Patrick Clarkís Lemon Pudding Cake with Fresh Raspberries

Ingredients

4 eggs, separated
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups milk
4 cups fresh raspberries
8 sprigs fresh mint

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325ºF.

Whip the egg yolks and 1 cup of the sugar until it reaches the ribbon stage. Add the flour and mix well. Whisk in the lemon juice, salt, and milk until completely combined. In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add 1/2 cup of the sugar, and whip until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the lemon mixture. Pour the batter into a parchment lined 9 by 13-inch cake pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove the cake from the oven and let cool slightly, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Place a piece of plastic wrap over the pudding cake and flip it onto a flat surface. Cut into 8 (3-inch) circles with a ring cutter.

To prepare the sauce:
Reserve 16 raspberries for a garnish. Puree the remaining raspberries with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar for 2 minutes or until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve.

To serve, spoon some of the raspberry sauce in the center of each plate and top with a circle of pudding cake. Place 2 raspberries and a mint sprig in the center of each cake.

Yield: 8 servings