Aunt Mariah's Lemon Sponge Cups
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Author Notes: I found the recipe for these lemon sponge cups in my Aunt Mariah's old-fashioned recipe box (an actual box), when I was visiting with her in my hometown, Galax, Virginia, to learn how to make her exquisite, feathery rolls. The rolls took lots of practice. The lemon sponge cups, though, were a breeze; also, they make you feel fancy, like a lady. You pour the batter into individual souffle dishes or ramekins, and when they come out of the oven they have cute puffy-brown tops, with a layer of lemon custard on the bottom. Without whipped cream, they are perfectly light and sour-sweet; but a spoonful of whipped cream is always nice for company. - ENunn
- ENunn
Food52 Review: We're so glad ENunn unearthed her Aunt Mariah's version of this classic lemon pudding cake -- its evocative name, mellowed lemon pucker and bare sweetness thoroughly won us over. In one fell swoop, you get two desserts: a delicate, airy cake that rises to the top and browns handsomely, and a lush lemony custard that pools at the bottom, waiting for your spoon. - A&M - A&M
Serves 4-6
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 1 lemon, grated rind and juice
- 1 1/2 cup milk
- 3 eggs, separated
- 1 pinch salt
- Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, cream butter. Add sugar, flour salt, lemon juice and rind. In a separate bowl, beat egg yolks; stir in milk. Slowly add second mixture to first mixture. Beat egg whites until stiff; gently fold into mixture. Pour into ramekins or individual souffle dishes and place in pan of hot water. Bake in "moderate" oven (350, in my case) for 45 minutes. You will have a layer of lemon custard, with gorgeous, lightly browned sponge on top. Let cool a bit. Turn out and serve with whipped cream, or serve still in the dish. You can also bake this in one large souffle dish. Aunt Mariah likes to garnish with a thin slice of lemon.
- This recipe is a Wildcard Contest Winner!
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about 1 month ago MEPhotoGirl
Baked this last night. Easy and delicious! Served with a fresh thyme sugar syrup. Perfection!
about 1 month ago clintonhillbilly
This was wonderful, a perfect end to a dinner party!
3 months ago gremolata
i love this recipe...Where do you find the 3 footed little jam jar?
Weck has a jar, not as good looking as the one you have!
4 months ago Hattie Spade Cunningham
I've made a similar recipe and put into a pie crust. Very good!
4 months ago Garry Higgins
Will I be able to bake these earlier on in the day and then reheat for dinner time?
4 months ago Please sign me up
Wonder what these would taste with grapefruit. Plenty of grapefruit on hand.
4 months ago AEC
These are wonderful in every way. Quick, easy & cheap, yet with elegant results. Kids and adults both gobbled them up and wanted more. I think any citrus would work. Bravo. (BTW: I only had low-fat milk on hand and still terrific.)
6 months ago Marc Osten - Marc's Culinary Compass
This is an unbelievable photo, idea and recipe. Looking at it reminded me of how food can provoke such deep emotion. My 12 year old daughter/chef made a batch of madeleines last week, a small French sponge cake. When I put the 3 minute video of her doing it on my Culinary Compass blog I added some words from the French novelist Marcel Proust. Those words totally apply to Aunt Mariah's lemon sponge cups. He writes: No sooner had the warm liquid mixed with the crumbs touched my palate than a shudder ran through me and I stopped, intent upon the extraordinary thing that was happening to me." You can watch Olivia at work and read the rest of the Proust quote at http://www.marcs-culinary...
3 months ago ChefCitron
Hi, Marc! I really enjoyed this budding chef's demo- what a remarkable and poised young chef! Very nice that you can cook and share culinary adventures together. Keep up the good work:)!
2 months ago Marc Osten - Marc's Culinary Compass
I know. How lucky am I? Can I put you on our email list? If so just send me an email to marc.osten@gmail.com or you can sign-up on the Culinary Compass FB page at: https://www.facebook.com...
8 months ago Amani
Hello! I was wondering if i could make these in the morning, and bake them at night? The look so lovely!
8 months ago sfpipeline
If you make them early, bake them early too. Those whipped egg whites aren't going to wait all day for you to put them into the oven.
8 months ago sfpipeline
I have a couple of recipes that are almost exactly like this one that I have made many times. One calls for plain milk and the other one calls for buttermilk. Try using buttermilk sometime, it's delicious! Also, who makes the glass baking dish in the image - I love it.
9 months ago alice_kim
Just made these to use up our super-ripe lemons! So quick and easy (though the wait time while in the oven was agonizing :P). I don't eat wheat, so I subbed the flour for brown rice flour, and didn't have milk so used SoDelicious' Coconut Milk instead (not the canned full-fat kind meant for baking/cooking). I also reduced the amount of sugar but added a bit more lemon zest!
The slightly crystallized spongy crust right out of the oven was delicious. I made too many so I'm going to refrigerate them and just enjoy them as a kind of pudding!
9 months ago sally larhette
A similar recipe was on my test to graduate from a culinary school!Hammersley Bistro in Boston had a similar dessert on the menu for years, if not still. Some recipes have rich cream instead of milk.
Eat your cake and pudding at the same time,laced with fresh Lemon.Good chilled and as soon as you can without burning your tender lips.
10 months ago Robin Foster
The very first recipe I made from Food 52 and it was awesome. Rave reviews from the family and definitely a keeper.
11 months ago Cooks4Crowds
I made this just tonight and it was great. Everyone loved it.
about 1 year ago The Good Cook
This is delicious! Also, try substituting the lemon with chocolate. I used a double-boiler to melt some dark chocolate and mixed that into the batter.
about 1 year ago MissSpicy
So delicious and the perfect end to a meal . . . made these for a dinner party Saturday night . . . so simple to make and turned out perfect in white ramekins . . . made six . . . the sponge cake was soft and the custard was creamy and just the right lemony tartness . . . topped with fresh whipped cream . . . yummy . . . this is a keeper recipe for me!
over 1 year ago CharlieR
This looks wonderful!
Could you tell me though where you got the glass bowls?
over 1 year ago The Good Cook
From yo mama! Lolz...
over 1 year ago The Good Cook
From yo mama! Lolz...
4 months ago Dazzle-dae
So,if you didn't get any from YO mama, try JENAer Glas Wagenfeld egg coddler (2? sizes available, EXPENSIVE, but a Bauhaus designer classic)
almost 2 years ago whitsy
I don't have a lemon on hand, any way to use lemon juice? Maybe the measurement of it?
almost 2 years ago MyCommunalTable
I just tried to measure this about a month ago. It was different depending on the lemon itself. I came up with 3T as average. Hope that this helps. This is such a good recipe.
almost 2 years ago whitsy
Thank you for the tip! I found 2T on another website, so I ended up with maybe between 2T and 3T. They're in the oven now!
almost 2 years ago MyCommunalTable
I can't image that it makes a huge difference in this recipe. I can't wait to hear how it turned out. It has been a huge success in my house.
almost 2 years ago whitsy
Delicious!! Going to add a bit more lemon juice next time though, they don't have quite the lemon taste I was hoping for, I love lemon!! But otherwise, perfect.
about 2 years ago Elizabeth2
Just made them..Can't wait to see how they come out !
about 2 years ago ellenl
I adore this recipe and, like others, really want to buy those egg coddlers! Many thanks.