Rhubarb, rhubarb, rhubarb…

Having already written a couple of posts with sweet recipes I was convinced that my next inspiration would be of the savoury variety. That was until my physio mentioned she had lots of rhubarb growing in her garden (it’s currently in season) and did I know of any recipes.

Well, that got my inquisitive side poring over Pinterest trying to find the perfect rhubarb recipe for her. I found cakes, pies and mojitos and shared a few I thought easy and suitable. However, some were deemed too complicated and one recipe was overlooked due to the lack of an oven; but not in my kitchen! And so it happened that was the recipe I tried when just the right amount of rhubarb turned up on my doorstep! (Plus the recipe calls for a bundt tin which I have a slight obsession with at the moment!)

I had been looking for a recipe that I thought would bring out the fresh, slightly tart, flavour of the rhubarb but still with just the right amount of sweetness and this Lemon Rhubarb Bundt Cake, from BC food blogger Warm Vanilla Sugar, fit the bill exactly!

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Of course, I did not intend to eat this cake all by myself, particularly given the weight loss crusade that I am currently on, so it was shared with friends. Plus a large chunk was also offered back to the rhubarb provider, and well received at that!

Hopefully you can get your hands on some rhubarb before it is out of season and give this cake a try. I can guarantee it won’t last long!

PS I promise the next recipe will not be a cake!

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 lemons, zested
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 2 1/2 cups + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour, divided
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp Kosher salt
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk
  • 3 cups rhubarb, diced in 1/2-inch pieces
For the Lemon Glaze:
  • 2 cups icing sugar
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 1 tbsp melted unsalted butter (FYI I didn’t use)

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Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a bundt cake pan. Set aside.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or a large mixing bowl, beat together the softened butter, sugar and lemon zest until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula and then add the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Mix in the vanilla.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together 2 1/2 cups of flour, baking powder and salt. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture into the egg mixture along with 1/3 of the needed buttermilk and mix on low speed. Alternate with flour and buttermilk until both are fully incorporated.
  4. In a medium bow, or large ziplock bag, toss the rhubarb with the remaining two tablespoons of flour until the rhubarb is well coated. Gently fold rhubarb into the batter with a rubber spatula until it’s distributed evenly.
  5. Turn out cake batter into the prepared pan, using a spatula to gently spread and level it out.
  6. Bake for about 60-70 minutes, or until the cake springs back gently when touched and a toothpick inserted into it comes out clean.
  7. Allow cake to sit and cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes.
  8. Meanwhile, make the glaze by whisking together all the glaze ingredients until smooth. Thin with extra lemon juice or thicken with more powdered sugar as you see fit.
  9. When the cake is cooled, tip it out onto a serving plate and generously drizzle cake with the lemon glaze.
  10. Slice and enjoy.
  11. Yields 12 slices but it depends on how big your slices are! 😉

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