Orange Pudding Cake with Star Anise
These orange pudding cakes are delicate and slightly exotic. They have two-layer structure with a sauce-like base and a light, cakey top, almost as if a souffle and a pudding had a baby.
Equipment
- mixing bowls various sizes
- Hand-held or stand mixer
- High-sided baking dish like a roaster or 9x13" rectangular casserole
- 6 to 8 individual serving dishes or ramekins or a 1 ½ quart shallow baking dish
Ingredients
- 1 star anise pod
- 2 teaspoons orange zest, finely grated
- 1 cup whole milk, can substitute unsweetened coconut or nut milk
- ¾ cup granulated sugar, divided use
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs, separated
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature
- ⅓ cup orange juice, freshly squeezed
- Whipped cream and fresh orange segments for serving
Instructions
- Wash hands thoroughly.
- Heat oven to 350 F. Butter 6 ramekins or a 1½-quart shallow casserole and place inside a large baking dish.
- Slip star anise pod and orange zest into the milk. Place the spiced milk in the microwave and cook on medium power for 1 minute. Remove; set aside to steep.
- Whisk egg yolks, butter, and ½ cup sugar together in a separate medium bowl. The mixture will be thick and lemon-colored.Remove star anise from the milk.
- Add the flour, salt, and about ¼ cup of the milk, whisking until smooth. Add remaining milk and orange juice, scraping all zest into the batter. Whisk until smooth.The batter will be fluid.
- In a large bowl, beat egg whites with remaining ¼ cup of sugar to medium-stiff peaks. In two additions, gently fold the whites into the juice-milk mixture.
- Divide the batter among the ramekins or pour it all into a 1 ½-quart shallow casserole dish. Place inside a large roaster or 9"x13" baking dish. Carefully, pour hot water into the roaster baking dish halfway up the sides of the ramekins or the shallow casserole dish and place in preheated oven. (Be careful not to pour any water into the batter.)Bake 30 to 35 minutes for individual servings or 35 to 40 minutes for a shallow casserole, until slightly puffed and golden brown on top.
- Let cool for a few minutes after baking; then, remove from water and place on a kitchen towel to finish cooling.
- The dessert is best served later in the day or even the next day. Refrigerate after cooling. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream and a fresh orange segment or mandarin slice.
Notes
Be careful not to overbeat the whites. It's difficult to fold them into the pudding cake base when they are stiff and dry! 😊
For increased protein and calcium, use ultra-filtered milk, such as Fairlife or Mootopia (HEB grocery stores). These milks are lactose-free, as well. 🥛
I prefer to use individual serving dishes because it helps with portion control. But using a larger dish makes for quicker prep and a longer bake!
Nutrition
Serving: 1dessertCalories: 218kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 5gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 97mgSodium: 96mgPotassium: 129mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 28gVitamin A: 332IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 67mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!