With Mother’s Day just round the corner, it’s a wonderful thing if papas and kids can arrange a little “Kaffee und Kuchen” (coffee and cake) afternoon for mamas to be enjoyed with some “Kaffee Klatsch” (gossip).
Traditionally, home baked pastries or cake are an important part of the “Kaffee und Kuchen” culture. Being in season and locally available, I thought a cake baked with the ruby red rhubarb would be ideal for such an occasion.
Some call rhubarb a vegetable, some a fruit. Whatever you call it, it’s delicious in desserts. Due to its tartness, it’s usually eaten cooked and provides us with good nutritional benefits. The leaves, however, aren’t safe to eat given their high oxalic acid content. Rhubarb comes in wonderful shades of light green, pink and red. Being tart in taste, rhubarb pairs wonderfully well with the sweetness of nuts – almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios.
As you can see from the ingredient list below, this recipe is flexible, which makes it easy to use what one has in their pantry. The method is simple and doesn’t involve any complicated steps.
Ingredients
- 1 cup flour (refined or whole wheat pastry flour)
- ½ cup milk (dairy or plant based)
- ½ cup crushed hazelnuts (almond or pistachio)
- 6 tablespoons butter (room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 large egg (or flax egg)
- 100 grams sugar (white or brown)
- ¼ tsp salt
- 4-5 stalks of rhubarb
- 1/3rd cup chopped almonds / almond flakes (hazelnuts or pistachios)
Method
- Preheat the oven at 170 degrees. Grease a small cake tin with a tablespoon of butter. Even a bread loaf one should work well.
- Melt the butter in a pan at low heat. Set aside and add in the salt, vanilla and milk.
- Add all the dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk together.
- Now add in the melted butter mixture and stir until combined. Cake batter is ready.
- Now pour the cake batter into the prepared cake tin.
- Level and add the toppings.
- Arrange the rhubarb pieces and the chopped almonds in a pattern that you like. Sprinkle on a tablespoon or two of sugar on top.
- Bake for about 35 minutes until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- Cool to room temperature, cut and enjoy with a hot cup of your favourite brew or scoop of vanilla ice cream, or both.
Here’s a bonus recipe for all of those who would prefer ice cream over cake. To make the compote, one needs:
- 5 cups of cut rhubarb, and
- 1 cup of sugar (white or brown)
To make the compote, just measure and put the ingredients into a pot, cook on a medium flame until the sugar melts and the rhubarb breaks down and the mixture starts to thicken a bit. Say about 10-12 minutes. A simple rhubarb compote with a scoop of vanilla ice cream makes a fantastic dessert. Refrigerate and enjoy the rest as jam on buttered toast.
Happy Mother’s Day to all you wonderful Mamas!
Disclaimer: Opinions and methods expressed are solely of the writer. Namaste Switzerland does not undertake any obligation or liability which may arise from the content.
