Hot Toddy Pudding Cake

This dessert is weeks in the making. I've dreamed about it. I've emailed my friends about it, I have even Twittered about it. Finally I decided to stop torturing others with my "I really want to make this" comments and just finally make it. All I really had to do was pop in to TJs to get the scotch and milk. Everything else was already waiting for me at home. I made this dessert the other night as my way of breaking the "cleanse". I am so glad I finally did. I was expecting something similar to what I thought the brownie pudding would end up being in that I was expecting something thick and rich, but I was totally wrong. Since this was one of the few times I made a recipe to the letter, it ended up turning out exactly as described. The cake separates into two layers with a nice lemony custard on the bottom and one of the lightest cakes you have ever had on top. It's unbelievable how light the top is. Lighter than angel food cake light. The taste? Lemony and boozy and absolutely divine. In Gourmet, they state the scotch is optional, but in my opinion, it isn't a hot toddy cake without the scotch and the scotch kind of makes the cake. Since, I have never bought scotch in my life, I went with an inexpensive brand from TJs which was good, but I can see how a good scotch would be fantastic in this recipe. I say definitely splurge on the scotch because chances are you already have everything else to make this recipe so really this is an inexpensive dessert.

How's your weekend going? I am off to the farmers market and then the beach!!




Hot Toddy Pudding Cake
(From Gourmet, April 2009)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup Scotch (NOT optional)
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 tablespoons mild honey
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
3 large eggs, separated, at room temperature 30 minutes
1/3 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in middle. Butter a 1 1/2-qt shallow baking dish (I used a 8x8, 2 quart dish).

Whisk together flour and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together milk, lemon juice, Scotch (if using), butter, honey, zest, and yolks, then stir into flour mixture.

Beat whites with an electric mixer at medium speed until frothy. Increase speed to medium-high and add sugar, 1 Tbsp at a time, beating until whites just hold stiff peaks.

Stir about one third of whites into flour mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly. Pour batter into baking dish and bake in a water bath until puffed and golden-brown, 45 to 50 minutes. Serve warm.