I love rhubarb season, it’s probably the only seasonal produce that I really get excited about. Well, that and asparagus, but who doesn’t get a jolly on for asparagus? Since I can’t make cake from asparagus I guess I’ll just have to make do with these rhubarb and custard cupcakes.
I was visiting a local farm shop recently, picking up some bits and bobs for lunch when my eye was caught by a massive tub of the beautiful rosy stalks. The lovely lady who worked their informed me it had just been picked from their fields that morning. That’s all I needed to hear, so I loaded up my basket with the pink stems and off I trotted.
Sadly Kris isn’t as much of a fan of rhubarb as I, claiming it’s too tart, so all ideas of rhubarb crumble went right out the window. After much deliberation I decided to create a rhubarb compote to fill some custard flavoured cupcakes, genius. The best thing about owning a cake shop is I get to bake as many cakes as I want and they never go to waste, there’s always a bustling crowd desperate to try out any experimental sponges.
Rhubarb and Custard Cupcakes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 12 cupcakes 1x
Ingredients
- 175g butter, softened
- 150g self-raising flour
- 50g custard powder
- 175g caster sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 3 large, free range eggs
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
For the compote:
- 450g rhubarb, cut into chunks
- 150g caster sugar
- 150ml water
- 1tsp vanilla extract
For the frosting:
- 125g unsalted butter, softened
- 250g icing sugar
- 50g custard powder
- 50ml milk
Instructions
- For the compote place the rhubarb, sugar and water in a small saucepan and cook over a medium heat. Simmer for around 20 minutes or until the compote is thick and smelling delicious, add the vanilla extract then remove from the heat. Set aside while you make the cupcakes.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a 12-hole muffin tin with cupcake cases.
- Place all of your cake ingredients into the bowl of an electric mixer and mix to combine. Once all of the ingredients are blended together, using an ice cream scoop divide the mixture between the cupcake cases.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until the cakes are golden and spring back with touched. Allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out to finish cooling on a wire rack.
- When the cakes are cool cut a hollow out from the middle of each sponge, this is easiest with an apple corer, and fill with the rhubarb compote.
- To make the frosting place the butter, vanilla, custard powder, icing sugar and half of the milk into your electric mixer and mix to combine. If your frosting is looking too stiff add a bit more milk until you reach a pipe-able consistency.
- Spoon the frosting into a piping bag fitted with an open star nozzle the pipe tall swirls of the icing on top of each cupcake. Top with a fondant flower or pink sprinkles to finish.
Notes
This recipe makes more compote than you’ll need for the cupcakes, stir any leftovers through yogurt or serve over pancakes for a delicious treat.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Cupcakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: British
Keywords: Rhubarb, Custard, Cupcakes
Yum – these look great! I think I'll have to try them :)Aislinn, cakesnchaos.weebly.com
Yum – these look delicious! Think I'll have to try them :)Aislinn, cakesnchaos.weebly.com
Made these for my company cake bake.. they disappeared very quickly. I added a drizzle of the rhubarb syrup over the icing (I had to drain the compote as it was a bit too soggy to fill cakes with)
They were delicious, even if I do say so myself!
★★★★★
These are delicious! The custard buttercream is fantastic! I did find however that the amount of compote was too much so I had quite a lot over. I will halve it next time. The excess didn’t get wasted, I stirred it into natural yogurt for a sweet treat. Will definitely make these again.
★★★★★