Rhubarb and custard cupcakes - Hummingbird Bakery

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I was seeing some friends on Saturday night, so I decided to make some Rhubarb and Custard Cupcakes from the Hummingbird Bakery 'Home Sweet Home' recipe book. I think they might just be my favourite cupcakes I've made :)

The HB recipe features a custard topping. I followed their recipe and it resulted in a jelly-like tasteless mass that looked terrible, so I made custard buttercream instead.

Here's the recipe I ended up doing...


Rhubarb & Custard Cupcakes (makes 12-14)


Rhubarb filling:
300g rhubarb cutinto 1cm chunks
125g butter
300g caster sugar

Sponge:
70g butter
210g plain flour
250g caster sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
210ml milk
2 large eggs
1/4 tsp vanilla bean paste

Custard buttercream:
250g icing sugar
8 tsp custard powder
150g butter

First make the rhubarb filling by putting the rhubarb pieces into a pan with the butter and sugar, and a couple of spoonfuls of water, and heat until the sugar is dissolved. Keep on a medium heat until the rhubarb is soft, then drain off the liquid and allow the rhubarb to cool completely. In the HB recipe it calls for just 120g rhubarb, so I have scaled it up for 300g. These amounts result in a lot of liquid with the rhubarb, so in future I will use a lot less butter and sugar.

While the rhubarb is cooling, make the sponge. The HB method is a little different to normal - you mix the dry ingredients together until you have a breadcrumb-like consistency, then add the milk, eggs and vanilla. You end up with quite a liquidy batter, so the easiest way to divide this into the cupcake cases is to use a 50ml ice-cream scoop.

Bake for 18-20 minutes at 160C (fan oven) until a skewer comes out clean.

Allow the cupcakes to cool while you make the buttercream - all you have to do is whisk the ingredients together, adding a little hot water (1-2 tsp) if needed to help it along.

Once everything is cool, cut a cone-shape out of the top of each cupcake with a sharp knife, and trim down the cone to make a flat lid. Add a spoonful of the rhubarb filling to each cupcake, and place the lid back on top. Decorate them with the buttercream - I like to add a little red food colouring to half of the mixture and then put both colours into a piping bag for a marbled effect.

Eat, and enjoy :)

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Yummy! :)
 
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Wow! That looks super yummie!

I have never had rhubarb, so I don't even know what it tastes like.


I've been meaning to ask you..........do you have your own shop?
 
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Nope, I just enjoy baking :)

Can you get tinned rhubarb where you are?


I don't think many people even use rhubarb here. I've heard of some peoples grandma's making rhubarb pie, but I don't think any "modern" bakers or bakeries here make such a thing.

I have never seen canned or jarred rhubarb. I remember seeing it fresh, many years ago, in the stores here, but it's been a very long time since I've seen anyone have it available.

I'm lucky to have found some parsnips at the store last summer!!!!! I bought several and made honey buttered parsnips for myself last year. Unfortunately, they've never gotten any more in.



Most places and people here have gotten away from the old standards..........rhubarb, mincemeat, and buttermilk pies. And mincemeat is one of my fav's! So hard to find.

Everybody wants to be "different" and "special", so it's all weird gourmet stuff nowadays. Nobody makes standard pies anymore, except around holidays.

I'm lucky to have found Buttermilk pie at my local store for the last two years. OMG I made myself sick on that!!! LOL
 
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That's beautiful! I love rhubarb! Strawberry rhubarb pie is hands down my favorite dessert. It's in season now so around here it's easy to find fresh rhubarb. However, I've never seen it canned!

Parsnips are also easy to come by in the Cleveland area. Interesting.

I'm totally adding that cookbook to my already too long wish list.
 
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Hummingbird Bakery does seem to do some great recipes! They can be a bit 'hit & miss' though. Like the custard topping that I was meant to use for these cupcakes! ;)

Custard does seem odd as a topping. I can see filling...

I like ideas, though! I have one book that has all of the temperatures miscalculated for our Fahrenheit ovens but the recipes are nice otherwise. The first time I made something I thought 340 seemed low for a cookie but went with it...then waited...and waited...
 
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I've never tried rhubarb and custard cupcakes before. It seems odd and delicious at the same time? I don't know how else to describe it haha :D How did your friends like the cupcakes?
 
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Rhubarb and custard is a popular combo here in the UK - there are even rhubarb & custard boiled sweets!

Rhubarb-Custard.jpg


It works well because of the tanginess of the rhubarb and the sweet creaminess of the custard.

My friends loved the cupcakes, thankfully! :)
 
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Rhubarb and custard is a popular combo here in the UK - there are even rhubarb & custard boiled sweets!

Rhubarb-Custard.jpg


It works well because of the tanginess of the rhubarb and the sweet creaminess of the custard.

My friends loved the cupcakes, thankfully! :)


Those candies sound wonderful.
 
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Rhubarb and custard is a popular combo here in the UK - there are even rhubarb & custard boiled sweets!

Rhubarb-Custard.jpg


It works well because of the tanginess of the rhubarb and the sweet creaminess of the custard.

My friends loved the cupcakes, thankfully! :)

Those look fantastic! I never knew about those being a speciality in the UK! I wonder if we can get those elsewhere? I'd really love to try them :D
 

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