This recipe is filed under “Snacking Cakes” in my recipe binder. To me, a snacking cake is an easy, 1-pan cake (typically unfrosted) that can be whisked together, by hand or with a hand-held mixer, in under 20 minutes. Snacking cakes call for ingredients found in the average household pantry, and can be eaten at breakfast, dessert or any time in between. These simple cakes look polished enough for a dinner party, but without the stress of baking a many-tiered affair. This rhubarb cake can be dressed up or down simply by the way you arrange the rhubarb atop the batter.
Recipe by Lisa Archer
Ingredients
12 ounces rhubarb, sliced vertically if stalks are thick
1 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
⅓ cup sour cream
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
½ teaspoon almond extract
1 cup flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Zest of 1 orange
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 °F. Butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together sugar and eggs until light and fluffy. Whisk in sour cream, melted butter, almond extract and orange zest. Fold in dry ingredients; do not overmix, as this will lead to a tough cake. Spread batter into springform pan and arrange rhubarb on top. Bake 35-45 minutes, until cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out free of batter.
