A sweet and fruity dessert that is perfect for the season! It’s rhubarb season, and this prolific and delicious fruit is growing like a weed in my garden. It’s a good thing my family loves it. Rhubarb has a tangy flavor but with a texture similar to celery. It is a wonderful addition to fruity desserts, giving them a bit of tang along with the sweetness. My rhubarb pudding cake is a great way to serve this plentiful fruit. This cakey pudding has a caramelized top (kind of like a crème Brulee), a creamy custard-like middle, and sweet rhubarb on the bottom. One of the steps to make this cake requires pouring boiling water over the entire batter in the pan. You feel like you’re ruining it, but this is what makes the sweet, crunchy topping as well as the smooth pudding cake underneath. My rhubarb pudding cake is simple to make and gives you a good reason to grow more rhubarb.
Belle’s Rhubarb Pudding Cake
3 cups of rhubarb, coarsely chopped
1 ¾ cup sugar, divided
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
¾ cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup sifted flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2/3 cup boiling water
Cover the bottom of an 8 or 9-inch square baking pan with fruit. Mix 3/4 cup sugar, butter, baking powder, salt, extracts, milk, and flour together. Pour over the fruit. Mix remaining sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl; sprinkle over mixture in pan. Pour boiling water over the top. Don’t mix! Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped topping if desired.
