Featured Recipe
Rhubarb Spice Cake
By Kate
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Butter, egg, brown sugar mix. Flour, baking powder, salt swapped in. Milk swapped for yogurt. Rhubarb diced small, fresh, unpeeled still. Cinnamon and nutmeg topping instead of just cinnamon. Baking longer by 5 minutes. Oven preheated slightly higher at 190 C. Butter softened, beaten with sugar and vanilla extract. All dry ingredients mixed separately before folding with yogurt. Rhubarb stirred in gently. Sugar and mixed spices sprinkled on top. Cake baked for 65 minutes or until toothpick clean. Serves 8 with dense crumb and tangy fruit bits.
"
Prep:
35 min
Cook:
Total:
Serves:
8 servings
cake
rhubarb
dessert
baking
sweet
Introduction
Rhubarb chunks juicy, sharp. Sugar and spice on top. Butter beaten soft, mix with egg and brown sugar, vanilla flavor. Flour swapped to all-purpose. Baking powder for rise instead of soda. Milk turned to yogurt tang. Cinnamon plus nutmeg on sugar sprinkle. Oven hotter, bake slightly longer for firm crumb. Rhubarb sharp, fresh, diced small but not peeled. Keep fruit texture crunchy in bite. Mix dry ingredients separate, fold in yogurt to keep air. Cake dense but moist. Slices hold tight. Warm slice with coffee, no fuss.
Ingredients
Topping
- 60 ml granulated sugar
- 5 ml ground cinnamon
- 2 ml ground nutmeg
About the ingredients
Butter softened, not melted. Brown sugar gives deeper flavor, less sweet than white sugar. Baking powder replaces soda, needs acid from yogurt to activate rise. Yogurt sharper than buttermilk but thicker, keep cake moist but tangy. Fresh rhubarb dices small to avoid toughness but keep bite. Peeling optional, skin thin and fibrous adds color and texture. Spices add warmth. Nutmeg mild but aromatic, cinnamon strong and sweet. Topping sugar melts while baking, forms thin crunchy crust. Perfect balance of sharp fruit and sweet spice.
Method
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 190 C (375 F). Grease 33 x 23 cm baking pan or 25 cm springform pan.
- In large bowl cream butter with electric mixer until light. Add egg, brown sugar, vanilla extract. Mix until creamy.
- In separate bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, salt together. Alternate adding dry mixture and yogurt to butter mixture. Fold gently with wooden spoon.
- Add diced rhubarb. Stir briefly just to combine. Pour batter into prepared pan. Level surface.
- Mix sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg in small bowl. Sprinkle evenly over batter.
- Bake in center rack 65 minutes. Test with toothpick; should come out clean. If not, bake additional 5-10 minutes.
- Cool 15 minutes in pan before slicing. Serve warm or room temperature.
Technique Tips
Start with room temperature ingredients, helps batter smooth. Beat butter and sugar first to incorporate air. Add egg and vanilla slowly, keep creamy mix. Dry ingredients sifted together to avoid lumps. Alternate wet and dry, start and end with dry for better structure. Fold rhubarb gently so pieces don’t break up, keep fruit distinct. Sprinkle topping evenly so all bites get spice. Bake on center rack, monitor after 60 minutes. Toothpick test critical, if crumb sticks, bake few minutes more. Let cool slightly or too soft to cut, but cake good warm or cold. Slicing after 15 minutes best for clean pieces.
Chef's Notes
- 💡 Use room temperature butter, heavy mix best. But cold yogurt is fine. Cream butter until light. Mix vigorously. Brown sugar adds depth. Watch not over mix.
- 💡 Fold the dry ingredients carefully. Too much mixing leads to tough cake. Rhubarb diced should be 1 cm. No big chunks. Keep fruit full, distinct.
- 💡 Oven preheating key. 190 C slightly higher than average. Adjust time after 60 minutes. Test cake with toothpick. If wet, keep baking.
- 💡 Let cool for 15 minutes, prevents messy cutting. Slicing too soon? Cake crumbles. Enjoy warm slices, pair with coffee.
- 💡 Make topping mix in small bowl first. Sprinkle over batter evenly. Not clumpy. Add cinnamon and nutmeg balance flavors. Sweet crunch on top.
Kitchen Wisdom
Can I use frozen rhubarb?
Yes, thaw and drain excess moisture. Keeps flavor. Fresh rhubarb gives best texture though.
How to store leftover cake?
Wrap in plastic, keep in fridge. Best eaten within 3 days. Can freeze for longer storage.
What's the best way to serve?
Warm slices or room temperature. With whipped cream or vanilla ice cream works wonders.
What if the cake sinks?
Usually underbaked. Check oven temperature. Make sure to mix properly. Incorporate air well.
