Recipe: German rhubarb cake with cardamom and orange

by Kevin Sharp

Few food plants are so ubiquitous in our region as rhubarb. Nearly everyone either has some growing in a corner of their yard or knows someone near them who does.

The vegetable perhaps most often associated with English and Northern European cuisines, this is my version of an easy German rhubarb snacking cake (rhabarberkuchen). Typical of German desserts, it’s not overly sweet. Also the flavors meld somewhat overnight so if you can make this the day before you serve it, all the better. This is in the family of cakes where the batter rises and envelops the fruit as it bakes. Have no fear, what will look like an extraordinary amount of rhubarb will, once it’s done, be spot on. I did use rather medium-sized stalks. If you use the big thick ones, you might want to chop them just a hair thinner.

GERMAN RHUBARB CAKE WITH CARDAMOM AND ORANGE

1 1/4 c (145 g) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp salt
12 oz (375 g) rhubarb, trimmed and washed and chopped into 1/2” pieces (about 3 c)
6 T (75 g) butter, softened
1/2 c + 1 T (130 g) sugar, divided
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Zest of 1/2 an orange
Scant 1/4 c (50 ml) whole milk

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Butter a 7” springform pan and line the bottom with a circle of parchment.

Into a small bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, ground cardamom, and salt, and set aside.

In a separate medium bowl, sprinkle 2 1/2 T (30 g) sugar over the rhubarb. Give it a few tosses to coat then set aside.

Using either a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer, cream the butter and the remaining 1/3 cup +2 T (100 g) of sugar until fully incorporated and light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each. Next add vanilla and orange zest and beat another 10 seconds or so to fully incorporate.

Add half of the flour mixture to the batter and on low, then medium mix briefly to combine. Add the milk, mix briefly again, then add the rest of the flour mixture. Mix again briefly, just until most of the dry ingredients have been incorporated. You can also give a quick stir with a spatula to combine the last of the dry ingredients if need be; just take care not to over mix. At this point the batter may seem a little stiffer than some cake batters, but it needs to be in order to hold up the rhubarb.

Scrape the batter into the springform pan, even it out, then top with the rhubarb. Bake in the center of the oven for 50 to 60 minutes or until the cake visible in the gaps between the rhubarb is nicely golden and the center of the cake no longer looks wet. Cool in the pan on a wire rack.

Right before serving, dust the cake with powdered sugar. It’s even better served with a dollop of slightly sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

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by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and founder of the Manchester Mirror.