Happy Labor Day! Nothing says summertime like rhubarb, right? Well, it may be September but thanks to my friend Steph, the talented gardener and blogger, I have a fridge and freezer full of rhubarb and the clock is ticking on baking seasonal goodies. I usually default to making this delicious rhubarb crisp, which you should definitely try if you also have an abundance of rhubarb in your possession. But this time I wanted to try something a little more rustic and different. This weekend, my roommate and I had our parents over for an early evening barbecue, and I knew this was my chance to put together a rhubarb dessert that wow’ed.
Mission accomplished. This is a totally unique dessert that is the perfect amalgamation of sweet, tart, crispy and airy. It’s beautiful in a “country” way that made it the perfect topper to a grilled dinner. It’s a cake (tart?), not a pie, and it’s not paired with strawberries which makes it unique in the world of rhubarb desserts. Served with a scoop of good vanilla ice cream, I can’t see a better way to end a late-summer meal.
Putting together dinner for seven means that a fussy dessert is out of the question. For this cake, you will need a stand mixer (or a lot of patience with your hand mixer) in order to get the right texture, but it’s the only sacrifice you’ll make. Chop some rhubarb, include a generous amount of butter and sugar and beat well. In about 25 minutes you’ve got a delicious batter for licking out of the bowl (which I consider equally, if not more important, as a perfect final baked product). You’ve also got the base for one of the best desserts I’ve eaten this summer.
Then put your artist hat on and arrange the pattern of your choice on top of the cake (I chose a leaf-like pattern because I used a round pan but in a rectangular pan I think rows of rhubarb from top to bottom would also look great). The cake bakes for about 70 minutes – mine got a bit too brown on some of the top edges so I ended up covering it until it cooked through, but it still turned out fabulous. Moist and light, a bit crispy and caramelized, with bites of tender rhubarb. Get to your farmers’ market or call up your friend with the amazing garden – we’ve got three weeks of summer left and it’s time to make the most of it.
Note: Cake can be made 3 days ahead. Keep tightly wrapped at room temperature.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pan
- 3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar, plus more for pan
- 1 lb. rhubarb stalks, trimmed
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup blanched almonds
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter an 11x8" rectangular or 9" round tart pan with removeable bottom and sprinkle with sugar, tapping out the excess. Slice rhubarb in half lengthwise (quarter if very large). Set 8 of the prettiest pieces aside for the top of the cake; chop remaining rhubarb into ½" pieces
- .
- Pulse flour, almonds, baking powder, and salt in a food processor until almonds are finely ground (texture should be sandy).
- Place 1 cup butter and ¾ cup sugar in a large bowl. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; reserve pod for another use. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating to blend first egg before adding second. Beat until mixture is pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
- Reduce speed to low and gradually add dry ingredients, followed by yogurt. Beat, scraping down the sides of bowl as needed, just to combine (batter will be thick). Fold in chopped rhubarb and scrape batter into prepared pan. Smooth batter and arrange reserved rhubarb over top; sprinkle with remaining 3 Tbsp. sugar.
- Place tart pan on a large rimmed baking sheet (to catch any rogue juices) and bake, rotating once, until cake is golden brown and rhubarb on top is soft and beginning to brown, 70–80 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cake cool before removing from pan.
Notes
https://www.thekitchenchronicles.com/2016/09/05/rhubarb-almond-cake/
