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January calls for a dessert that feels indulgent but won’t leave you in a post-holiday sugar spiral; enter Lemon Pudding Cake! It’s tangy, velvety, and refuses to play by the rules of boring winter desserts. Gluten? Who needs it. Refined sugar? Hard pass. This cake is all about bright flavors and cozy vibes—because if winter won’t end soon, at least dessert can feel like a fresh start.

Speaking of winter not ending, this is a dessert to have fun with! Just before the holidays, I learned how to make stencils on my Cricut. So we’re embracing the drama of winter with our cheeky stencils: “Let It Snow” and its sassy sibling, “Make It Stop!”

Here they are stencilled on the lemon pudding cakes. As you can see by the first example, it’s important to butter the baking dish well so it comes out cleanly, like the following cake!

For those still in the festive spirit, “Let It Snow” adds a charming touch of whimsy to your dessert. But if you’re already over the slush and shoveling, “Make It Stop” channels your inner snow-day grump with a dusting of cocoa that says what we’re all really thinking by mid-January.

Whether you’re team snowflake or snow-fed-up, these stencils bring a laugh—and a little extra flavour—to the table!

What is Lemon Pudding Cake?

I first came across a similar recipe on a Canadian reality TV show called Recipe to Riches, where Glo McNeill took home the win (you can check out the chimichurri pizza recipe I auditioned for the show). Glo’s version of the lemon pudding cake (available here) features a generous layer of creamy lemon pudding at the bottom with a more liquid consistency. However, for our purposes, we need a more custard-like texture to support the stencil design.

Lemon pudding cake is a dessert that magically separates into two distinct layers as it bakes: with a fluffy, spongy cake on top and a lemony custard on the bottom. There’s no ‘pudding’ in the mix; this unique texture is achieved through a simple process where the mixture of eggs, sugar, lemon juice, kefir, zest and flour creates a perfect balance.

Although its light and tangy profile makes it a favourite for spring and summer gatherings, it’s perfect year-round— especially when it brings levity in the doldrums of winter with our custom stencil! To highlight that, once it’s baked, we’ll flip it so the lemon layer is on top, then use the stencil to dust it with a cocoa mix for a humorous and decorative touch.

Our version is gluten-free, refined sugar free and we’re using Kefir drink for extra tang because it’s always in our fridge. Of course, feel free to swap in regular flour and sugar and use buttermilk if that’s more your style!

Gather Lemon Pudding Cake Ingredients

We’re using meyer lemons for this recipe.

But it doesn’t matter what lemons you use. What really matters is that you use the zest.

Don’t skip this important step; the zest is where all the favour lies. We’re using a microplane zester.

Even though we’re adding the lemon juice, your lemon pudding cake will fall flat without the zest!

Juice the Lemon

The best way to get every drop of lemon juice is with this Dreamfarm Lemon Fluicer. It was featured in Time magazine and folds flat for storage.

After zesting, pop the lemon half in and fold it; simple as that!

Prepare the Baking Dishes

Because we’re stencilling these, we’re opting for 2 larger soup bowls to bake our lemon pudding cake. But you can easily make four of these by using 8-ounce ramekins instead.

Butter the bottom and side of the dishes well so they release cleanly (we only had a 50% success rate).

Add some sugar into one of the baking dishes.

Rotate it around until you have an even coating of sugar sticking to the butter. Pour the excess into the second bowl, adding more sugar if necessary and repeat.

All done!

Now, place the dishes into a roasting pan; we’ll be baking these in a water bath.

Separate the eggs and set aside the whites. Mix the remaining wet ingredients in one bowl and the dry in another. Mix the dry into the wet ingredients and set aside.

Beat Egg Whites

Beat the egg whites on high with a hand mixer.

The egg whites provide the light airy texture to the lemon pudding cake.

Beat until you have stiff peaks. I find it takes about 3 minutes, but don’t over whip.

Carefully combine the two mixtures by folding in the whites in two batches so you don’t deflate the air.

Bake and Unmold

Divide evenly into the ramekins and bake in a water bath. The water should fill about halfway up the side of the ramekins.

Let the lemon pudding cakescool until they are just warm and you can invert them onto individual plates.

This is how they should look when you flip them upside down onto a plate (my first one did get a little stuck so the surface wasn’t perfect).

Stencil Time

Time to break out those stencils! For anyone interested in learning more about how to make a Cricut stencil, we’ll have a post on that soon.

Lemon Pudding Cake is often served warm, sometimes with a dusting of powdered sugar, a dollop of whipped cream, or a few fresh berries on top for added elegance. But, as you know, we’re putting our own spin on it!

To get a crisp, clean design, make sure the stencil is positioned directly onto the top of the lemon pudding. No need to press it down, the moisture will ‘vacuum’ it on.

Then, carefully lift straight up to reveal your artwork and adorn with some fresh berries!

With your stencil masterpiece revealed and the cake ready to serve, you’ve just elevated a simple lemon pudding cake into a show-stopping dessert that’s as fun to make as it is to eat. Whether you’re embracing the charm of “Let It Snow” or laughing at the relatable “Make It Stop,” this sweet treat is sure to be the highlight of your table. So grab a fork, dig in, and let the compliments roll in—because a dessert this good deserves a little applause!

Want more fun and whimsical winter dessert ideas? Try our Christmas Bark Recipe or ice cream sandwich recipe.

Or if you’re raring to craft, check out our how to stencil posts.

As a total aside, I tried the stencil out on Eggnog during the holidays too!

But it didn’t work very well. You really have to fill the mug to the brim to close the gap between the stencil and the surface of the eggnog. And that’s just not practical. So my advice, when it comes to stencilling food, is to stick to lemon pudding cake and cookies!

Turns out the cocoa powder mixture makes a great coconut milk cocoa you can drink (recipe coming soon)!

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Lemon Pudding Cake

This whimsical version of a lemon pudding cake is a show-stopping dessert that’s as fun to make as it is to eat. Whether you’re embracing the charm of “Let It Snow” or laughing at the relatable “Make It Stop,” this sweet treat is sure to be the highlight of your table.

Course Dessert

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 4 8 oz ramekins

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2/3 cup Swerve powdered sugar plus more for dusting
• 2 eggs separated
• 2/3 cup drinkable Kefir
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1/4 cup all-purpose gluten free or regular flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Cocoa Mix for Stenciling (Optional)

• 1 tbsp cocoa
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 3 tsp coconut powder
• 2 1/4 tsp Powdered Swerve or powdered sugar

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter and lightly sugar 4 ramekins (about 1-cup size).
• In a medium bowl, add egg yolks, kefir, lemon juice and lemon zest and beat with a fork until well combined. Reduce the speed to low and sift in flour, sugar and salt. Continue to mix until combined. Beat egg whites until you get stiff peaks then combine the 2 mixtures by gently folding them together, a little at a time. Divide evenly amongst ramekins then bake in a water bath - set ramekins in a roasting tray and fill with water halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
• Bake for 45 minutes. Allow to cool slightly, then run a knife around the edge and carefully invert onto a plate.
• Mix all the ingredients for the Cocoa powder. Lay stencil onto the surface of the inverted lemon pudding cake. Put cocoa powder into a mini sieve and dust on above the stencil, ensuring full coverage. Carefully lift the stencil away.
• Serve with fresh berries and dust with cocoa mix or powdered sugar.

Notes

Double or triple the cocoa powder recipe and serve as a drink. Use at least 1 1/2 tablespoons and add boiling water and hot milk or just hot milk if preferred.