We have rhubarb growing in our veggie patch and there seems to be an abundance of it, so I set out looking for unusual recipes and discovered this delicious Rhubarb & Custard Sponge.

Firstly weigh out
400g rhubarb
50g caster sugar

Heat the oven to 200C/ Gas 6. Rinse the rhubarb and shake off excess water. Trim the ends and cut into finger-size pieces. Put in a shallow baking tray and tip caster sugar over the top, toss together and shake rhubarb so it’s a single layer. Cover with foil and roast for 15 mins. Remove foil and give everything a shake, roast for a further 5 mins. Carefully drain off the juices then let it cool.

For the sponge
250g Pack Butter (softened, plus extra for greasing)
150g Ready-Made Custard
250g Self-Raising Flour
½ tsp Baking Powder
4 Large Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
250g Golden Caster Sugar
Icing Sugar (for dusting)

Butter and line a 23cm cake tin. Heat oven to 180C/Gas 4.
Put aside 3 tbsp of the custard. Beat the rest of the custard together with the butter, flour, baking powder, eggs, vanilla and sugar until creamy and smooth.

Spoon one-third of the mix into the tin, top with some rhubarb, then dot with one-third more cake mixture and spread it out as well as you can. Top with more rhubarb, then spoon over the remaining cake mix, leaving it in rough mounds and dips. Scatter the rest of the rhubarb over the batter, then dot the remaining custard over the top.

Bake for 40 mins until risen and golden, then cover with foil and bake for a further 15-20 mins. It’s ready when a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Cool in the tin, once cooled dredge with icing sugar.