Two fruits, one mission: this cake brings together two of the gardens greatest pairings
Rhubarb and apple are one of those pairing that just work. They balance their sweetness, acidity and texture with natural precision – making them perfect for a range of dishes. This cake uses this match to its full potential, where these two seasonal soulmates combine not just on a taste level, but also a visual one.
Ingredients
- 4 cups rhubarb, trimmed, rinsed & sliced
- 3 large apples, peeled & diced
- 300g butter, softened
- 2 cups self-raising flour
- 1 dessert spoon of cornflour
- 1 ½ cups castor sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
- 1/3 cup sour cream or buttermilk
- 2 lemons, zest and juice
Method
Pre-heat your oven to 170˚C and line a large cake tin with greased parchment paper.
In a bowl, mix together rhubarb, cornflour and ½ cup of sugar, and set aside.
In a saucepan, add the brown sugar and 60g of butter over medium heat. Whisk until smooth and bubbling (about 2 minutes).
Cream the remaining butter and sugar until light and fluffy, before adding the vanilla, eggs and lemon zest – beat well to combine.
Gently fold the sour cream, lemon juice and flour into the creamed butter mixture, then incorporate the diced apple.
Pour the brown-sugar mixture into the cake pan, then add the rhubarb and any juices, before gently spooning the batter evenly over the rhubarb.
Bake for 1 hour or until the top of the cake is firm to touch, test with a skewer if you wish. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 15 minutes, before running a knife around the edge of the cake
Once loosened, place a plate on the tin and turn upside down to release
Tip: Serving slightly warm with pouring cream really captures the beauty in the caramalised rhubarb
