Rhubarb Buttermilk Cake

We had a fantastic Easter: beautiful weather, fun egg hunt in the back yard, and a fabulous late lunch – or was that an early dinner? Anyway, the best part might just have been this incredible rhubarb cake I made for dessert. A little tart from the rhubarb, a little sweet from the cake batter, just perfect!

I baked the cake in a round 9” silicone pan. Because silicone is naturally non-stick, you do not need to use cooking spray or extra butter and your baked goods will release right off. It is also easy to clean and ensures even baking. Just remember to place the pan on a baking sheet for stability. While there are many cheap options, I do recommend buying a high quality silicone pan, such as Demarle, the creator of the famous Silpat® baking mat,  or Lékué.

Makes one 9” round cake (based on a Cooking Light recipe)

• 1 lb fresh rhubarb, sliced (about 3 ½ cups) = 450 g de rhubarbe fraiche, coupées en tranches de 1 cm
• 1 cup sugar, divided = 60 g + 120 g de sucre
• ⅓ cup butter, softened = 75 g de beurre, ramolli
• 1 large egg = 1 oeuf
• Grated rind from 1 orange (about 1 ½ teaspoon) = le zeste d'une orange, prélevé à la râpe (à peu près 1 ½ cuillère à café)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract = 1 cuillère à café d'extrait de vanille
• 1 ¼ cups all-purpose unbleached flour = 150 g de farine
• 1 teaspoon baking powder = 1 cuillère à café de levure chimique
• ½ teaspoon baking soda = ½ cuillère à café de bicarbonate de soude
• ⅛ teaspoon salt = une pincée de sel
• ¾ cup buttermilk = 175 ml de lait fermenté (ribot, babeurre ou kéfir) (à défaut, ajouter 2 cuillères à café de jus de citron ou de vinaigre blanc à 165 ml de lait, remuer puis laisser reposer 5 minutes avant d'utiliser)

Preheat oven to 350°F / 180°C.

Combine sliced rhubarb and ⅓ cup (=60 g) sugar in a bowl. Let stand for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, beat ⅔ cup (=120 g) sugar and butter in stand mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Add egg, and continue beating until well blended. Add orange rind and vanilla extract and beat until all combined.

Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Add flour mixture and buttermilk to sugar mixture, alternating, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

Spoon rhubarb/sugar mixture into an 9” round baking dish (buttered and floured if not using a silicone pan). Spread cake batter over rhubarb. Bake at 350° for about 50 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Invert onto a serving plate. Serve still warm or cool completely. Enjoy!