Rhubarb Pudding Cake

If I didn’t have your attention after “Rhubarb” or “Rhubarb Pudding Cake”, could I get some eye contact if I add “Warm Butter Sauce”?

Thought so.

No pudding in Rhubarb Pudding Cake

The name of this recipe may have you wondering what flavor of instant pudding you need to grab from the grocery store, but there’s no pudding in the ingredients. As this incredibly moist cake absorbs that warm butter sauce, a pudding-like texture results. See it? Don’t you just want to grab that fork and pull off that front corner bite in the picture?

so many recipes … so little rhubarb

With only two plants in my garden, I have to plan in advance which recipes will get the available rhubarb. That’s a problem. With such a short season, there is never enough to make all of the crisp, scones, pie, cobbler, jam and muffins that I want, let alone try any NEW recipes. The light but steady rains and mild temperatures that we’ve had this week should make it grow quickly.

[2019 Update: Since moving to our acreage last fall, I now have three
plants with room to divide them more in a few years!! Hello, new recipes!]

choose wisely

I am almost as fussy about rhubarb as I am sweet corn. Cooking shows often use really thick stalks and the chefs peel the rhubarb before chopping it. Stalks less than one inch wide are tender and, though tart, they aren’t bitter. Not having to peel it saves time and preserves that pretty pink/red color!

A final piece of information on rhubarb? The leaves are poisonous. Beautiful for photo staging, but not for eating.

Rhubarb Pudding Cake

A luscious rhubarb cake drizzled with warm butter sauce is all you need for the perfect spring dessert. This is the ideal balance between tart and sweet! This cake will serve 12 people unless this is the first rhubarb of the season ... then it will only serve 6-8!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Servings 12 people

Ingredients

  

Rhubarb Cake

• 4 tablespoons butter divided and softened
• 1 1/2 cups sugar divided
• 1 egg
• 1 cup buttermilk or sour milk (see notes)
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups diced fresh rhubarb
• 1/2 cup finely chopped almonds

Warm Butter Sauce

• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or lemon juice

Instructions

 

Rhubarb Cake

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a mixer, blend 2 tablespoons butter, 1 cup of sugar and egg until smooth. Blend in buttermilk until well incorporated. Sift/stir together salt, baking soda, baking powder, and flour. Gently blend dry ingredients into buttermilk mixture. Fold rhubarb into batter by hand.
• Pour into a greased 8"x11" glass pan or two 8" square pans. 
• In a small bowl, combine remaining 2 tablespoons of softened butter, remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and almonds. Sprinkle mixture over batter.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until center of cake is set and top is golden brown. Remove from oven and cool at least 30 minutes before cutting.

Warm Butter Sauce

• Melt butter in saucepan; add sugar and evaporated milk, stirring to combine. Bring to a low boil, stirring constantly, and simmer for one minute until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla or lemon juice.
• Drizzle about 2 tablespoons on each piece of cake when serving.

Notes

Sour milk can be made by stirring 1 teaspoon of vinegar into 1 cup milk.

Keyword cake, dessert, recipe, rhubarb, simple

It looks like I can pick more tomorrow.

Scones or pie?

What a dilemma. 

more tried-and-true rhubarb desserts

Here are a couple more rhubarb options for you to consider:

Rhubarb Crunch
Blueberry-Rhubarb Sour Cream Pie (this post is for a Raspberry Sour Cream Pie … just scroll down for a picture of the blueberry and rhubarb version).