Lemon Butter Baked Pancake for One
A single-serve oven-baked pancake with a dense, custardy crumb, bright with lemon zest and a squeeze of juice. It bakes in a small dish while the oven heats, so there is no stovetop needed.
- Total
- 31 min
- Prep 8 · Cook 18 · Rest 5
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Whisking · Zesting
- Sweet
- Oven
Instructions
-
Set the oven to 200°C and put the butter in a small oven-safe baking dish. Slide the dish into the oven for 3 to 4 minutes, until the butter is fully melted and just starting to smell nutty. Pull it out and swirl to coat the base and sides.
~4 min
Preheating the dish melts and browns the butter, which greases the dish and adds a nutty flavor to the batter.
-
While step 1 cooks
While the butter melts, zest the lemon finely until you have about 1 tsp zest, then halve it and squeeze 1 tbsp juice. Keep the zest and juice separate.
~3 min
Zesting before juicing lets you capture the aromatic oils in the peel without the juice making the zest soggy.
Zesting Grate only the yellow peel, avoiding the bitter white pith; use light pressure and turn the lemon as you go for fine, even zest.
-
In a bowl, whisk the 2 eggs with the 2 tbsp sugar, a pinch of salt and the lemon zest for about 1 minute, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is pale. Whisk in the 40 g flour, then the 60 ml water, until you have a smooth, thin batter.
~1 min
Whisking eggs and sugar dissolves the sugar and adds air, while a thin batter bakes into a dense, custardy pancake.
Whisking Whisk briskly for about a minute until the sugar dissolves and the mixture turns pale; stop before over-aerating, which can make the pancake rubbery.
-
Pour the batter into the hot buttered dish. Bake at 200°C for 15 to 18 minutes, until the edges are puffed and golden and the centre is set but still slightly soft when you press it.
~18 min
Baking in a hot buttered dish puffs the edges and sets the centre, while slight softness keeps the crumb custardy.
The centre should still give slightly under your finger when you pull it out; it firms up as it rests, which keeps the crumb dense and custardy rather than dry.
-
Drizzle the 1 tbsp lemon juice over the hot pancake. Let it stand for 5 minutes to settle, then loosen the edges with a spoon and slide it onto a plate.
~5 min
Adding lemon juice after baking preserves its bright flavor, since heat dulls fresh citrus notes.
Adding the lemon juice after baking keeps its brightness intact, since heat dulls the fresh citrus note.