June 13, 2011

Rhubarb Sour Cream Cake



We're still in the middle of rhubarb season, so when I hosted my bookclub yesterday I made this cake. It was a big hit and the general consensus was that I should post the recipe. Luckily, I had photographed the cake before we all sat down to eat. It's a simple recipe, not too sweet, with a nut topping. If you use pink rhubarb it's also pretty to look at with bits of the jewel-like fruit shining from the ocher colored cake.

1/4 cup soft butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teas vanilla
2 2/3 cups flour
1 teas baking soda
1 lb rhubarb, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1 cup sour cream

for the topping:
1/2 cup sugar
1 teas cinnamon
1 cup chopped nuts (I use walnuts)

  1. Preheat oven to 350º
  2. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy; beat in eggs and vanilla.
  3. Sift dry ingredients and add to the butter mixture.
  4. Add sour cream and stir; add rhubarb and blend well. The batter will be quite dry and stiff, but the rhubarb will add plenty of moisture as it cooks.
  5. Put batter into a greased 9 x 13 inch pan.
  6. Mix topping ingredients and sprinkle over the top of the batter.
  7. Bake for about 40 minutes until done.

9 comments:

  1. TY, I've copied and will try your rhubarb cake!

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  2. Definitely want to try it! Looks gorgeous and delectable. That comes from a true foodie.

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  3. As a graduate student in Bloomington, Indiana, after a late night painting, I waited several mornings a week for a breakfast of Rhubarb or Gooseberry pie, fresh from the oven at 11:00 AM in a coffee shop down the street. I never have decided which pie is best. These days it's very difficult to find gooseberries enough to make a pie, but maybe a cake like this.....

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  4. What are you reading in yr book club???

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  5. Erik, I've never had gooseberry pie (oh, that marvelous Chekhov story!) since I haven't seen any around here, but rhubarb....delicious!

    Julie, we read "An Artist of the Floating World" by Ishiguro and had a very interesting discussion. Next book, for August, is "The Quiet American" by Greene.

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  6. Alas, I have never developed a taste for rhubarb. But your vase and dessert plates turn that treat into something really special. I like crop of the photo cutting off the peonies.

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  7. I wanted to just write "Yum!" and I see I am not the first with this thought. Beautiful photo of this cake.

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