This cake is all about springtime. A buttery lemon cake topped with rhubarb, what else could you want?
Well, in my case, some more rhubarb! Since I’ve been ordering groceries online, it was a gamble to get rhubarb.
While I truly appreciate the hard work the Instacart workers are doing during this time, some of their substitutions are rather creative! That being said, when I asked for two bunches of rhubarb, that is not exactly what I got. I did get two rhubarb, just two stalks of rhubarb….
It’s the thought that counts, right?
This little ingredients predicament required me to get a little creative with my rhubarb dessert. I wanted to make some type of rhubarb upside-down cake. In order to maximize the two stalks, I got a little innovative with the design and decided on a rhubarb loaf cake. A little diagonal placing here and there got to the final product, just not in the way I expected.
I even saved part of one stalk to make a mini rhubarb loaf cake with the remaining batter. To say I got creative with the placement is an understatement.
The only item the cake really lacked was more rhubarb. I added a bit of lemon zest and juice into the batter to bring out the citrus notes in the rhubarb. The cake is subtle and balanced on its own and pairs perfectly with the tart stalk.
Check out the final product below. Little tip! Add in more rhubarb to cover the entire cake when baking, otherwise, you might end up with the lost pieces as I did!!
Lemon Rhubarb Loaf Cake
Ingredients
- 1 bunch rhubarb
- 2-3 tbsp sugar
- 3/4 cup cake flour
- 3/4 cup AP flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 1/2 tbsp milk
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- zest of half a lemon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease or line a loaf pan with parchment.
- Cut the rhubarb to the size of the pan. It should cover the surface area completely. Next, sprinkle the sugar evenly to coat the bottom of the loaf pan. Line the pan with the rhubarb, with the flat side down.
- Make the cake. In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Using a mixer, cream together the butter and sugar. Mix until the butter and sugar look fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add in the egg and egg yolk, one at a time making sure it is fully incorporated into the batter.
- Add the dry ingredients into the butter mixture. Start the mixer off slow so the flour does not go flying!
- Once the dry ingredients are incorporated, turn the mixture to low and slowly add in the milk.
- Using a spatula, fold in the lemon juice and zest. Try not to overwork the batter. The batter will be a little bit thick, so don't worry if it looks it should be mixed more.
- Pour batter on top of rhubarb and let bake for 35-45 min. The cake will look golden brown on the top when complete.
- Once the cake is done, let it cool for about 20 minutes! Don't get tempted to flip it earlier, you need to let the rhubarb get comfortable and settle in.
Some tips!
- Shake it up!
- This cake is great on its own! It is very versatile and could work well with many other fruits including strawberries and blueberries. Just mix about 1 cup of the fruit instead of the lemon juice and zest.
- Time!
- Give this cake time to rest when it comes out of the oven! Patience is key to getting the rhubarb to set.
