A sweet celebration of Spring with rhubarb and strawberries stewed together, then baked up with a sweet vanilla cake topping. This delicious fruit dessert can be made with fresh or frozen fruit.
I’m a big fan of pudding cakes! This one isn’t a classic pudding cake, in that it doesn’t make “pudding”, per se. Instead, the pudding is a fruity bottom of stewed fruit. On top is a delicious vanilla-scented cake. Served warm with cream or ice cream, it is perfection.
Love pudding cakes with fruit?
You might like to try Peach Pudding Cake, Pear Pudding Cake, Blueberry Pudding Cake or a straight-up Rhubarb Pudding Cake.
Ingredients and substitutions
A few notes about the key ingredients …
Strawberries – You can use fresh or frozen strawberries for this recipe.
Rhubarb – You can use fresh or frozen rhubarb for this recipe.
How to make strawberry rhubarb pudding cake: step-by-step
This is a visual summary of the steps to make this recipe. Scroll down to the Recipe Card below for the complete list of ingredients and instructions.
Step 1: Start by adding the strawberries, rhubarb, sugar, water and cornstarch to a saucepan.
Step 2: Stir the mixture regularly until it comes to a boil.
Step 3: Simmer the fruit mixture until softened and reduced.
Step 4: Set aside a bit of the fruit mixture.
Step 5: Pour the remaining strawberry rhubarb mixture into a baking dish.
Step 6: Prepare the cake batter by mixing together the wet ingredients and dry ingredients in two bowls or measuring cups.
Step 7: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir together until combined.
Step 8: Spoon dollops of the batter on top of the fruit mixture, then spoon the reserved fruit mixture over the batter. Bake.
Recipe tips!
- The top of the cake will likely brown up early, but don’t be deceived. It is probably not yet cooked underneath. You can loosely cover the top of the cake with a sheet of aluminum foil to stop additional browning, while the cake finishes baking.
- If it’s not rhubarb season and your freezer isn’t stocked, check grocery stores for frozen rhubarb and strawberry mixtures. Here in Canada, Metro and affiliated stores (Food Basics, etc.) sell it!
- You can test the cake with a toothpick, just be sure to test the cake part only and not insert it into the fruit layer.
How to serve strawberry rhubarb pudding cake
This pudding cake is lovely served warm and simply spooned into a bowl. To take it up a notch, drizzle with a little heavy cream, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.
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Get the Recipe: Strawberry Rhubarb Pudding Cake
Ingredients
For the fruit layer:
- 1/3 cup water
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1/3-1/2 cup white granulated sugar, Adjust depending on the rhubarb/strawberry mix ratio *see Note 1 below
- 2 cups rhubarb, fresh or frozen, chopped
- 2 cups strawberries, fresh or frozen, chopped
For the cake layer:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup milk, 2 or 3% recommended
- 1/2 cup salted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400°F. (non-convection/not fan-assisted). Butter an 8-inch square or 9-inch round glass or ceramic baking dish. Set aside.
- Add the 1/3 cup water, 2 cups strawberries, 2 cups rhubarb, 2 teaspoons cornstarch 1/3-1/2 cup white granulated sugar to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir regularly until the mixture comes to a simmer. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 4-5 minutes or until softened and reduced.
- Scoop out 1/2 cup of the strawberry rhubarb mixture and set aside. Pour the remaining fruit mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread it evenly. Place the baking dish on a baking sheet (to catch any bubbling over) and set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup white granulated sugar, 1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the 1 large egg, 1/2 cup milk, melted 1/2 cup salted butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and stir together until well combined.
- Drop large spoonfuls of the cake batter over the fruit mixture in the baking pan, spreading it out a bit as best you can without disrupting the fruit too much. The batter doesn't need to completely cover the fruit. Use a small spoon to randomly spoon the reserved fruit mixture over the batter.
- Bake in the preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted into the centre of the cake portion comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack for 5 minutes (or up to a few hours) before serving. Serve with a drizzle of cream, a scoop of vanilla ice cream or dollop of whipped cream.
Notes
More strawberry rhubarb recipes to love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
