A super moist and fruity treat, this Rhubarb and Custard Cake has gorgeous bursts of tangy rhubarb and sweet custard. All topped with classic crumble for the perfect loaf cake.
I love baking with rhubarb. I’m not actually sure about it on its own. It is so tart and, I think, a bit weird. But, in cakes or crumbles it’s perfect.
I’ve had two easy rhubarb cake recipes online for years.
But, seeing as they are quite similar, I decided to take the best bits of both and put them together for one super Rhubarb and Custard Loaf Cake with a crumble top!
Easy Loaf cakes are the perfect Family Bakes and make a great way to try new flavours and ideas like a rhubarb sponge cake recipe.
The crumble cake topping is fairly basic, but it just gives this rhubarb loaf cake something a little bit special. It’s a very sweet rhubarb crumble cake, but I really love it.
A definite must for any rhubarb crumble and custard fans.
Why I Love This Easy Rhubarb and Custard Cake
This old fashioned rhubarb and custard cake is delicious. I love it because:
- Rhubarb custard cake is full of yummy flavours.
- You can make it with tinned rhubarb.
- Roasted Rhubarb smells incredible.
- The crumble top instead of an icing sugar buttercream makes a nice change.
- It’s a lovely autumnal treat.
Ingredients for This Rhubarb Custard Cake Recipe
When I make this recipe for old-fashioned rhubarb custard cake, I use:
Plain Flour, Caster Sugar and Unsalted Butter – For the crumble top. Personally, I think butter is better for this step than margarine, which can leave you with a sloppy crumble.
Caster Sugar
Room Temperature Butter– Margarine is fine in the cake. Plus extra to grease the tin if you aren’t using baking paper.
Eggs
Vanilla Extract
Ready Made Custard
Self-Raising Flour – If you don’t have self-raising, add a teaspoon of baking powder to plain.
Tinned Rhubarb
You’ll also need a mixing bowl, a 2lb cake tin and baking paper.
Can you Bake a Cake with Tinned Rhubarb?
My original recipes both used fresh rhubarb, which is fab. But it does really limit how often you can make this lovely rhubarb and custard cake.
So I’ve been experimenting with baking with tinned rhubarb. If anything, it’s even better.
When I use fresh rhubarb, I peel and chop it before sprinkling it with sugar and baking it to soften.
When you use tinned rhubarb, it’s typically soaked in syrup, so it’s already soft and sweetened, and you can just put it straight into the cake.
I break the big bits up a little, but that’s it.
If you like tinned rhubarb recipes and especially tinned rhubarb cake, try my Rhubarb and Custard Muffins too!
When Can You Get Fresh Rhubarb?
If you prefer to use fresh rhubarb, it’s typically available in spring and early summer. But, even then, I don’t find it that easy to get.
I may plant some next year!
Cooking Fresh Rhubarb
Raw rhubarb is pretty tough, so you don’t want to put it straight into your rhubarb and custard loaf cake.
I advise peeling the harder outer bits, chopping what’s left into chunks, then placing them on a greased tray and sprinkling them with brown sugar. Bake for around 30 minutes, discard any liquid and use.
Because of the peeling and draining, you need more of it. Tinned rhubarb I use around 200g. Raw, I’d say at least 300g.
Will The Rhubarb Sink in the Cake Mix?
A little bit. I find that as long as I break the bigger chucks down, while they do sink a little, you still get a pretty good rhubarb distribution.
If your rhubarb does sink more than you’d like, there are a few things that you could try next time.
First, put the cake batter in the fridge for 30 minutes before layering. This can help it to set a little so that it holds the fruit better.
You could also try tossing your rhubarb gently in flour before layering or adding 20g extra flour to your cake mix.
Honestly, I’ve never found it sinks enough to bother me, but try these things if you have any trouble.
Can You Freeze Raw Rhubarb?
Yes! If you really like using fresh rhubarb, freezing so that you can bake all year round is a great option.
Raw rhubarb actually freezes really really well.
Chop off any stringy bits, and get rid of any leaves. Then chop it into short chunks.
If you will be using them for a crumble or something like that, and you don’t mind them sticking together, place them in a freezer bag and freeze them straight away.
If you would prefer to preserve the shape of the individual chunks, place them flat, space out on a lined baking tray and freeze.
Once frozen, put them in a freezer bag, and pop them back in the freezer. They will still break down a little as they defrost but are less likely to stick to each other.
What Else Can You Do with Rhubarb?
This Rhubarb and Custard Cake certainly isn’t the only thing that you can make with either raw or tinned rhubarb. Some other great recipes include:
Can You Make a Cake with Custard Powder?
I use ready-made custard in this Rhubarb and Custard Cake recipe because it’s easy. But a rhubarb and custard cake with custard powder is fine too.
If you prefer, you can make your own, or add remove 30g of flour and add 30g of custard powder to the cake mix, as you might with cocoa for a chocolate cake.
Can You Freeze Rhubarb and Custard Cake?
I’m not sure how you’d manage not to eat it straight away. But, if for any reason you wanted to bake this cake and save it for another time, you could freeze it.
Or, if you are on your own, you could freeze slices to make them last for longer.
Either wrap the whole cake, or individual slices, in cling film or wax strips, before placing it in a sealed tub and freezing.
Thaw slowly in the fridge when you are ready to eat.
A Crumble Cake Topping
The crumble cake topping is completely optional, but I just think it gives the Rhubarb and Custard Loaf Cake something extra. And who doesn’t love rhubarb crumble and custard?
I do find that I can only use quite a thin layer, or the top becomes too heavy, and the cake sinks.
I also find that the crumble moves around as the cake rises. As you can see from my photos, it all moved to one end on this occasion. Don’t worry about it!
If you want more tips on getting the perfect loaf cake every time, read this post!
If You Like This Custard and Rhubarb Cake, You Might Also Enjoy
Rhubarb and Custard Cake
Ingredients
For the Crumble Topping:
- 50 g Plain Flour
- 25 g Caster Sugar (+ 1tbsp to top)
- 25 g Butter or Margarine
For the Cake:
- 170 g Caster Sugar
- 170 g Butter or Margarine
- 3 Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Essence
- 100 g Ready Made Custard
- 180 g Self-raising Flour
- 200 g Tinned Rhubarb
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C (fan-assisted).
- Grease or line a loaf tin.
For the crumble cake topping:
- Rub together the flour, butter and sugar until they resemble fine breadcrumbs.
- Set to one side.
For the Rhubarb and Custard Cake:
- Cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy.
- Mix in eggs, one at a time.
- Stir in vanilla and custard (leaving a little to top).
- Sift in the flour and mix until smooth.
- Spoon one-third of the cake mix into the loaf tin.
- Add a few small chunks of rhubarb, cover with cake mix and repeat.
- Do this until you’ve run out of cake mix.
- Add a few more chunks of rhubarb to the top, and dot on some extra custard.
- Sprinkle with crumble topping and then sugar.
- Bake for 1 hour.
- Insert a skewer into the centre. It’s cooked if it comes out clean. If not, bake for a further 10 minutes.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Any nutritional information is given as a general guide only and may not be accurate. The information is provided using an online calculator and is specific to my ingredients. Please make your own calculations if you want precise information.
