Why it works: Butter and lemon are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 16% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 41,227 recipes. Both carry 3-hexenal, which smells apple, fruity. The science ↓
An Excellent Lemon Pudding
Ingredients
Directions
Make the batter
Beat well together four ounces of fresh butter creamed and eight ounces of sifted sugar; gradually add the yolks of six eggs and the whites of two eggs, with grated rind and strained juice of one large lemon, adding the lemon juice slowly and stirring briskly to combine.
Bake
Bake the pudding in a dish lined with very thin puff pastry for three-quarters of an hour in a slow oven.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 3 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Lemon | juice of 1 lemon (48ml) | 12 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures. See the original page.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Butter + lemontop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together41,227 recipes
Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).
-
Butter + eggtop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together118,967 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
-
Egg + lemontop 19% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together44,316 recipes
Shared aroma: (e,e)-2,4-decadienal (fatty, deep fried).
Egg and lemon barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 44,316 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Butter
- Creamed with sugar to build a rich, tender texture and carry flavour.
- Sugar (in the method)
- Sweetens the pudding and helps the creamed butter hold air for a lighter crumb.
- Eggs
- Yolks enrich and help the pudding set; whites add structure and lightness.
- Lemon
- Juice adds acidity and sharp flavour, while the grated rind adds aroma.
The step that matters
Adding the lemon juice. Lemon juice is acidic and can make the butter and egg mixture separate or curdle if poured in quickly. Adding it slowly while stirring briskly keeps the batter smooth and evenly combined.
Swap the lemon
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (butter, egg):
- Lemonthe original
- Vanillafits about as well
- Coconutfits about as well
- Raspberryfits less well
Fit is the average pairing score against butter, egg. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
More lemon pudding recipes
You might also like
Lemon Cake228 recipes
Lemon Ice147 recipes
Lemon Sherbet103 recipes
Lemon Custard64 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.