Rhubarb custard tea cake

I think this cake is one of those old fashioned type of cakes that you may remember your Grandmother making or you may have bought from one of those school cake stalls (not that I'm showing my age of course, I'm still very young!!). I really wanted to make it as I love custard and with rhubarb being in season at the moment, I thought it would be perfect to give it a go. It's very easy to make and was a hit with most of the gang. Mr M wasn't exactly giving me all the usual delightful sounds that he usually makes when being my chief taste tester and I asked him "was everything ok?" He just nodded and said "yeah it's ok".
Well I was a little disheartened by his comments, as the last time he said something like that was when I made apricot chicken and that was before we were married and I've since been banned from ever making it again. I was annoyed as usually Mr M has very few words and you mostly know when something is good and bad by all the moans and groans he makes whilst eating my samples, but this time my "man of few words" was speaking!!! (I think I preferred it when he said nothing!)

Everyone else that had a sample loved it!!  Mr M is now banned from making any comments, what would he know anyway, he thinks putting tinned peaches in a stir-fry is acceptable!!!

rhubarb custard tea cake - (The Australian Women's Weekly - The Cake Stall)

200g butter, softened
1/2 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups of self-raising flour
1/3 cup custard powder
4 fresh rhubarb stalks, sliced lengthways, then cut into 10cm lengths
20g butter melted
2 teaspoons caster sugar, extra

custard
2 tablespoons custard powder
1/4 cup caster sugar
1 cup milk
20g butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract


1. Make the custard first.
Combine custard powder and sugar in small saucepan, gradually stir in milk. Cook, stirring, until mixture boils and thickens slightly. Remove from heat, stir in the butter and extract.

Press plastic wrap over the surface of custard to prvent a skin forming, cook. Whisk until smooth before using.

2. Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Greese deep 20cm (8-inch) round cake pan, line base with baking paper.
3. Beat softened butter and sugar in small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Stir in sifted flour and custard powder.

4. Spread half the mixture into the pan, spread custard over the cake mixture. Dollop small spoonfuls of remaining cake mixture over custard, carefully spread with spatula to completely cover custard.

Top cake mixture with rhubarb, brush gently with melted butter, then sprinkle with extra sugar.

Bake cake about 1 1/4 hours, cool in the pan.

Enjoy!