Rustic Rhubarb-Almond Snacking Cake
This is a lovely rhubarb-almond snacking cake and it’s the perfect brunch cake for warmer months. This recipe is not mine, it is from Bon Appetite, but I have lightly adapted it. The original recipe can be seen here. With rhubarb season in full swing, below are a few rhubarb basics you should know about.
Rhubarb is a long, stalky plant that looks very similar to celery. A. Rhubarb stalks come in a variety of colors ranging from light green to ruby red and speckled pink. Most commonly, green rhubarb stalks on a rhubarb plant are the unripe stalks and will not be as sweet as ripe red stalks. While safe to eat, you may need to adjust the sugar in the recipe to accommodate the tart flavor of green stalks. The color of the pie will also have a paler green appearance. As late spring progresses, the green rhubarb stalks should ripen and turn red.
Rhubarb can be found with or without leaves, but remember, only the stalks are edible; the leaves are somewhat toxic. Raw, rhubarb does not have a ton of flavor and is actually rather tart and stringy, as a result, rhubarb is typically cooked or baked.
Tips for Buying & Storing Rhubarb:
- Look for firm, crisp stalks without any markings.
- Rhubarb leaves attached to the stalk should be fresh and not wilted.
- April through June is prime rhubarb season, although nowadays you can find rhubarb from as early as mid-spring and throughout the summer.
- Rhubarb is best kept unwashed, in the refrigerator and can last for up to one week.
The tartness of rhubarb brings a lovely tang to cakes like this. With just a touch of sweetness, this moist buttermilk cake has a simple, rustic feel that is incredibly pleasing. In my recipe the nuttiness of the almond flour is a bit more subtle, but compliments the sweet-tart flavors without the heaviness nuts can can sometimes add to cakes. This effortless snacking cake is a real game-changer if your looking for a treat that is seasonal and easy to whip up.
Recipe: Rustic Rhubarb-Almond Cake
Ingredients:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup plus 4 tablespoons sugar, divided
- 4- stalks rhubarb stalks, trimmed
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup almond flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- dash of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground Bourbon vanilla beans or seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
Directions:
- Step 1 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 8×8″ tart pan or a 9″-diameter tart pan with a removable bottom. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar, tapping out any excess and set aside.
- Step 2 Quarter the rhubarb stalks lengthwise. Set 8 pieces aside for the top of the cake.
- Step 3 In a food processor, such as a Cuisinart, fitted with a blade attachment, add the remaining rhubarb and pulse on/off until finely chopped. Place next to your work station.
- Step 4 In the bowl of a kitchen mixer, such as a KitchenAid, fitted with a paddle attachment, add the butter and 3/4 cup sugar, and beat on high till light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Next, add the Bourbon vanilla beans and eggs and continue to beat until well mixed, about 3-4 minutes.
- Step 5 Reduce the speed to low and slowly add the flour, almond flour, baking powder, and salt, mix to blend. Mix in the yogurt.
- Step 6 Using a large rubber spatula, fold in the chopped rhubarb and mix well. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the batter out evenly in the pan and arrange the reserved rhubarb on the top, sprinkle with the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar.
- Step 7 Place the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake, rotating once, until the cake is golden brown and the rhubarb on top is soft and beginning to brown, about 60-70 minutes.
- Step 8 Allow the cake cool completely before removing from pan and slicing.
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