Rhubarb Cake
Recipe by Nicole Thom-Arens
Serves 8 to 10
When I was young, my mom made rhubarb custard bars with a shortbread crust every summer. I adored the tartness from the rhubarb but could leave the crumbly crust behind. After testing a lot of cakes in search of that same rhubarb flavor, I finally discovered the secret was packing the batter with an obscene amount of sliced rhubarb. This recipe is the result of having a full package of rhubarb in the fridge before leaving for a week-long vacation. To avoid wasting one of my summer favorites, I chopped it all up and folded into a lightly scented vanilla yogurt cake batter, which resulted in the perfect balance of sweet and tart that triggered my taste memories of those rhubarb custard bars.
This cake freezes beautifully. I cut and wrap individual slices of the cake in plastic wrap and store them in a freezer bag. Allow to come to room temperature for a couple of hours before enjoying so the rhubarb can fully defrost.
Ingredients:1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature1 cup granulated sugar1 teaspoon kosher salt (Reduce to 1/2 teaspoon if not using Diamond.)1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste2 large eggs1/4 cup Greek yogurt3 tablespoons whole milk1 teaspoon baking powder1/4 cup whole wheat flour1 cup all-purpose flour3 cups 1/2-inch chopped rhubarb
Instructions:1. Clean the rhubarb, discard any wilted or brown parts of the stalks. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Set aside.2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Grease the bottom and sides of the pan with butter. Set aside.3. To prepare the cake batter, add the butter, sugar, and salt to a mixing bowl. Mix on low until the ingredients are combined, then increase the mixer to medium until the butter and sugar are creamed together. 4. Add the vanilla bean paste and mix to combine. 5. With the mixer on low, add the eggs one at a time. Mix until well combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary.6. Add the yogurt and milk. Mix until combined. (The mixture may look curdled at this point, but the batter will come together when the flours are added.)7. Add the baking powder. Mix until combined. 8. Add the flours and mix until just combined. 9. Remove the bowl from the mixer (if using) and fold in the rhubarb. 10. Add the batter to the prepared springform pan. Smooth the batter to the edges. 11. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. 12. Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool in the pan set over a wire cooling rack. 13. Serve at room temperature or chilled.