EASY RHUBARB BREAKFAST CAKE
My Rhubarb Breakfast Cake
is a work of art, puffed up, fruity bite cake ~ the thoughtful your grandmother
made, if you were fortunate. It's pressed with jammy bits of sweet/tart rhubarb
and it's authoritatively my preferred method to begin the day.
It might be known as a
rhubarb breakfast cake, however don't let that prevent you from eating on this
jewel throughout the day.
The surface is simply
great, it's not very sweet, and the tart rhubarb gives it a novel flavor.
There's a pleasant foundation note of vanilla in the hitter which plays truly
well with the rhubarb. And afterward there's that marginally crunchy sweet
outside ~ this cake is divine.
You'll simply require a
couple of stalks of rhubarb for this morning meal cake formula, enough to make
2 cups of dainty cuts. The red shading is excellent, yet green rhubarb will
give you great flavor as well.
Is rhubarb a fruit or a vegetable?
·
Rhubarb is a tart vegetable that we treat as
a fruit in cooking. It grows in long leafy stalks, and kind of looks like
red celery.
When is Rhubarb season?
·
Rhubarb season is April through June, but
you’ll see if sooner and later in some areas.
Why is my rhubarb green?
·
Rhubarb varies in color from deep crimson to
pale green. Newer varieties, like my Cherry Red rhubarb, is bred for its
sweet flavor and intense color, which is nice because that’s one of the things
we love about rhubarb and it’s a big drag when the color doesn’t bloom in
recipes. There is little difference in flavor between the green and red,
but red rhubarb can be stunning when cooked.
How to cook rhubarb?
·
Rhubarb is usually used in desserts like
pies, sometimes combined with other fruits like strawberries. Slice the
stalks and cook them down with a little water and sugar until the fruit starts
to break down. It can be made into sauces, compotes, jams, or pie
fillings, among other things. Note: do not eat rhubarb leaves.
Can you freeze rhubarb?
·
Rhubarb freezes beautifully. Slice it
and lay it out on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Put the pan in
the freezer and freeze until solid. Then transfer the rhubarb to a
freezer style zip lock baggie or airtight container. In most cases
there’s no need to thaw the rhubarb when you want to use it for cooking.
Once
you’ve got the basic formula for this cake down you can experiment with
different fruits and flavorings to make it your own, just be sure to maintain
the proportions.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup or 116 grams, half and half
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 stick, or 113 grams, unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 cup or 214 grams, granulated sugar plus 2 tsp for sprinkling
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups or 256 grams, all purpose flour, saving out 1 Tbsp to toss with rhubarb
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cups thinly sliced rhubarb
Instructions
- Set oven to 350F Lightly butter a 9x9 square baking pan. I like to line the pan with parchment paper with overhanging ends so I can easily lift out the cooled cake for cutting. That's optional.
- Stir the lemon juice into the half and half and set aside.
- Cream the soft butter and sugar in a stand mixer, or with electric beaters, until fluffy and pale yellow. Beat in the egg and vanilla, scraping down the bowl as necessary.
- Take 1 Tbsp of the flour to the rhubarb and toss well.
- Whisk together the remaining flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Add half of the flour mixture to the bowl and blend in. Add all of the half and half, and blend in. Finally add the rest of the flour and blend just until combined, don't over mix. Fold in the rhubarb. Note: the batter is on the thick side.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle the top evenly with a little sugar. Bake for about 40-45 minutes, or until the cake is turning golden and a toothpick in the center comes out without wet batter clinging to it (moist crumbs are fine.)
- Let the cake cool slightly before cutting.
Make it your own ~
·
Other fruit like berries work beautifully in
this rhubarb breakfast cake. Also try chopped banana.
·
Mix the topping sugar with a touch of
cinnamon for a hint of spice.
·
For a lower fat option try buttermilk in
place of the half and half and lemon. Half Greek yogurt and half milk
would work, too.