Today I’m bringing you a recipe that is a twist on a childhood favorite of mine – chocolate puff balls. I’ll share that recipe with you soon, but since I just posted a chocolate recipe , I decided to mix things up a bit.
Are you still dealing with winter where you are? Spring seems to have sprung here, much to my dismay. I definitely miss the cold, snowy winters of Cleveland. The spring weather here is finally convincing me to bake things a little less heavy and rich. I have tossed around the idea of lemon puff balls for some time, and this weekend I finally tackled them.
So what is a puffball? It’s nothing mysterious, really. Just a steamed cake, usually served with a warm sauce instead of frosting. The original recipe is a chocolate cake with a vanilla butter sauce. This time, I’ve made a lemon cake with a lemon sauce. I added a drizzle of raspberry sauce as well, but that’s completely optional.
You really could do this with any variety of citrus. And feel free to use a sauce of your choice, or just a dusting a powdered sugar and a dollop of whipped cream. Chocolate sauce would be great on an orange cake. Or you could just use extra milk in place of the lemon juice (and remove the baking soda) for a vanilla cake and top with citrus sauce or hot fudge.
This is a great recipe for beginner bakers. It is a simple, one-bowl cake recipe that doesn’t require an electric mixer. However, you do need some ramekins or Pyrex bowls and a steamer. I use four 10-oz Pyrex bowls, but you can use up to six bowls or ramekins, as small as a 5-oz size. Just make sure they are heat-safe. I have large pasta pot with a steamer insert that I use, but you can use any steamer you have, or make your own with a large soup or stock pot.
The cake is fairly light, in both flavor and texture. Which is why I highly recommend adding the sauce to it. The sauce soaks up into the cake to make it extra moist and flavorful. If you’ve never had a puff ball cake before, you definitely need to give these a try.
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- 1 tablespoon butter very soft or melted
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon butter
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Ingredients
Puff Balls
Lemon Sauce
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- Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and wisk until combined.
- Pour into 4 to 6 greased ramekins or Pyrex bowls (5 to 10 oz each).
- Steam cakes in a steamer for 20-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Combine sugar, cornstarch, and water in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until thickened and clear.
- Add remaining ingredients and stir until butter is melted.
- Serve warm over puff balls.
A drizzle of raspberry sauce adds a nice pop to the lemon cake.
Use any citrus you'd like for both the cake and the sauce. Or omit the citrus sauce and top with warm hot fudge sauce on an orange puff ball.
You can also top with whipped cream or ice cream.