rhubarb custard tea cake

rhubarb custard tea cake

• 7 Oct 2019

A few months ago I remade an apple tea cake using a very old recipe. With rhubarb in the shops I wondered if I could make a version using rhubarb instead of the apple. Whilst flicking through a recent issue of the Australian Women's Weekly, what did I spy but a recipe for the very thing, a rhubarb custard cake.



Knowing it was indeed possible I bought a bunch of rhubarb at the fruit shop. I've seen lots of fancy rhubarb work on instagram so I made a geometric pattern with the rhubarb to top the cake.



I needn't have bothered because as the cake baked it rose, redistributing all my carefully sliced rhubarb pieces. Next time, I'll go with a more simple design.



This cake is a little more time consuming to make than some of my recent endeavours but I think the extra effort is worth it. I brushed a little warmed apricot jam over the rhubarb once the cake came out of the oven.



Here's the recipe for you. For all my recipes I use a 250 ml cup, a 20 ml tablespoon, unsalted butter and 60g eggs. My oven is a conventional gas oven so if your oven is fan forced you may need to reduce the oven temperature by 20°C



Rhubarb and custard teacake - makes a 20cm cake 
Custard
2 tbs custard powder
2 tbs caster sugar
1 cup (250ml) milk
20g unsalted butter
2 teaspoon vanilla essence

Cake
200 g unsalted butter, plus 20g extra, melted
⅔ cup caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1¼ cup (185 g) self-raising flour
¼ cup custard powder
Pinch salt
½ cup (125 ml) buttermilk
550 g thin rhubarb stalks washed, trimmed 
2 tsp caster sugar, extra

Method
To make the custard, combine custard powder and sugar in a small saucepan; gradually stir in the milk. Stir over heat until the mixture boils and thickens. Remove from heat; stir in the butter and essence. Press plastic wrap over surface; cool.

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a deep 20cm round cake pan; line with baking paper. Beat butter, sugar and vanilla in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined between each addition. Stir in the sifted flour, custard powder and salt and buttermilk, in two batches.

Whisk the cooled custard until smooth. Spread half of the cake mixture into the prepared pan; top with custard.  Dollop small spoonfuls of the mixture over the top of the custard then gently spread the remaining cake mixture over custard until completely covered. Cut rhubarb to fit the top of the pan; cut thicker stems in half lengthways. Position the rhubarb on the cake; brush with melted butter, then sprinkle with the extra caster sugar. 

Bake for 1¼ hours or until firm; run a knife around the edge of the cake then place on a wire rack to cool. When cool, unmould the cake and remove the lining paper. This recipe can be made up to a day ahead.




I didn't get to eat my slice that day because I'd done a lot of baking that weekend so had other things to try. When I did, oh my lord, rhubarb and custard are a match made in heaven. This is a very good cake and I can't wait to try making it again in summer, this time using sliced plums instead of the rhubarb.

See you all again soon with some more baking from my kitchen.

Bye for now,

Jillian