the vow

I love the tang of buttermilk. But unlike my father who can drink it straight from the container, I need to have it as an addition within a recipe. I find myself buying that familiar yellow quart container frequently as I either make biscuits, cakes or dressings. But inevitably I use only part of it and then the rest sits in the fridge, slowly making it's way to the back behind the juice. Until the day comes and I come upon it...smelly and past it's expiration.

I am making a vow. "I promise I will finish using the buttermilk in the container before it goes to curdled smelliness." I will scour through my myriad of cookbooks to find yet another delicious recipe.

Recently, I stumbled upon an old one from Bon Appétit. It has to be the simplest cake ever, because with the exception of beating the egg whites, it is made in the blender, so there is little cleanup. Which I love.

There is a strange baking phenomenon that happens to this cake. Although it is completely blended when it goes into the prepared dish, it ends up having a cake like top and a lemony pudding on the bottom. Served with a little freshly whipped cream and some sweet berries it makes the perfect casual summer dessert.

Enjoy!

Shannon

Lemon Buttermilk Pudding Cake

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1 cup sugar, divided

4 large egg yolks

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1/8 tsp. salt

3 large egg whites

Preheat oven to 350°. Butter 8x8x2 inch glass baking dish. Blend buttermilk, 1/2 cup sugar, egg yolks, lemon juice, flour, butter, and salt in a blender until smooth. Transfer buttermilk mixture to a medium bowl.

Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Gently fold buttermilk mixture into whites in three additions (batter will be runny).

Pour batter into prepared dish. Place dish in roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of dish. Bake until entire top is evenly browned and cake moves very slightly in center but feels slightly springy to touch, about 45 minutes. Remove dish from roasting pan.

Cool cake completely in baking dish on rack. Refrigerate until cold, at least 3 hours and up to 6 hours. Spoon pudding cake out into shallow bowls. Serve with freshly whipped cream and berries.