With executive chef Ralph Dahlhaus’ recipe for rhubarb cake, you will be just a little bit closer to the National Maritime Museum, as well as cooking with sustainable spring produce!
Rhubarb has a tart flavour. Some people like it, some do not. If you belong to the second group, you should try this recipe in April, when rhubarb’s season starts; it will be less tart than June’s rhubarb!
Rhubarb has been around for over 5000 years, albeit primarily as medicine. Only until the 17th century, King Charles’ botanist discovered that it is edible. In England it became a very popular vegetable; rhubarb pie with strawberries and clotted cream became a real classic. In the Netherlands, rhubarb is being eaten as a vegetable only since the 20th century.
This is a recipe for rhubarb cake. If you are still reluctant to use rhubarb because of it’s tart taste, you can replace half of it by strawberries.
"If you are still reluctant to use rhubarb because of it’s tart taste, you can replace half of it by strawberries."
Ingredients
- 150 + 50 g sugar
- 150 g soft butter
- 3 eggs
- 100 ml full-fat yogurt, or Greek yogurt
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 300 g all purpose flower (plus a little bit to flower the baking tin)
- 400 g cleaned rhubarb (about 500 g store-bought)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or almond flavour, optional
"The first rhubarb of the season is much gentler and sweeter in flavour than the rhubarb in June, when the season ends."
Method
- Whisk the butter and 150 grams of sugar until creamy.
- Whisk in the eggs one by one. Don’t worry if the mixture seems to split - it will work out in the end. Whisk in the optional vanilla or almond flavourings.
- Whisk in the yogurt. You will notice the mixture getting smoother now.
- Fold in the flower and baking powder with a spatula. If you fold it in a third at a time, it will be easier.
- Rinse the rhubarb and cut it finely.
- Mix the rhubarb with 50 grams of sugar.
- Grease a round cake tin with butter and flower it. Shake out excess flower.
- Pour the batter in the cake tin.
- Cover the batter with the rhubarb.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 50 minutes at 170 C (340 F).
"Don’t worry if the mixture seems to split - it will work out in the end."
You can eat the cake warm as well as cold. It is particularly nice when served with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream! When you have rhubarb left over, like me, you can turn it into compote very easily. It is great over yogurt or over breakfast cereals, or with custard.
For compote, cut the rhubarb finely. Use 50 grams of sugar and 50 grams of water for every 300 grams of rhubarb. Bring it to the boil and let it simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. You can then let it cool as such, or whizz it in a blender for a smooth, pink compote. Stored in a clean jar it will keep in the fridge for at least a week.
Ralph Dahlhaus is executive chef at the National Maritime Museum. These recipes allow you to follow the “Dutch Cuisine” principles: tasty, sustainable, varied, honest and seasonal.
