Country Rhubarb Cake
Country Rhubarb Cake
Country Rhubarb Cake. Is it a Cake or a Pie? Make this recipe and you decide.. Head on out to your rhubarb patch and pick some stalks of rhubarb or if your like me, head to your local farm stand and pick up a bunch or two. You’ll be so glad you did. After all, It’s Rhubarb Time! Country Rhubarb Cake is the perfect summertime dessert to serve your family, especially over this holiday weekend. One thing is for certain, after one bite of this cake, you’ll be calling Country Rhubarb Cake Delicious!
Freeze Some
Another thing to remember…rhubarb is excellent when frozen. Simply chop fresh rhubarb into bite-size cubes, measure rhubarb cubes, place cubes into zip-lock freezer bags, write the amount and date on the front of the freezer bags and freeze for up to one year. No need to thaw frozen rhubarb before using in a recipe, unless of course the recipe states to thaw the rhubarb first.
What is Rhubarb?
The thick, celery-like stalks of this buckwheat family member can reach up to 2 feet long. They’re the only edible portion of the plant. The leaves contain oxalic acid and can therefore be toxic. Though rhubarb is generally eaten as a fruit, but it’s botanically a vegetable. There are many varieties of this extremely tart food, most of which fall into two basic types-hothouse and field grown.
Hothouse rhubarb is distinguished by its pink to pale red stalks and yellow-green leaves. Whereas field grown rhubarb or home grown rhubarb, which are more pronounced in flavor, have cherry red stalks and dark green leaves. Hothouse rhubarb is available from around December to March, while field grown rhubarb can usually be found from March to October, with a peak season from April to June.
Country Rhubarb Cake
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus 2 tablespoons extra for work surface
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 to 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon fresh grated lemon zest
- 1 stick cold butter, cut into cubes
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 4 1/2 to 5 cups sliced fresh rhubarb
- 1 teaspoon water
- whipped cream or vanilla ice cream for serving, optional
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a bowl, sift flour, salt, 3 tablespoons sugar. baking soda and lemon zest together.
- With fingers, rub in butter until mixture is sandy. Beat 1 egg and add to flour mixture, add buttermilk and blend, then turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead briefly until the dough comes together. Dough will be quite stiff and sticky. Divide in two. Roll out each piece to fit a 9-inch round baking dish. Line bottom of pan with one round, pinching together any tears.
- Cover dough in dish with rhubarb. In a small bowl, mix together remaining sugar and 2 tablespoons of flour. Sprinkle evenly over rhubarb in dish. Place second pastry round on top and pinch edges together. Pinch together any holes. Beat remaining egg with 1 teaspoon water. Brush over dough.
- Place a baking sheet in oven to catch any drips. Place baking dish on baking sheet and bake about 1 hour. If crust browns too soon, cover the cake with a piece of aluminum foil and continue baking.
- Serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, optional
Recipes On Tap
Old Fashioned Rhubarb Pie and Rhubarb Strawberry Filling .
Each year we purchase rhubarb from Nicolet Farms
