Known as the “cake plant,” bright pink and green rhubarb makes a tart and fruity cake worthy of its nickname.
In this recipe
-
Buy seasonal rhubarb
-
Thicken your rhubarb filling
-
Tips and tricks for making a lattice lace
-
Mix and match filling
-
Storage Instructions
You know it’s spring when rhubarb sprouts appear in your garden. Finally you can look forward to summer and a whole season of fresh cakes. It’s even earned the nickname “pie plant” because of this early start and the ubiquity of rhubarb in pies.
Rhubarb is incredibly acidic when raw. It makes you seriously frizzy. My parents grow rhubarb in their garden, and every spring when I was little, my father and I would bite into a fresh stalk and compete to see who could recover enough from such a tart bite to be the first to whistle. But no worry; Behind its sour bite lies a distinctive citrus and fruit flavor when cooked and tamed with sugar.
CONTINUE READING:
Buy seasonal rhubarb
Rhubarb season starts in April and lasts through July, making it one of the first fruits (technically a vegetable) for pies. But you’ll also see it later in the season mixed in with strawberries, blueberries, and other summer fruits. When shopping for rhubarb, look for thinner, redder stalks, which are usually more tender and sweeter than the thicker, greener stalks.
Thicken your rhubarb filling
In most fruit pies, I prefer to use tapioca starch or quick-cooking “minute” tapioca. This was the thickener we used the most at the pie bakery I used to work at, and it does an excellent job of thickening the filling without getting too gel-like. It’s also a bonus that it cooks clear, allowing the brilliant pink hue of the rhubarb to shine.
Simple tip!
To ensure the starch has been activated, bake the cake long enough until you can see the filling bubbling in the center of the cake.
Showing off a lattice crust is almost essential for some pies, and rhubarb pie, with its bright pink filling, is one of them. Lattice spikes look impressive and can seem difficult. They’re not as challenging as you’d imagine if you just strategize a bit and remember that it’s all about weaving in the end.
Roll out the top crust and use a pastry wheel or pizza wheel to cut the dough into vertical strips about 1/2 to 3/4 inch wide. Place 4 to 7 parallel strips evenly across the cake.
Fold back every other strip so you can place one strip of dough perpendicular to the others. Then unfold the folded strips to their original position. The new vertical strip should now be on top of the unfolded strips and under the folded back strips. Continue this weaving process until you have finished the grid.
CONTINUE READING:
Mix and match filling
The tart fruitiness of rhubarb blends well with sweet summer fruits. The classic that everyone knows and loves is strawberry rhubarb cake. However, later in the season you can mix it with sweet blueberries or a blend of berries.
Try using rhubarb for 25-50% of the fruit in any of your favorite fruitcakes, depending on how tart you want your cake to be.
Storage Instructions
Store the baked cake, loosely covered with plastic wrap, at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
This cake can be frozen before or after baking.
- Freeze before baking: Wrap the pie tightly in plastic wrap or place in a ziplock bag. Bake straight from the freezer following the recipe, although it may take an extra 15 minutes in the oven.
- Freeze a baked cake: Allow to cool completely, then place the cake uncovered in the freezer. Once completely frozen, wrap tightly in plastic wrap or place in a ziplock bag. When ready to serve, thaw the cake on the counter. A frozen cake will keep for up to 3 months.
CONTINUE READING:
Please make more cake!
- Rhubarb Pudding Pie
- Sweet cherry cake
- Rhubarb Meringue Pie
- Coconut Cream Pie
- Peach Raspberry Pie
rhubarb cake
The pie crust used in this recipe can be made up to 2 days in advance. If you make it in one day, allow about 2 hours to prepare and cool.
ingredients
-
1 full recipe perfect pie crust (2 single crusts)
-
all purpose flourto roll out the dough
-
6 cups (1 3/4 pounds or 800G) fresh rhubarbchopped
-
1/4 teaspoon packed grated Orange peel
-
1 cup (200G) granulated sugar
-
1/3 cup (38G) tapioca starch
-
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
-
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
-
1 tablespoon heavy creamhalf and half or milk
-
1 big egg yolk
-
Turbinado sugarto sprinkle
method
-
Preheat the oven:
Arrange a rack in the bottom third of the oven and preheat to 450°F.
-
Prepare the cake dough:
Prepare the pie dough, divide it into 2 equal slices and chill the slices in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
-
Roll out the dough:
Take a slice out of the fridge. Lightly dust your countertop with flour. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into an 11-inch circle that’s about 1/8-inch thick.
To roll the dough, start in the center and roll outwards to the edges. Twist the dough as you roll it so the dough stays circular. If the dough starts to stick to the countertop or rolling pin, lightly dust with more flour.
-
Transfer to cake pan:
Carefully transfer the batter into a 9-inch cake pan. Roll the dough around the rolling pin and then roll out in the cake pan while minimizing the risk of tearing the dough. Gently push in the batter to line the cake tin.
-
make filling:
In a large mixing bowl, mix the chopped rhubarb with the orange zest.
In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, tapioca starch, ground nutmeg, and salt. Pour the sugar mixture over the chopped rhubarb and toss with a rubber spatula to coat.
-
Transfer filling to crust:
Pour the filling onto the base and spread evenly. Depending on the depth of your pie stand, the filling will be rounded but will settle as it bakes.
-
Make the lattice top:
Roll out the second sheet of dough using the same method as the first. Use a pastry wheel or pizza wheel to cut a circle of dough into vertical strips that are 1/2 to 3/4 inch wide.
To make a lattice, place 4 to 7 strips parallel to each other and evenly spaced across the cake. Fold back every other strip and place a long strip of pastry in the center of the cake, perpendicular to the other strips. Unfold the folded strips so that they lie on top of the vertical strip.
Now fold back the parallel strips that are underneath the vertical strip and place another vertical strip next to the first. Unfold the folded strips to cover the second vertical strip. Continue this weaving process until the grid is complete.
Trim the edges and fold the dough over the edges of the lattice, tucking the top crust under the bottom crust so the edge of the fold is flush with the outside rim of the pie pan. Use your fingers to curl and seal the edges.
-
Spread the cake with the egg wash:
In a small bowl, whisk together the cream and egg yolks to make an egg wash. Use a pastry brush to apply the egg wash to the top crust. Sprinkle the top generously with the Turbinado sugar.
-
Bake a cake:
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil to catch drips. If you store and reuse parchment paper, this is a good time to repurpose an old piece.
Place the cake on the baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
Then reduce the temperature to 350°F and continue baking 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling in the center. If the cake edges are browning too quickly, cover them with a cake protector or strips of aluminum foil.
Check your cake for doneness at the 1 hour mark.
-
Cool and serve:
Transfer the cake to a wire rack to cool. Let cool completely before slicing and serving.
-
Storage:
Store the baked cake, loosely covered with plastic wrap, at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Did you like the recipe? Let’s star down!
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 460 | calories |
| 19g | Fat |
| 69g | carbohydrates |
| 6g | protein |
