Pudding cake is one of my favorite cool-weather desserts. While enjoyable year-round, there’s something especially comforting about a warm, sticky, gooey pudding cake straight from the oven on a chilly evening. Chocolate pudding cakes are classic, but citrus varieties are equally delightful. Lemon, lime, and orange pudding cakes shine when citrus is in season. Rather than repeat the same recipe, I’ve been experimenting by adding a few twists to the basic pudding cake.
This Cranberry Orange Pudding Cake was inspired by my love of cranberry-orange combinations. I used a standard pudding cake base and folded in dried cranberries. During baking the cranberries sink slightly, soak up some of the sauce, and plump up, adding bursts of sweet-tart flavor. If you can find orange-flavored dried cranberries, they intensify the orange character. Fresh whole cranberries can be used but tend to be quite tart in this relatively sweet dessert; a mix of dried and fresh will increase tartness if you prefer that contrast.
In the oven the batter separates into a light sponge layer on top and a thick, saucy pudding beneath. For the pudding layer to form properly, bake the dish in a shallow water bath. Be careful that water in the bath comes no higher than 1/2 inch up the side of the souffle dish. Too much water prevents the pudding from setting and can result in an overly runny dessert. It’s better to have a slightly thicker, well-formed custard than to end up with pudding-cake soup.
Cranberry Orange Pudding Cake
2 eggs, separated
1/4 cup orange juice, preferably fresh
1 tbsp orange zest
2/3 cup milk
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup dried cranberries
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Place a 9-inch cake pan with about 1/2 inch of water in the oven to create a water bath. Grease a 1-quart (4-cup) souffle dish and set it aside. When the souffle dish is placed in the cake pan, the water level should not reach higher than 1/2 inch up its sides.
In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, and salt. Add the egg yolks, orange juice, orange zest, and milk, and whisk until smooth.
In a separate medium bowl, beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Gently fold the egg whites into the orange mixture until combined, taking care not to deflate the mixture. Fold in the dried cranberries.
Pour the batter into the prepared souffle dish and carefully set the dish into the preheated water bath.
Bake 45–50 minutes, until the cake has risen and begins to pull away from the sides of the dish. Serve warm.
Serves 4.