Lemon Cake Pie

Lemon Cake Pie is a luscious lemon sponge pudding sitting in a flaky pie crust.  You'll get the goodness of a lemon pudding cake and a lemon pie all in one mouthful.

I've mentioned before that over the years I took possession of many of my mother's cookbooks.  Most of them were paperback editions purchased at Woolworth's or other five-and-ten-cent stores.  They didn't cost much, just a few dollars or even less when she bought them.  They had many of the same recipes scattered throughout the books so I'll wager they were all from the same main publisher.  I'd often leaf though the books and check off the recipes I'd like to try.  Then I'd find the same recipe in another book, written exactly the same.  So I'd check it off again. Some were really good when I made them and others were a total write-off.  But this Lemon Cake Pie is definitely a keeper.

Lemon Sponge Pudding was a favourite dessert of mine when I was a child.  Mom didn't make it often but when she did I was a happy child.  You can buy the mixes in a box but they aren't as good as the homemade.  Lemon Cake Pie is a happy marriage of a lemon sponge pudding and a lemon pie. How good is that?!!  As the filling bakes it separates into two layers--a lovely, tangy lemon sauce on the bottom and a top layer of sponge cake.  And all this is happening in a pie crust!  Yes, it excites my taste buds for many reasons.  I enjoy (love) pie. I like (love) lemon. I am fond (love) pudding.  I think dessert should be another food group. (I know desserts are not considered healthy but they taste so good.)   So, yes, this pie has stayed in my files.

As this is a pie and a pudding baked together the dessert is somewhat rich but refreshing at the same time.  You may be tempted to eat most of it yourself if you are a lemon lover but please share this with your family and friends.

The original recipe did not call for blind baking the pie crust but I find this helps to eliminate soggy bottoms (the pie crust bottom, not yours). If you do not wish to blind bake the crust skip this step and pour the filling in the unbaked crust.


Lemon Cake Pie
1 cup sugar
¼ cup flour
¼ cup melted butter
2 egg yolks
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 lemons (juice and rind)
2 egg whites, beaten stiff
9-inch unbaked pie crust, or use recipe below or use a frozen pie crust (if you must)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Blind bake pie crust for 5 minutes, using pie weights or dry beans.  Remove beans and bake an additional 3 minutes.  This will help to keep the pie from becoming soggy.  Remove pie crust from oven and prepare filling.  (For more instructions on blind baking, click here.)

Combine sugar, flour, melted butter, egg yolks, salt and milk and beat until smooth.  Add juice and grated lemon rinds.  Stir well.  Beat egg whites until stiff, but not dry, and fold into mixture.  Pour into prepared pie crust and bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes.  Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 30 minutes more.

Remove pie from oven and cool thoroughly before cutting.  The pie is best served at room temperature but refrigerate any remaining pieces.

Makes 8-6 servings.

Pie Crust
2 cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
⅛ sugar, optional
½ cup butter
5 tablespoons vegetable shortening
5-6 tablespoons very cold water

Mix the flour, salt and sugar together.  Cut the butter and shortening into the flour until it resembles coarse meal or the size of small peas.  Add the cold water a tablespoon at a time until the dough clings to itself.  Gather the dough into two equal portions and flatten into a thick disk.  Wrap in plastic and chill at least 30 minutes.  It can be refrigerated for up to two days before use or frozen for several weeks.

Roll out each disk and fit each into a 9-inch pie plate or use one disk as a top crust.

Makes two 9-inch pie crusts or one 9-inch double crust.

Fresh lemons and great ingredients make for a delicious lemon pie.

Be sure to strain the lemon juice so the seeds won't appear in the pie.

Beat the egg yolks, flour, sugar, salt and milk together until smooth.

Fold in the stiffly beaten egg whites.  Do this gently to keep as much air in the mixture as possible.

Pour the filling into the blind baked pie crust.  You can also skip the blind baking and pour directly into the unbaked pie crust.  Blind baking helps to prevent a soggy bottom crust.

Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes.  Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 30 minutes more.  

The pie will bake with a lovely sponge cake topping sitting atop a tangy lemon sauce.

You can see the sponge cake peeking through the cracks on the top of the pie.

Serve the Lemon Pie Cake at room temperature with dollop of whipped cream on the side.

Tangy, sweet and luscious Lemon Cake Pie.