Bring a taste of nostalgic comfort to your table with our Old Fashioned Rhubarb Pudding Cake. This vintage-inspired dessert perfectly balances the bright, tart snap of fresh rhubarb with a rich, buttery cake batter enhanced by a hint of sweet almond and vanilla extracts.

But the real magic happens in the oven. Before baking, a simple mixture of sugar and cornstarch is sprinkled over the top, followed by a splash of boiling water. It might sound unusual, but as it bakes, this process works like pure kitchen alchemy. It creates a beautiful, crackly, caramelized glaze on top—reminiscent of a classic crème brûlée—while simultaneously bubbling down to form a luscious, velvety pudding sauce right at the bottom around the fruit.

Whether you are looking for the perfect seasonal spring dessert or a cozy year-round treat, this recipe is incredibly versatile. It can easily be doubled to feed a crowd in a 9×13 pan, or adapted with your favorite gluten-free flour. Serve it warm in a bowl with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream, or let it cool slightly, slice, and invert it onto a plate to show off that glorious, gooey pudding layer.

Generously shared by; Lorna Punko

Print Recipe

Old Fashioned Rhubarb Pudding Cake

Author: Susan Schafers Cooking Method: Baking Courses: Dessert

Ingredients

Servings

• 2 Cups Chopped Rhubarb
• ³⁄₄ Cup Sugar
• ³⁄₄ Cup Sugar (Topping)
• 3 tbsp Butter, Softened
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• ¹⁄₄ tsp Salt
• ¹⁄₂ Cup Milk
• ¹⁄₂ tsp Vanilla Extract
• ¹⁄₂ tsp Almond Extract
• 1 Cup Sifted Flour
• 1 tbsp Cornstarch
• ²⁄₃ Cup Boiling Water

Instructions

1. Prep the Pan

   Cover the bottom of an 8 or 9 inch pan with Fruit.

   I prefer an 8 or 9 inch square glass baking dish. You could also use a deep dish glass pie plate.

2. The Pudding Cake

   Mix 3/4 Sugar, Butter, Baking Powder, Salt, Extracts, Milk, Flour together. Pour over fruit.

   Add a little more milk if its too thick to pour

1. Toppping

   Mix 3/4 Sugar and Corstarch, Sprinkle over mixture in pan. Pour boiling water over the top.

   It sounds strange, but works to create a pudding around the rubarb in the bottom of the pan..

1. Baking

   Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.

1. The sugar topping creates a glaze on the top of the cake, something like a Creme Brule, as well as
   creating the pudding at the bottom. You can serve warm in a bowl with ice cream, or let it cool a bit, slice and invert on your plate to show off the pudding.

   *You may also substitute a gluten free flour. If you use a gluten free flour then bake an extra 10 minutes.