Rhubarb Pudding Cake. The eagerly awaited first 'fruit' from the garden in the spring was always rhubarb. This was a true family effort since my brothers and I would go to the garden to cut and chop the rhubarb. Mom would toss the chopped rhubarb with sugar and cover it with dough, then sprinkle the dough with sugar. Just before baking boiling water was added. The sweet perfectly balanced the tart. And the texture of the cooked rhubarb was a tasty contrast to the crunchy caramelized sugar on top.