Rhubarb and Strawberry Cake

I will be forever grateful to Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen  for coining the phrase ‘everyday cake’. This Rhubarb and Strawberry Cake is for when you just want cake. No fuss, you don’t want to impress anyone, just cake to have with a cuppa. I regularly buy a rhubarb and strawberry cake when I get my morning coffee in Dukes. You know, when I’m convincing myself that as it’s not packed with cream, it’s healthy!

I tried a few different ways to make this cake, I even added ginger and orange juice to the batter. They didn’t make the final cut. I’m finally happy with this recipe so I’m sharing it with you for peak rhubarb season. Even someone who is wary of both strawberries and rhubarb liked it.

Makes nine pieces.

Ingredients:

• 100g of soft, unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
• 150g of caster sugar, plus 1 tbsp.
• the finely grated zest of 1 orange
• 50g of ground almonds
• 125ml of buttermilk
• 2 medium eggs
• 2 tsp of vanilla extract
• a pinch of salt
• 200g of plain flour
• 1½ tsp of baking powder
• 100g of rhubarb, diced. (approx. 2 stalks)
• 100g of strawberries, diced
• A handful of toasted flaked almonds (optional)

Method:

• Preheat your oven to 180c/160c fan/gas mark 4. Grease and line an 8″ square cake tin or 9″ round tin.
• Beat the butter and 175g of sugar until light and fluffy.
• Add the orange zest and almonds and beat again until well combined.
• In a small bowl or jug whisk together the vanilla, eggs and buttermilk.
• Slowly add the wet ingredients into the butter, mixing well the whole time.
• Sieve the flour, salt and baking powder into the wet batter and fold it through until well combined but take care not to over-mix.
• Pour the cake batter into the tin and use a spatula to spread it out as evenly as possible. Place the cut rhubarb and strawberries on top, pushing them into the batter slightly. You might not need all of the fruit. Sprinkle over the remaining tablespoon of sugar.
• Bake the cake in the oven for approximately 35 minutes. As all ovens are different, check it from 30 minutes but it may take up to 40. The cake is ready when the edges are coming away from the tin and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
• Sprinkle over the toasted flaked almonds when you take the cake out of the oven. Allow the cake to cool a while in the tin before turning it out on to a wire rack.
• This cake should freeze well, thought it didn’t last long enough to freeze it!

 

For another baking idea using rhubarb, have a look at Nicola’s Rhubarb Loaf Cake.