Thursday, June 28, 2012

Rhubarb yogurt cake

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The cake: a traditional French yogurt cake with a layer of chopped fresh rhubarb. The rhubarb, simmered briefly with sugar so it softens slightly before meeting the batter, is pleasantly sour and contrasts nicely with the sweet, soft cake.

The first compliment, from my friend Amanda: "This cake is the BOMB. Of all the things you've made while I've been staying here [and there have been many, as she's been here about six months], this is my favorite."

The second compliment, from Amanda's friend Shawn: "If this cake magically appeared in my kitchen, I would eat it every single day."

The beautiful secret: One bowl, one whisk, 10 minutes from ingredients to oven. And that includes chopping the rhubarb.
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Rhubarb yogurt cake
A traditional, fluffy French yogurt cake topped with chopped fresh rhubarb.
Ingredients
  • 5 stalks fresh rhubarb, finely chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1/3 cup grapeseed or canola oil
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 2 Tbsp rum
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.Combine the rhubarb and 1/2 cup sugar in a small saucepan. Let sit 15 minutes on the counter; the sugar will draw some of the liquid out of the rhubarb, creating a syrup. Put the pan on the stove over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer the sugared rhubarb about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, remaining 1 cup sugar, yogurt and oil. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, stirring to combine. (If I'm not sifting - which isn't necessary here - I always put my baking powder and baking soda through a little fine-mesh strainer as I add it to the mixing bowl. You only need to bite into a lump of baking powder once to make the little strainer your best friend.) Add the vanilla extract and rum and whisk just until the mixture is smooth.Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Lift the chopped rhubarb out of the saucepan with a slotted spoon and scatter it on top of the batter. Don't throw away the rhubarb liquid - it's delicious mixed with club soda or sparkling wine.Bake the cake 35-40 minutes or until the top is golden and the center is set; a toothpick should come out with a few crumbs clinging to it. Cool on a rack and serve directly from the baking dish.
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 12 servings

3 comments:

Cathy @ She Paused 4 Thought said...

That looks fabulous. I know what I am buying at the farmer's market on Sunday.

Liz the Chef said...

I'm all over this, Erika - my husband loves rhubarb. I have made this as a lemon cake and it's pretty good, but your recipe is, indeed, the bomb.

Anonymous said...

Once upon a time, rhubarb was the weed a little kid had to pick all the time and then endure it in desserts all summer long. She loved the desserts at first and then couldn't wait until frost killed the weed. She'd have it less frequently when the canned and frozen supplies were used. Now she's a grown up who has a tug of nostalgia and is going to make this cake and feel like a kid in the summer again...

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