Indulge in the Irresistible: Rhubarb & Custard Cake Recipe

The bright pink stalks of rhubarb signal the arrival of spring, making them a wonderful choice for seasonal desserts. I love the combination of sweet and tart and this Rhubarb & Custard Cake really hits that perfect balance, but rhubarb I know is not for everyone. It's taken me a long time to find a rhubarb recipe that my husband has found acceptable, but he was straight back in for second helpings with this one!

The Rhubarb & Custard Cake Recipe

Ingredients

For the custard

2 tablespoons custard powder

55 g (1/4 cup) caster sugar

250 ml (1 cup) full cream milk

20 g (1 tablespoon) unsalted butter

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the rhubarb cake

• 200 g (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

• 110 g (1/2 cup) caster sugar

• 2 eggs

• 185 g (1 1/4 cup) plain flour

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 40 g (1/3 cup) custard powder

• 1–2 fresh rhubarb stalks

• 20 g (1 tablespoon) unsalted butter, melted

• 4 teaspoons granulated sugar

Method

To make the custard

Mix together the custard powder and caster sugar in a small saucepan. Whisk in the milk.

Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently. The mixture will start to thicken very quickly and, when it does, take the pan off the heat.

Whisk in the butter and vanilla extract. Place some clingfilm directly onto the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming and leave to cool.

To make the cake

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) (without fan).

Cream the butter and sugar until it is light and fluffy.

Beat in one egg at a time, together with a tablespoon of the flour to help it all come together. Add the remaining flour, baking powder and custard powder, and mix well. The batter will be quite thick because there is no liquid, but it should still be spreadable.

Line the bottom of a 20 cm (8 inch) springform cake pan with baking paper and grease the sides of the pan. Use a small spatula to spread half of the batter in the cake pan. Remember that it is a thick batter so you will have to make sure that it covers all of the surface.

Spread the now cooled and thickened custard over the first layer of the cake batter.

Dollop spoonfuls of the remaining cake batter over the custard and carefully spread the cake batter to completely cover the custard. Again, a small spatula works well here.

Chop the rhubarb into 10 cm lengths and slice them lengthwise, about 1 cm thick.

Arrange the rhubarb as in the photo, trimming them where necessary.

Brush the top of the cake with melted butter and sprinkle generously with granulated sugar.

Bake for about 1 hour to 1.5 hours, or until a skewer inserted in the top cake layer comes out clean.

Remove the cake from the pan and cool on a wire rack.