Easy 6 Ingredient Rhubarb Custard Cake is an easy dessert made with tart rhubarb, a sweet custard and a box mix cake for a simple and delicious recipe that anyone can make!
Rhubarb Custard Cake With 6 Ingredients
Rhubarb Custard Cake with just six ingredients almost sounds like a magic trick. Just dump, mix, bake and voila! You have a delicious tart cake with a custard pudding twist. Take ordinary yellow cake mix and make something you don’t see everyday.
If you haven’t experienced the combination of rhubarb and custard you are missing out. Rhubarb Custard Pie and Strawberry Rhubarb Custard Dessert are just a couple of my favorite spring desserts I have to make!
Rhubarb Cream Cake
This Midwestern dessert is a country classic that often goes by the name Rhubarb Cream Cake. I felt the cream created a luscious custard consistency in the center with the egg based cake. Therefore I named it appropriately.
You have got to love when a simple store bought box cake mix can be transformed into a decadent dessert with only a few ingredients, like this Dark Chocolate Cake. No matter what you call it, you will be calling it delicious!
Ordinarily, when anyone thinks about rhubarb, chances are they think about strawberries, rhubarb and a thick glaze sauce in a pie. But don’t limit the potential of what you can do with rhubarb!
Doing a custard cake with rhubarb still provides that tangy sour that makes rhubarb special, but custard instead of glaze is a great twist on how to enjoy it.
Some Tips About Rhubarb
Rhubard is great for adding a nice sour edge to all sorts of things, and is mostly used for desserts. This is because rhubarb is so sour it needs sugar to balance it out.
You can use canned chopped rhubarb or fresh rhubarb depending on your preference and availability. However, the one thing you never want to do is use the leaves of rhubarb!
The leaves contain very high amounts of oxalic acid, which is fine in small quantities, but too much is not good. (It can cause kidney stones). So if you do use fresh stalks of rhubarb, then be sure to cut away all of the green leafy top.
Yellow Cake Mix
Ok, do you you feel like you are cheating if you use a pre-mixed cake mix? Stop being so tough on yourself. Pre-mixed yellow cake mix is so convenient and when it comes to baking cakes, measurements make all the difference.
What would you prefer? A cake mix that never sets up and bakes properly or a cake mix that gets the job done and doesn’t require any extra effort besides the wet ingredients you need to mix in?
Yellow cake mix is made of the same things you would make your own cake batter from. The ingredients are just nice and precisely measured.
The one downfall that is usually encountered with store bought cake mixes is that they get dry and stale the day after you bake them. This rhubarb custard cake is the exception. All of the creamy custard filling keeps the cake moist and fresh for days!
Serving and storing custard cake
Like most cakes, this one is best served just a little bit warm topped with cool whipped cream. The combination of flavors and textures is absolutely amazing!
I love real whipped cream, but Cool Whip also works great. Everyone has their own preference when it comes to this and that is totally fine! Do what you like best.
Unlike most cakes that you can leave out on the counter for a few days, you will need to refrigerate this rhubarb custard cake. The creamy custard center will spoil too quickly if it isn’t refrigerated.
Chances are there won’t be much left to refrigerate anyways seeing it is just that good!
Anymore Great Dessert Recipes?
If you are looking for more amazing dessert to use up your rhubarb, be sure to check out these Rhubarb Recipes!
Easy Rhubarb Custard Cake
Ingredients
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- Water eggs and vegetable oil required for cake mix
- 4 c. chopped rhubarb
- 1 1/4 c. granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 c. heavy cream
- OPTIONAL – whipped cream or Cool Whip for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Prepare yellow cake mix as directed. Pour in a greased 9×13 pan.
- Sprinkle chopped rhubarb and sugar evenly over the cake mix.
- Pour heavy cream over everything.
- Bake at 350° for 60-70 minutes.
- Serve cake warm topped with whipped cream and store leftovers in the refrigerator.
Virginia says
mine is overflowing the cake pan right now. it looks and smells good but I’m really glad I had a sheet of foil under it.
diane Schnee says
I am going to use frozen rhubarb, do you think I should use the juice as part of the water that is added for the cake? and there is a 10 minute difference in the bake time, its custard, so how do you really know when it is done?
Charleen Block says
Delicious and so easy. I’m making my third one this week.
MaryB says
I love this cake. I’ve been making it for years. I always use at least 5 cups of rhubarb, and this time I used coconut cream instead of heavy cream, and it worked perfectly.
Michele says
I have made this cake many, many times. I prefer strawberry cake mix to the yellow cake mix.
Thomas says
I usually make this with yellow but, today I’m trying is with strawberry cake mix. Going for a strawberry rhubarb cake. Kids love it with yellow cake mix, so let’s see how this turns out.
Bre says
I’ve made this 3x already! The only changes I’ve made is using 1 cup strawberries and 3 cups rhubarbs, and reducing the sugar to 1 cup. I also cover the cake with foil for the last ten so it doesn’t get too brown before the bottom can set.
So yummy and a crowd pleaser.
debbie says
I use strawberries and don’t have to worry about the watery rhubarb. Tastes just as good and strawberries are
easy to get unless you have your own rhubarb patch. Then you’re lucky!
Denise Angove says
Mine also had a wet bottom. I stuck it back in for 10 minutes . Did not resolve the problem.
LadyladyDiDi says
Super easy to prepare. I used a couple of bags of frozen rhubarb (thawed and patted dry with kitchen paper).
This moist cake will definitely be a hit with those that love rhubarb.
Lisa Schmiesing says
I added a layer of chia seeds and substituted almond milk for water. I cut the sugar in half. Delicious!
Becky says
So Delicious! Made it this morning.
Valerie Toennessen says
Is there a substitute for the heavy cream?
Catherine says
The cream is what makes it a custard cake.
Kristy says
can I use white cake mix if that’s all I have on hand?
Danielle Green says
Yes!
Patricia says
Has anyone tried to substitute half and half instead of heavy cream? Will it work in this recipe?
Jane Nelson says
Mine got watery on the bottom. Have made this for years & it’s never happened. Any ideas?
Gene says
Perhaps water cooked out of the rhubarb. I’ve considered cooking the rhubarb and reducing the cook water to pull down th moisture level.
Kay says
we just made this. very wet at the bottom too. did you figure out what caused it?
Patricia Bontrager says
Made this for mother’s day and it was a huge hit! And it’s very easy to make, which is a nice bonus. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
Malinda says
These bars were so easy to make and were the perfect dessert! Served them slightly warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, so good!!
Alison says
Easy recipe! And the custard is so yummy.
Julie says
My husband loves rhubarb so I made him this cake and it was a huge hit! Thanks for sharing, it’s so easy!
Megan says
I love anything rhubarb so this was a great quick and easy dessert! Thanks for sharing!
Corrine says
I can’t tolerate sugar so I used a sugar free cake mix & Swerve sugar free brown sugar. It was awesome. A great way to use fresh rhubarb from the garden.