Rhubarb is in full bloom! If you’ve got rhubarb in your garden and don’t know what to do with it or picked some up at your local grocer or fruit market, then you’ve got to try my mom’s Strawberry Rhubarb Cake recipe. It’s so good that you’ll be adding it to your baking roster every spring!
This is my mom’s signature cake recipe, with a little twist - sliced strawberries. I don’t know about you - but, I think that rhubarb and strawberries are a match made in heaven.
Every time my mom made her rhubarb cake, I knew summer was just around the corner. It was something that I always looked forward to. You’ll understand why, when you try this dessert! The cake is perfectly balanced - it’s not too sweet or tart, and is just so delicious, moist and fluffy! It’s truly a treat and makes for the most satisfying bite! Enjoy it at breakfast, brunch, as a snack or dessert! Grab a spoon and come and bake with me! Enjoy!
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 65 minutes
Serves: 12
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 1/4 cups rhubarb, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced (approx. 1/8 inch slices)
1 cup 2 % milk
1 tsp white vinegar
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp lemon zest (See Notes below)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened and at room temperature, plus 1 Tbsp for greasing the baking pan
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup strawberries, cut into 1/4 inch slices
Sweetened whipping cream and additional strawberries (halved), as garnish
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350F and grease a 9” x 13” baking pan with 1 Tbsp of butter. Set aside.
To a measuring cup, add the milk and vinegar and let it stand for 5 minutes.
In a small bowl, combine the sugar and lemon zest. Using your fingers, work the lemon zest into the sugar.
Toss the butter and lemon sugar into a large mixing bowl. Using a handheld or stand mixer, beat the sugar and butter on high speed for 2 minutes or until the mixture is pale in colour and light and fluffy. Then, add the vanilla and eggs, one egg at a time, and mix for an additional minute until combined.
In a medium bowl, add the flour and baking powder and give it a good whisk to ensure that the ingredients are fully incorporated.
Transfer the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in 2 instalments and mix on low speed until just combined and no streaks of flour remain. Then, using a large spoon or spatula, gently fold in the rhubarb, so that it is evenly distributed throughout the batter.
Transfer the batter to the baking pan and, using a spatula, distribute the batter evenly in the pan. Then, top with sliced strawberries and transfer the baking pan into the oven.
Bake for 50 minutes or until the top of the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove it from the oven and let it cool completely in the baking pan. Serve as is or with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream and a strawberry. Enjoy!
Notes:
Extracting the Lemon Oil: You can simply toss the lemon zest right into the batter but, if you love the taste of lemon, then you’ll have to try this quick trick that my grandmother taught me. It makes the world of a difference! Using your fingers, work the lemon zest into the sugar. The sugar acts as an abrasive and the rubbing process releases the lemon oil from the peel. You’ll be left with lemon infused sugar, which boosts the citrus flavour in this cake.
