The Experiment:
Last night, I baked a banana version of Barb's Rhubarb Custard Cake (recipe
below). Instead of yellow cake, I used white. Instead of rhubarb, I used
2 sliced ripe bananas. Instead of 1 cup sugar, I sprinkled 1/2 cup over
the fruit.

Results:
There were no banana slices in the custard! There were a few lining the
bottom of the pan, and the rest were on top of the cake. The cake tasted
good, but there's something disquieting about eating disks of gray slime in
a cake. I could have just eaten it with my eyes closed, I guess.

Possible Solutions:
Use chocolate, or even banana, cake mix to mask the appearance of the
browned bananas.
Make the following layers instead of those in the original recipe (I got
this from Crash's daughter, who said that her grandmother makes it this
way):
1/2 of the cake mix
fruit, sugar, cream
1/2 of the cake mix

But I think that you'd lose the nice crust that forms on the original if
you were to re-order the layers.

Conclusion:
Save this recipe for rhubarb. The color is appetizing, and the seasonal
aspect makes the rhubarb cake more special than if you could have it year
'round.

I'll reduce the sugar to 1/2 cup and use a white mix for my future cakes.


* Exported from MasterCook *

Rhubarb Custard Cake

Recipe By :shared by Barb Schaller
Serving Size : 18 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : cakes desserts
fruits

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 yellow cake mix -- 2-layer
4 cups chopped rhubarb
1 cup granulated sugar
1 pint whipping cream -- 2 cups

Prepare batter for cake mix according to package directions; turn into
greased and floured 9x13" pan. Dump the chopped rhubarb on top of the cake
batter. Sprinkle the sugar on top of the rhubarb. Pour the whipping cream
(unwhipped) over the sugar. Bake at 350° for 50-60 minutes, until cake
springs back when lightly touched.

Cream, sugar, and rhubarb sink to bottom, forming a custard layer. Makes
1-18 (depending on how you cut it!!) dee-vine servings.

Source:
"Star Tribune Taste Section 5/25/88"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per serving: 258 Calories (kcal); 13g Total Fat; (44% calories from fat);
2g Protein; 34g Carbohydrate; 37mg Cholesterol; 199mg Sodium
Food Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 2 1/2
Fat; 2 Other Carbohydrates

NOTES : If you make the full recipe, make certain your pan is at least
2-1/2" deep -- 3" is better. If it's only two inches, take out about a
half cup of the batter before proceeding with the rhubarb, sugar, and
cream.

Halve the recipe (Jiffy one-layer cake mix) and use a 9" square pan; bake
±45 minutes. (5/16/95.)

Carol wrote:

> The Experiment:
> Last night, I baked a banana version of Barb's Rhubarb Custard Cake
> (recipe below). Instead of yellow cake, I used white. Instead of
> rhubarb, I used 2 sliced ripe bananas. Instead of 1 cup sugar, I
> sprinkled 1/2 cup over the fruit.
>
> Results:
> There were no banana slices in the custard! There were a few lining the
> bottom of the pan, and the rest were on top of the cake. The cake tasted
> good, but there's something disquieting about eating disks of gray slime
> in a cake. I could have just eaten it with my eyes closed, I guess.
>
> Possible Solutions:
> Use chocolate, or even banana, cake mix to mask the appearance of the
> browned bananas.
> Make the following layers instead of those in the original recipe (I got
> this from Crash's daughter, who said that her grandmother makes it this
> way):
> 1/2 of the cake mix
> fruit, sugar, cream
> 1/2 of the cake mix
>
> But I think that you'd lose the nice crust that forms on the original if
> you were to re-order the layers.

Might just need to thin the cake batter a little; the banana slices are
obviously not dense enough to sink to the bottom.

Personally, I'd do the batter-fruit-batter thing you mention, but about 15
minutes before it's done, I'd sprinkle it with chopped macadamias, shredded
coconut, or both.

Bob

Bob said:

>Carol wrote:
>
>> Results:
>> There were no banana slices in the custard! There were a few lining the
>> bottom of the pan, and the rest were on top of the cake. The cake tasted
>> good, but there's something disquieting about eating disks of gray slime
>> in a cake. I could have just eaten it with my eyes closed, I guess.
>>
>> Possible Solutions:
>> Use chocolate, or even banana, cake mix to mask the appearance of the
>> browned bananas.
>> Make the following layers instead of those in the original recipe (I got
>> this from Crash's daughter, who said that her grandmother makes it this
>> way):
>> 1/2 of the cake mix
>> fruit, sugar, cream
>> 1/2 of the cake mix
>>
>
>Might just need to thin the cake batter a little; the banana slices are
>obviously not dense enough to sink to the bottom.

It does appear that way!

>Personally, I'd do the batter-fruit-batter thing you mention, but about 15
>minutes before it's done, I'd sprinkle it with chopped macadamias, shredded
>coconut, or both.

I'm giving my doctor your phone number.

Carol

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Carol wrote:

>> Personally, I'd do the batter-fruit-batter thing you mention, but about
>> 15 minutes before it's done, I'd sprinkle it with chopped macadamias,
>> shredded coconut, or both.
>
> I'm giving my doctor your phone number.


Is she sexy? :@)

Bob

Bob said:

>Carol wrote:
>
>>> Personally, I'd do the batter-fruit-batter thing you mention, but about
>>> 15 minutes before it's done, I'd sprinkle it with chopped macadamias,
>>> shredded coconut, or both.
>>
>> I'm giving my doctor your phone number.
>
>Is she sexy? :@)

Not to me, she isn't, but a man would probably think so. LOL!

Carol

--
CLICK DAILY TO FEED THE HUNGRY
United States:
http://www.stopthehunger.com/
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Damsel wrote:
>
> The Experiment:
> Last night, I baked a banana version of Barb's Rhubarb Custard Cake (recipe
> below). Instead of yellow cake, I used white. Instead of rhubarb, I used
> 2 sliced ripe bananas. Instead of 1 cup sugar, I sprinkled 1/2 cup over
> the fruit.
>
> Results:
> There were no banana slices in the custard! There were a few lining the
> bottom of the pan, and the rest were on top of the cake. The cake tasted
> good, but there's something disquieting about eating disks of gray slime in
> a cake. I could have just eaten it with my eyes closed, I guess.

When you first talked about trying this I was skeptical
about the results. I didn't think bananas would be very
good for this sort of thing.

And using white cake seems wrong. (Well, I have to admit I
hate white cake, so I'm slightly prejudiced.) I think yellow
cake sounds better.

> Possible Solutions:
> Use chocolate, or even banana, cake mix to mask the appearance of the
> browned bananas.

No, not chocolate. Banana cake mix might be okay but I would
go with plain old yellow cake.

> Make the following layers instead of those in the original recipe (I got
> this from Crash's daughter, who said that her grandmother makes it this
> way):
> 1/2 of the cake mix
> fruit, sugar, cream
> 1/2 of the cake mix
>
> But I think that you'd lose the nice crust that forms on the original if
> you were to re-order the layers.

I would dip the banana slices in lemon juice to prevent
oxidation. Then I would put the bananas in a layer on the
bottom of the pan and then put the cake batter over then and
then do the sugar and cream thing on the top. I would think
that would give you the custard layer on the bottom with the
bananas in the custard.

> Conclusion:
> Save this recipe for rhubarb. The color is appetizing, and the seasonal
> aspect makes the rhubarb cake more special than if you could have it year
> 'round.

That's the best plan yet. And don't screw it up by adding
strawberries. Plain rhubarb is always best. I love strawberries
but I like my strawberries by themselves and my rhubarb by itself.

> I'll reduce the sugar to 1/2 cup and use a white mix for my future cakes.

No, no, no! Don't do that! It's perfect the way the original
recipe is!

Kate

--
Kate Connally
“If I were as old as I feel, I’d be dead already.”
Goldfish: “The wholesome snack that smiles back,
Until you bite their heads off.”
What if the hokey pokey really *is* what it's all about?

Kate Connally said:

>Damsel wrote:
>>
>> Results:
>> There were no banana slices in the custard!
>
>When you first talked about trying this I was skeptical
>about the results. I didn't think bananas would be very
>good for this sort of thing.

It actually tasted very good. It was just a little on the ugly side.

>> Possible Solutions:
>> Use chocolate, or even banana, cake mix to mask the appearance of the
>> browned bananas.
>
>No, not chocolate. Banana cake mix might be okay but I would
>go with plain old yellow cake.

I would skip the white cake if I ever did the banana thing again.

>I would dip the banana slices in lemon juice to prevent
>oxidation. Then I would put the bananas in a layer on the
>bottom of the pan and then put the cake batter over then and
>then do the sugar and cream thing on the top. I would think
>that would give you the custard layer on the bottom with the
>bananas in the custard.

Excellent suggestions! Thank you!

>> Conclusion:
>> Save this recipe for rhubarb.
>>
>> I'll reduce the sugar to 1/2 cup and use a white mix for my future cakes.
>
>No, no, no! Don't do that! It's perfect the way the original
>recipe is!

The diabetic in me is screaming, "Yes! Yes! Yes!" I think that white
cake would show off the beautiful colors of the rhubarb better than yellow
would. And it really, truly doesn't need a whole cup of sugar. I cut it
in half for the experiment, and still got that lovely crust on top.

Carol

--
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On Sun, 05 Jun 2005 21:14:07 -0500, Damsel >
wrote:

>The Experiment:
>Last night, I baked a banana version of Barb's Rhubarb Custard Cake (recipe
>below). Instead of yellow cake, I used white. Instead of rhubarb, I used
>2 sliced ripe bananas. Instead of 1 cup sugar, I sprinkled 1/2 cup over
>the fruit.
>
>Results:
>There were no banana slices in the custard! There were a few lining the
>bottom of the pan, and the rest were on top of the cake. The cake tasted
>good, but there's something disquieting about eating disks of gray slime in
>a cake. I could have just eaten it with my eyes closed, I guess.

The banana wasn't heavy enough to sink... next time put the banana
into the bottom of the tin and spread the cake mix on top of it and
see what happens that way. Just don't forget to grease the tin well so
they don't stick!

Hmm... I just thought that that cake would be really nice with apple
and cinnamon (I HATE rhubarb) Apples are heavy so they should sink
appropriately

--
~Karen aka Kajikit
Crafts, cats, and chocolate - the three essentials of life
http://www.kajikitscorner.com

Karen AKA Kajikit > said:

>Hmm... I just thought that that cake would be really nice with apple
>and cinnamon (I HATE rhubarb) Apples are heavy so they should sink
>appropriately

And chopped pecans (at the bottom)? Let us know how it turns out!

Carol

--
CLICK DAILY TO FEED THE HUNGRY
United States:
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In article >, Karen AKA
Kajikit > wrote:

> Hmm... I just thought that that cake would be really nice with apple
> and cinnamon (I HATE rhubarb) Apples are heavy so they should sink
> appropriately

Have fun fiddling. I don't know if or how much sugar is required for
the cream to become custard-like. The recipe as written is good in part
because the rhubarb is sour. An apple isn't nearly that sour.
--
-Barb, <http://www.jamlady.eboard.com> 5/8/05.
"Are we going to measure, or are we going to cook?" -Food Critic Mimi Sheraton

In article >,
wrote:

> The diabetic in me is screaming, "Yes! Yes! Yes!" I think that
> white cake would show off the beautiful colors of the rhubarb better
> than yellow would. And it really, truly doesn't need a whole cup of
> sugar. I cut it in half for the experiment, and still got that
> lovely crust on top.
> Carol

I don't think the amount of sugar has to do with the crust - I think
that's from an hour in the oven. And IME there's not much color to the
rhubarb after it's cooked, yellow cake or no.
--
-Barb, <http://www.jamlady.eboard.com> 5/8/05.
"Are we going to measure, or are we going to cook?" -Food Critic Mimi Sheraton

"Karen AKA Kajikit" > wrote in message
...
> Hmm... I just thought that that cake would be really nice with apple
> and cinnamon (I HATE rhubarb) Apples are heavy so they should sink
> appropriately
>
> --

Oooh! That does sound yummy! I wonder if peaches would work?

"Chris" > said:

>"Karen AKA Kajikit" > wrote in message
.. .
>> Hmm... I just thought that that cake would be really nice with apple
>> and cinnamon (I HATE rhubarb) Apples are heavy so they should sink
>> appropriately
>
>Oooh! That does sound yummy! I wonder if peaches would work?

You people are trying to kill me, aren't you? Well, I've made two of these
cakes in the past week, and I'm not gonna make any more until at least this
fall (apple season). <G>

Carol

--
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Melba's Jammin' wrote:

> In article >, Karen AKA
> Kajikit > wrote:
>
>
>>Hmm... I just thought that that cake would be really nice with apple
>>and cinnamon (I HATE rhubarb) Apples are heavy so they should sink
>>appropriately
>
>
> Have fun fiddling. I don't know if or how much sugar is required for
> the cream to become custard-like. The recipe as written is good in part
> because the rhubarb is sour. An apple isn't nearly that sour.

Hmmm. I wonder how cranberries would work? BTW, I found some
cake mix with better ingredients--Oetker brand.

More hmmm. Someone mentioned apples. Maybe you could use a
gingerbread or spice cake mix as a base for such an experiment.

--
Jean B.

"Jean B." > said:

>Hmmm. I wonder how cranberries would work? BTW, I found some
>cake mix with better ingredients--Oetker brand.

Cranberries would most certainly float to the top. Maybe put the
cranberries in first, then the cake mix, sugar, and cream?

Carol

--
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Hey--would blueberries with a lemon cake mix work in this recipe?--r3

On Tue 07 Jun 2005 08:16:23p, tsr3 wrote in rec.food.cooking:

> Hey--would blueberries with a lemon cake mix work in this recipe?--r3

Probably no better than the banana experiment. Blueberries aren't very heavy
either. Whatever fruit you use needs to sink to the bottom.

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
____________________________________________

Give me a smart idiot over a stupid genius any day.
Sam Goldwyn, 1882-1974

Damsel wrote:

> "Jean B." > said:
>>Hmmm. I wonder how cranberries would work? BTW, I found some
>>cake mix with better ingredients--Oetker brand.
>
>
> Cranberries would most certainly float to the top. Maybe put the
> cranberries in first, then the cake mix, sugar, and cream?
>
> Carol
>
Good points! But then I only tried the original recipe once--and
not with a cake mix. That didn't come out so well. <g> I will
try again now that I have found some mix that doesn't contain
ingredients that I would prefer to avoid.

--
Jean B.

I've used frozen (thawed) cranberries in the recipe as written. Some
of them did float and ended up at various depths in the cake, but
enough sank to form a cranberry-custard layer at the bottom. Fresh
cranberries might be more bouyant.

Melissa