Sunday's Supper: Lemon and Rhubarb Cake

This cake is sooo delicious. The first time I made it, I ate nearly half the cake in one day. I had to make a few changes to the recipe, so obviously, I ate more cake to perfect my adaptation! Dear readers, bake this deliciousness with caution. But do bake it! and share it with the people you love. They will thank you.



Hannah, at Honey & Jam made this cake, and I saw it on her blog. I had to try it- with a twist of my own. This is one of many rhubarb recipes I have tried and hacked recently. I think this one is truly the best. I made some changes, adding some vanilla to enhance the flavor of the rhubarb. I also wanted more rhubarb! There just weren't enough of the tart jewels in the original recipe for my taste.




Adapted from http://www.honeyandjam.com and Rustic Fruit Desserts by Schrieber and Richardson.

Luscious Cake

2 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
zest of 1 lemon
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract (I used 1 teaspoon of fiore di sicilia- use it if you have it!)
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 pound rhubarb, trimmed and very thinly sliced (4 cups when sliced)

Creamy Lemon Frosting

2 cups confectioners sugar, more as needed
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon melted butter

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350. Butter or spray a standard (10 cup) Bundt pan. In a bowl, mix the 2 1/2 cups flour, baking powder and sea salt together. Make sure there are no lumps and that the salt and baking powder are fully incorporated. Set aside. Using a stand mixer or beaters, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the lemon zest and the eggs, one at a time. Scrape down the sides. Add the vanilla and lemon extracts. Incorporate the flour, alternating between flour and buttermilk. Begin and end with the flour. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl, just in case! This batter is very thick and stiff.

Toss the sliced rhubarb in the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour until coated. Fold 3/4 of the rhubarb into the batter, leaving about 1 cup of rhubarb. Pour or spoon the batter into the bundt pan. Top the batter with the remaining rhubarb.

Bake for 30 minutes. Check the cake, turn it, and bake for another 20-30 minutes. The cake should be fully set, and spring back when you touch it. While the cake is cooling, make the frosting. Place a small saucepan on low heat. Add the confectioners sugar, lemon zest and juice, and melted butter. Whisk until incorporated. Pour over cake immediately and serve!

New Feature: Sunday's Supper

Yes, Supper. In England, supper is a late night snack, or maybe a small meal depending on the region. The word supper in my mother's household was strictly forbidden. We ate dinner, only. No supper. Only Southerner's ate supper, she claimed. We lived in Michigan. Yet, a delicious Sunday meal, eaten mid-day is neither lunch or dinner. To me, it is supper. Sorry, mom- but maybe the South got a few things right. The Sunday's Supper series will feature my recipes. Lovingly created by me; enthusiastically taste tested by Mr. Radar. No calls to poison control have been made thus far. Without further ado, my beloved pesto recipe.

Fusilli with warm Arugula Pesto

Serves 4 dinner portions; 6-8 side portions

Ingredients
1 16 oz box of dry Fusilli
4 cups fresh Arugula
1/2-3/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 cup grated parmesan, divided
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon course sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, fresh if possible
black pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups sweet grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 pound fresh mozzarella, diced

Directions

First, put a large pot of water on the stove to boil. Dice the mozzarella and halve the tomatoes, reserve for later. Toast the pine nuts in a skillet on medium to high heat. Watch them like a hawk! They will burn. Put the arugula, olive oil, pine nuts, lemon juice, 1/2 cup of parmesan, garlic, salt, nutmeg, and pepper in a blender or food processor. Blend until creamy. This may take a while- stir everything up with a spatula if necessary. Add more olive oil if the mixture looks course, not creamy. Taste the mixture to ensure the salt and pepper levels are to your liking. Mix the cooked pasta, pesto, tomatoes, and mozzarella in a large bowl. Top with remaining Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Today, we enjoyed this meal with a fresh fruit salad. It was a delicious, healthy meal enjoyed by the both of us. In my opinion, the arugula pesto is both healthier for you (more nutrients) and better tasting than a traditional pesto made with basil. You can experiment with other nuts, like walnuts or pistachios. I have tried both, and in the end, prefer the pine nuts. I have also tried this recipe with spinach (curly, not baby) and it worked. Not as peppery- but still good.