Lost Kitchen Rhubarb Spoon Cake (small batch)

 

Rhubarb season is my favorite season, next to Strawberry season. I can't wait for it to arrive every year, and when the two overlap each other, I am really happy. It will be a few more weeks before that happens, but in the meantime, I am enjoying rhubarb any which way I can!  I am even freezing it for the winter months to come.

When we were children, mom used to give us raw sticks of rhubarb to enjoy along with a little bowl of sugar to dip them in. Oh, how we loved that special treat, and didn't our cheeks ache with the tartness of the rhubarb.  My cheeks are aching just thinking about it!  So good though!

Every summer when I was bringing up my children we would go to Prince Edward Island to visit the relatives.  We would walk along the beach at Malpeque Bay and pick the wild rhubarb there to make into a nice pie when we got back to my mother-in-law's place. So yummy!

I think it is very fair to say I love LOVE rhubarb!

 

This recipe for Rhubarb Spoon Cake comes from the Lost Kitchen Cookbook by Erin French.  I have always wanted to eat at The Lost Kitchen, but I will be honest, my budget just would never run to that expense, but I can enjoy some of the foods from there that are shared in this cookbook. Every one that I have made has turned out beautifully.  This one was no exception.

I did take the liberty of cutting the recipe in half to make a small batch. It worked perfectly. A lovely dessert with a nice moist cake and lots of rhubarb compote. I did not half batch the compote so that I could have extra to serve with the cake.  Delicious call on my part!  I highly recommend you do the same!

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE RHUBARB SPOON CAKE

Rhubarb of course, but other than that a few simple ingredients are all that is required!

For the compote: 

• 3 cups (435g) rhubarb, chopped (can use frozen)
• 2/3 cup (126g) granulated sugar
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 2 tsp cornstarch (corn-flour)

For the cake:

• 4 TBS (1/4 cup/57g) butter, melted
• 1/2 cup (63g) plain all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup (60ml) whole milk
• 2 TBS (15g) full fat sour cream

 

Tis the season for beautiful rhubarb. I always try to freeze as much as I can this time of year to use for desserts in the winter months. Today I used some rhubarb that my next-door neighbor had been given an gifted to me. Most of it was small, but it was just the right amount for this cake. Chop it into 1-inch pieces.

Just use regular granulated sugar. In the U.K. I would use castor sugar.

Freeze the egg white to use another time.

I use full fat milk and sour cream. Its dessert.  Full fat is the way to go, unless you are desperately watching the calories.

Use pure vanilla extract or, if you have it, vanilla paste.  I make my own vanilla extract from scratch. Its great!

I baked mine in an 8-inch iron skillet, but you can use an 8-inch round deep cake tin if you wish, or even an 8-inch casserole dish. Just make sure it is deep enough for the cake to rise up in without the compote overflowing.

HOW TO MAKE RHUBARB SPOON CAKE

You begin by making a rhubarb compote. You can do this the day before if you wish and simply refrigerate it until you are ready to bake your dessert!

First make the compote. Place the rhubarb with the sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest and lemon juice into a saucepan.

Cook, stirring continuously, over medium heat until the rhubarb softens and becomes very tender. (5 to 6 minutes)

Remove from the heat and bring to room temperature before proceeding. (This can also be made ahead and refrigerated.)

Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/gas mark 6. Butter an 8-inch oven-proof skillet or cake tin. Dust with flour, shaking out any excess.

 

Whisk the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt together in a bowl.

Whisk the egg yolk, vanilla, sour cream, milk and melted butter together in another bowl.

Pour the wet ingredients over top of the dry ingredients and mix together just to combine.

Measure about 1/2 of the compote into the bottom of the skillet/tin. Pour the cake batter over top, spreading it out evenly.

Dollop 1/2 of the remaining compote in small spoonsful over the top

 

Use a butter knife to swirl it into the cake batter a bit.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.

Serve warm from the skillet, spooning it into bowls. I like to serve the remaining compote with it.

Top with whipped cream or ice cream if desired!

 

This was really delicious.  I was really pleased that I made the full recipe of the compote. It was lovely and lush spooned into the dish and then topped with the cake.  It added a little something extra that was really special.  

I enjoyed some of this beautiful cake with a squirty of squirty cream on top, but vanilla ice cream would also be really lovely as would plain cream poured and drizzled over top.  I bet custard would be lovely as well!  Tres yummilicious!

  

I can't wait for rhubarb season to come along each year. I adore the stuff.  I can't wait to bake it into cakes, pies, desserts, jams, etc. Here are a few of my favorite ways to use it! 

 

RHUBARB PUDDING CAKE - An old-fashioned dessert that goes back a very long way.  This is very similar to the spoon cake in that you begin with stewing some rhubarb. In this dessert however the cake is spooned into the baking dish and then the stewed rhubarb is spooned over top. Like magic the cake bubbles up through the rhubarb and you end up with delicious morsels of cake and lush puddles of rhubarb.

RHUBARB, VANILLA & CARDAMOM JAM -  A small batch recipe for a delicious jam that I like to make each year with the season's rhubarb. This jam is a delicious trinity of good taste and makes one large jar of delicious jam that you are sure to enjoy!

Yield: 4 delicious servings

Author: Marie Rayner

Rhubarb Spoon Cake

Prep time: 25 MinCook time: 25 MinTotal time: 50 Min

This is a fabulous cake to bake during rhubarb season. It has a layer of rhubarb compote on the bottom, topped with a lush sour cream cake that has had more of that delicious compote swirled through. What's not to love?

Ingredients

For the compote: 

• 3 cups (435g) rhubarb, chopped (can use frozen)
• 2/3 cup (126g) granulated sugar
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 2 tsp cornstarch (corn-flour)

For the cake:

• 4 TBS (1/4 cup/57g) butter, melted
• 1/2 cup (63g) plain all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup (60ml) whole milk
• 2 TBS (15g) full fat sour cream

Instructions

1. First make the compote. Place the rhubarb with the sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest and lemon juice into a saucepan.
2. Cook, stirring continuously, over medium heat until the rhubarb softens and becomes very tender. (5 to 6 minutes)
3. Remove from the heat and bring to room temperature before proceeding. (This can also be made ahead and refrigerated.)
4. Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/gas mark 6. Butter an 8-inch oven-proof skillet or cake tin. Dust with flour, shaking out any excess.
5. Whisk the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt together in a bowl.
6. Whisk the egg yolk, vanilla, sour cream, milk and melted butter together in another bowl.
7. Pour the wet ingredients over top of the dry ingredients and mix together just to combine.
8. Measure about 1/2 of the compote into the bottom of the skillet/tin. Pour the cake batter over top, spreading it out evenly.
9. Dollop 1/2 of the remaining compote in small spoonsful over the top
10. Use a butter knife to swirl it into the cake batter a bit.
11. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.
12. Serve warm from the skillet, spooning it into bowls. I like to serve the remaining compote with it.
13. Top with whipped cream or ice cream if desired!

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