Individual buttermilk pudding cakes with fresh berry sauce and chantilly cream are a graceful endnote to a seasonal meal. "I've been making these since I was 16," says chef Pawlcyn. "They're relatively healthy, and I like the colors."

This recipe is from Cindy Pawlcyn's Napa Valley Menu.
Servings: Serves 8
Ingredients
Cakes:
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2/3 cup plus 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 Tbsp. finely grated lemon zest
  • 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
  • 4 Tbsp. (1/2 stick) butter , melted
Chantilly cream:
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 2 Tbsp. confectioners' sugar
Berry topping:
  • 2 pints fresh berries (can be a mixture)
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 Tbsp. triple sec liqueur
  • Confectioners' sugar , for garnish (optional)
Directions
To make cakes: Preheat oven to 350°. Separate egg yolks from whites; set both aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour and 2/3 cup sugar. Add lemon juice, zest, and buttermilk; whisk until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk together butter and egg yolks. Stir egg yolk mixture into lemon-buttermilk mixture.

Using whisk attachment of a mixer, whip egg whites until frothy. Sprinkle in 1/4 cup sugar, and whip until soft peaks form, about 1 minute.

Fold egg whites into the yolk-and-buttermilk mixture. The batter should be smooth and thick.

Pour batter into 8 individual (4-ounce) ramekins. Arrange them in a small roasting pan; add water to pan so that it goes halfway up sides of the ramekins. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until batter is slightly brown and beginning to crack but still jiggly. Cool to room temperature.

To make chantilly cream: Start while cakes are in the oven. In a bowl, whip together heavy cream, vanilla, and confectioners' sugar until fluffy. Keep chilled until needed.

To make berry topping: In a medium bowl, mash berries until well broken up but not pureed. Spoon them evenly onto cooled cakes in ramekins. Sprinkle each cake with sugar and drizzle with triple sec. Finish cakes with a dollop of chantilly cream and a dusting of confectioners' sugar; serve.

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