August 2013
My music flows from Spotify, a word that will one day date me, but for now, that word fills my life with songs of all sorts. At one point, I simultaneously debated and lamented my long, starred list. What a random assortment! Why had I not planned it more? However, I recently revisited this compilation, and each seemingly random song took me to a very specific moment and feeling from the last year and change. As I alternated dancing around my apartment and humming peacefully, I was grateful I had let the list grow organically.
This rhubarb cake is like my playlist. When I purchased the beautiful, red stalks, I had plans for several unique and complex uses. Foresight should have led to a new take on summer’s classic ingredient. As highly organized plans failed to form, and the rhubarb lingered, I gathered elements from around the kitchen and threw this cake together. I ate slices quietly for breakfasts with cups of coffee and a good book. Summer memories tied to my mom’s crisps and cakes came back to me, and in those morning moments, I was grateful for the simple, ad-hoc, last minute nature of this cake.
The most important takeaway? Let your musical choices flow, and eat cake for breakfast! That’s why I bake With The Grains and with real ingredients!
Rhubarb Cake
Ingredients
1 1/3 cups organic, unsalted butter,softened
1 3/4 cups pure cane sugar
4 large, ogranic eggs
2 teaspoons pure almond extract
1 cups organic almond meal
3 1/2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6-8 stalks rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 1 inch lengths (cut in half lengthways first if very fat)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and an 8-inch springform tin.
Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, then beat in the eggs, one at a time.
Combine the almond meal, flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and mix well. Whisk the dry ingredients into the butter mixture.
Fold in the rhubarb.
Bake for 40-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. It should be firm in the middle.
Place on a wire rack to cool.
Remove from pan. Sprinkle with powdered sugar & serve with homemade whipped cream.