By April. Easter. Bethany Church. The ham. The deviled eggs with Creole mustard — consumed in eight minutes. MawMaw Shirley on the porch afterward: "When you are in New Orleans, drive to Baker every month. Not every other month. Every month." I promised. She said, "The roux needs you and I need you and the needing is the same thing." I will keep this promise the way I keep all her promises: with my hands, with my body, with the knowledge that the promise is the tradition and the tradition is the love.
MawMaw Shirley didn’t ask me to bake — she asked me to show up — but I’ve learned that in our family, showing up and baking are the same gesture. When I got home from Baker that April, still carrying the taste of Creole mustard deviled eggs and the weight of that porch promise, I needed something that felt like spring arriving on schedule, tender and a little tart and quietly extraordinary — and this rhubarb custard cake was exactly that. The rhubarb comes up every year whether you tend it or not, just like the love, and the custard sets slow and patient, just like a promise you actually intend to keep.
Rhubarb Custard Cake
Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 50 min | Total Time: 1 hr 10 min | Servings: 12
Ingredients
- 3 cups fresh rhubarb, sliced 1/2-inch thick
- 1 box (15.25 oz) white cake mix
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup whole milk
- 3 large eggs
- 1 package (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (for topping the rhubarb)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish thoroughly with butter or non-stick spray and set aside.
- Layer the rhubarb. Spread the sliced rhubarb evenly across the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the 1/2 cup granulated sugar and cinnamon over the rhubarb and toss gently to coat.
- Mix the custard batter. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, instant vanilla pudding mix, eggs, milk, sour cream, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Beat with a hand mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes until smooth and well incorporated.
- Pour and spread. Pour the batter evenly over the sugared rhubarb layer, spreading gently with a spatula to cover completely. The batter will be thick — take your time spreading it to the edges.
- Bake. Bake for 45—55 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The custard from the rhubarb will have migrated upward through the cake as it bakes.
- Cool and serve. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for at least 20 minutes before slicing. Dust with powdered sugar if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 310 | Protein: 5g | Fat: 13g | Carbs: 44g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 340mg