Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Apple Rhubarb Cake

You know summer is on the way when the rhubarb stalks are being gathered.
Theresa Millang in The Joy of Rhubarb

Well, I gathered the first ones today! Because I had some apples in the refrigerator, I went searching for a recipe which would use both rhubarb and apples. I found not only a recipe, but a delightful video with a new-to-me chef! You'll see that Marcus Samuelsson mentions both baking soda and powder. The recipe calls for powder only. I used Sugar in the Raw for both the sugars. This is so delicious. Tom and I sat there raving about how good the cake is.





Apple Rhubarb Cake

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Grease a tube pan and coat with 2 T. breadcrumbs and a little sugar.

Peel and core a couple medium size apples and slice each apple into 16 wedges.
Peel rough part off rhubarb and chop to make a cup.
Combine 1/2 t. cinnamon, 1/2 t. garam masala, and 1/3 cup sugar in a medium bowl.
Add the apple wedges and chopped rhubarb, and then toss to coat.

In the mixer, beat together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes:
1/4 c. softened butter
2/3 cup sugar

Add 1 egg and continue mixing.

On low speed, add 1 1/4 c. flour and 2 t. baking powder.
Slowly add 2/3 c. milk.
Turn off mixer.
Add apple and rhubarb mix, and fold in well.

Pour the batter into the pan and spread evenly.
Bake until the center is golden brown, about 35-40 minutes.
Let cool completely.

Top with whipped cream.


Whipped cream

1 pint heavy cream
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. gram masala
1/2 c. confectioner's sugar


The ingredients.


The finished cake.


We ate it outdoors in the beautiful May sunshine.

28 comments:

  1. Nan, I am not a big fan of rhubarb, but this cake looks good even to me. I will have to give it a try when I get some rhubarb.

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  2. There are a lot of rhubarb recipes if you click the recipes tab above under the blog header photo. Every one is delish! I'm not kidding. I was telling a friend who doesn't care for rhubarb that when you add butter, sugar, egg, and flour it is perfectly wonderful!

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  3. This looks so delicious! I love rhubarb! I'm envious, no, I'm hungry....

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    1. Do you grow it? It is such a treat. First the chives come and then the rhubarb. Spring gifts.

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    2. This looks and sounds yummy. Luv apples and rhubarb and cake too of course.

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    3. It is mighty fine! The spices make it really special.

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  4. yum,yum,yum...I want a fork...I'll be giving this recipe a try..thank you!

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  5. This looks like rhubarb I could stand. LOL

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    Replies
    1. Please let me know if you make it in that lovely new kitchen of yours!

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  6. Oh wow, that looks and sounds delicious. I adore rhubarb. By the way, I like the lilac pic, and you had apple blossom the other other day - when I was a child there was an apple tree in the garden which always blossomed on my birthday in early May, then the lilacs would bloom (one mauve, one white, and then the laburnham. And there was a big clump of rhubarb, and chives and other herbs, and spinach, and all kind of other fruit and vegetables packed in to a quite tiny space. Sadly, my own efforts at gardening have never been as successful.

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    1. The apple blossoms just went by and the lilacs have just begun their time in the sun. Your childhood garden sounds like around here- I love the progression.
      Rhubarb is very easy. Maybe you'd like to get a plant this year? One of our plants was here when we bought the place in 1981. Who knows how long it had been growing before that?! We've divided it a few times and now those plants are thriving. Amazing stuff.

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  7. Beautiful lilac! There's a lot of rhubarb about here, too. Yum. If you were able to eat yours outdoors, it's warmer there than here, where we're enduring winter in May.

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    1. It isn't cold or hot. Really quite like I think of England this time of year. Except this year apparently. :<)

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  8. I love rhubarb and rhubarb cakes! My parents grow it, and earlier this week, my mum gave me a bottle of rhubarb syrup she had made herself - it will make for a very refreshing summery drink, added to a glass of sparkling wine!

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    1. I wondered if your folks grew it. I am looking forward to some allotment pics!
      Or vodka and rhubarb syrup would be nice. :<)

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    2. Ah, why not make it Rhubarb Royal (I don't know if such a drink exists) and mixing rhubarb syrup, sparkling wine AND a shot of vodka? Topped off with a slim stalk of rhubarb...

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    3. Sounds good, sans the sparkling wine. Not my fave. :<) Love the idea of a rhubarb stirrer. Maybe you should become a bartender!

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  9. This looks delicious, and garam masala makes it interesting ....
    Love the header picture, we do have some lilac here, but it was very badly affected by a frost at just the wrong time. That fellow in the video is a cutie :)

    Have a wonderful day,
    Niki

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    1. As you see, your comment came through just fine! I deleted the other one.
      The garam masala was a great addition! The whipped cream was particularly delicious with it..
      Sad about your lilacs.
      And yes he is. His mother must be so proud! Hope she's alive to see him.

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  10. Oh my gosh that looks so good -- and reminds me (sadly) that I haven't seen so much as a stalk of rhubarb here in Florida -- I mean, not just not in the ground, but not in the stores either. (Although I probably wouldn't buy it anyway, since I'd rather buy local. Except I have to make some exceptions, I can't live without apples and bananas. )

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    1. So, it doesn't grow there? I think I did read that rhubarb likes cool weather.

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    2. Hello Nan, been on holiday and am just mooching on t'internet and what do I find? Nan's perfect camera takes a picture of a perfect cake - that I have never heard of!! Over here, rhubarb comes twice - once in February from Yorkshire only where they force rhubarb in darkened sheds and pick it by candlelight :) - this means the entire stem stays pink and tender and is like champagne vs cider.... and then later, when the rest of the country sees that outside rhubard is ready to go. We always get the first flush, and stew it quickly with a little sugar. It's a lovely colour, and tastes divine. We'll have it three or four times in quick succession, and freeze some for a treat later in the year. The other stuff is quite different in colour and has a different taste, but that's lovely too. A UK favourite for those who eat it is a "crumble" topping (forget what you call it) which is when you rub in the fat and the flour and instead of rolling that out to a pastry, you add sugar (and of course, oats, nuts etc if you want to) and just us the crumble as the pie topping. Thanks for that receipe - got to try it out!

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    3. There are more rhubarb recipes above - you may click the recipes tab under the blog header photo. Some are 'crumbly.' :<)

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  11. Why certainly! Thanks for asking.

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  12. thank you for linking in. By the end of the week there should be a nice collection of apple recipes on Food on Friday. Have a nice week.

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  13. And again, thank you for asking and leading me to your blog.

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