Rhubarb Sponge Cake

A rainy day in May. How wonderful. Here in California, we can use every drop of water. Life has been good here at the cove. My husband is recovering, and slowly we are resuming our lives. However, his sense of taste has returned only slightly, about 10%. Anything acidic is still out of the question. So I was surprised when he liked my rhubarb sponge cake. Rhubarb is one of my favorite vegetables. Read all about rhubarb here in one of my previous posts. 
I decided to make this cake because the moist sponge cake topping is easy to chew, especially when topped with unsweetened, softly whipped cream and vanilla ice cream. I found this recipe in a 2007 issue of Bon Appétit magazine. 

I peel my rhubarb and use the peel to make a syrup. Just put the peel in a pot with water and a little honey, then simmer for 10 minutes, and you will have a great addition to your mocktails. I make one with tonic water, some syrup, and a piece of lemon. 

This simple rhubarb sponge cake is ready in no time. Make sure the butter and eggs are at room temperature. The added strawberries add a touch of sweetness. Since we only have low-fat milk, I mix it with a little half-and-half or cream. The cake will last in the fridge for a couple of days. I thought the cake was even better the following day. When I preheat the oven, I place a baking sheet on the rack to catch spills. I just don’t like cleaning my oven.
​

Click here for the recipe

Ingredients:
1 ½  of rhubarb 
 1 cup of sliced strawberries (optional) 
⅓ cup of packed brown sugar
2 TBS water
Dough :
1 cup plus 2 TBS  (160g) all-purpose flour
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
½ cup ( 100g) sugar 
7 TBS ( 100g ) butter at room temperature
3 small eggs or  2 large ones 
6 ½  TBS  whole milk
Soft whipped cream and/or ice cream
​
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Set the rack in the middle of the oven.
Generously butter an 11x7x2-inch baking dish. Wash, peel, then cut the rhubarb into 1-inch slices. Spread the rhubarb in an even layer in the baking dish. Sprinkle the brown sugar and 2 TBS water over the rhubarb.

For the dough, whisk the baking powder and flour together in a bowl. In a separate bowl, beat the sugar and softened butter with an electric mixer for about 3 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well before each addition. Fold in the flour mixture in 3 additions, adding the milk between each. Spoon the dough over the rhubarb and smooth the top to cover. This took a little effort. I used a spatula. 


Bake the cake for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool and enjoy, warm or cold. 


Recipe by Jill Duplex from the cookbook Simple Food
found in Bon Appétit
Adapted and posted by Sunnycovechef

​

Here are my other rhubarb recipes
​

My masterpiece is my German rhubarb-strawberry meringue cake. 
Click here for the recipe

Craving something delicious? Click here to try a German rhubarb streusel sheet cake perfect for sharing with a crowd! 
Click here for the recipe

How about trying something a bit healthier, like my rhubarb yogurt mousse?
​Click here for the recipe

And last but not least, here is a recipe for roasted rhubarb and strawberry ice cream. 
Click here for the recipe