I’ve got some great news to share today! I’ve just got confirmation that I’m now able to start sharing the recipes I’ve created for Taste magazine on my own site as well. I know it’s been frustrating for many of you living outside of NZ to see photos of my recipes on my social pages and (until now) having no way to get your hands on the actual recipe.
Well, all that’s changing, yay! First up is a recipe I’ve been dying to share since this time last year. A beautiful flourless rhubarb cake, studded with fresh rosemary and lemon zest.
I love adding fresh herbs and fruit to cakes and it’s around this time of the year when my rhubarb patch comes back to life after its long winter sleep, and the herbs in the garden are abundant. This is the kind of cake I love to make for afternoon tea on a sunny spring day, served without icing it makes for a lovely casual treat.
I’m really looking forward to sharing more of these recipes over the coming months. xx
I use unrefined raw sugar (such as Billingtons, which is available from most supermarkets or health food stores) in all my baking. Often its fine to just use as is, but in cakes such as this when you want the sugar to dissolve in the butter whilst creaming, I find it a little too gritty to do so without blending first. To do this, simply place the sugar into a blender and pulse until finely ground, white and powdery like icing sugar.
Serves 10-12
250g rhubarb
2 1/2 cups (275g) ground almonds
1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary
The finely grated zest 1 lemon
150g soft butter
3/4 cup (150g) blended unrefined raw sugar *see headnotes
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large free-range eggs, at room temperature
Pure icing sugar, to serve, optional
Preheat oven to 180C (350F). Grease and line a 23cm cake tin with baking paper.
Finely slice rhubarb and place into a large bowl, add the ground almonds, rosemary and lemon zest, and mix to combine.
Cream softened butter, sugar and vanilla using either an electric mixer, or a bowl and wooden spoon. Add eggs one at a time, making sure you beat well after each addition. Add the rhubarb/almond mixture and stir to just combine. Transfer to the prepared cake tin and bake for 60-65 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool in the tin. Dust with icing sugar to serve, if desired. Will store airtight for 2-3 days or more in the fridge.
This recipe was first created for and featured in Taste Magazine, NZ.
11 Responses
Yum, that flavour combination sounds wonderful. I wondered if you had any suggestion of substituting half or so of the almond flour with a GF flour? I’m happy to try it and give you some feedback on how it went. I find full nut cakes a bit hard to digest! Although might be willing to give it a go for this one 😉
Thanks
Nicky x
Love the look of this cake Emm – I love sour fruits in baking – rhubarb, plums etc. Yummo!
Looks amazing. I love all your recipes! Just made pepper tofu with cucumber pickle…delicious: -)
Stoked you loved it! x
Can’t wait to try this in the Northern hemisphere spring when rhubarb comes back! This looks amazing!
I’m making this right now and checking the weights of standard cup measurements against the weights you have for sugar and ground almonds. My 3/4C sugar was only about 85g and the ground almonds were also way under. I used NZ standard measuring cups. Are you sure your weights are correct?
Thanks
Margot
Hi Margot yes these are correct, I go by 200g per cup of raw sugar and 110g per cup of ground almonds. I also use standard NZ cups and teaspoons/tablespoons. You might not pack yours are full as mine. This is why I recommend people always weigh their ingredients for baking as using cups is never as accurate. All my recipes are tested by weight and volume. x
Hi Emma, I’m gluten and dairy free right now but also have lots of rhubarb! Can you suggest an alternative to butter?
I’d recommend using this gluten + dairy-free cake recipe instead: https://www.mydarlinglemonthyme.com/2015/07/gluten-dairy-free-spiced-pear-and.html and just subbing in rhubarb in place of the pears, omit flaked almonds and spices and replace with chopped rosemary. xx
no raising agent? keen to try but not used to baking without baking powder/soda! cheers!
Nope, no raising agent in this one. When you cream butter and sugar air gets trapped, making your cake light without the need for baking powder/soda. Try it! xx