/3 cup plus 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
4 tablespoons butter, melted
3 large eggs, separated
For the chantilly cream
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons powdered sugar, plus extra for dusting
2 pints fresh raspberries or blueberries, mashed
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons Cointreau or other liqueur
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Directions
Make the cake
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. In a large bowl, whisk together 2/3 cup of the sugar and the flour. Add the lemon juice, zest, and buttermilk and whisk until smooth.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter and the egg yolks. Stir the egg yolk mixture into the buttermilk mixture.
4. Using the whisk attachment of a mixer, whip the egg whites until frothy. Sprinkle in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and whip until soft peaks form, about 1 minute. Fold the egg whites into the egg yolk and buttermilk mixture. The batter should be smooth and thick.
5. Pour the batter into a baking dish and place the dish in a water bath with the water halfway up the sides of the dish. Bake 23 to 30 minutes, until slightly brown and beginning to crack but still jiggly. The smaller the baking dish, the less time will be needed to reach this stage. Cool to room temperature.
Make the chantilly cream
1. Whip together the cream, vanilla, and the 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar in a bowl until fluffy. Keep chilled until needed.
To serve
1. Turn the cake out onto a serving platter. (Individual ramekins do better in low, rimmed soup dishes.) Spoon on mashed berries, sprinkle with sugar, and drizzle with Cointreau. Finish with a dollop of cream and a dusting of powdered sugar.
Recipe © 2006 by Cindy Pawlcyn. All rights reserved.
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[Tracey G.] If you love lemon desserts, you must give this a try. The dessert is part mousse, part soufflé, part angel food cake. It came together very easily and would be wonderful during the summer, especially when berries are in season.
[Kathy Crim] I found this recipe to be easy and quite good. The directions were easy to follow. I liken the flavor to a lemon bar without the crust. I just loved the tartness of the lemon flavor. I am on the fence about the berries and think it would be just as good or better without them.
[Leanne Abe] This is a great dessert, as it is impressive but light on the palate and quite easy to make. You could whip it up prior to dinner, then just pop in the pan some time during dinner. The lemon flavor is just tart enough and meshes well with the berries and cream. An added bonus is that I had leftover buttermilk for some pancakes the next morning. Add this to your collection and you should only need to buy the buttermilk to make it, since all the other ingredients are standard pantry items!
I just taste-tested this and it is lovely. I got 9 4-ounce ramekins, and it is light, smooth and quite tart! Delicious, and very lemony, and you can actually taste the buttermilk too.
Mary, so glad you liked it.