Rhubarb always reminds me of my grandmother. ย Late every spring, she froze rhubarb to enjoy throughout the year. ย To my grandmother, the word rhubarb did not just refer to the celery-like stalk, it was the actual recipe. ย Her rhubarb was just like applesauce, only red and with a perfect balance of sweet and tart.
Though I didn’t fully appreciate it as a kid, I adore it now. ย We have several rhubarb plants in our yard, and I savor every stalk. ย My spin on the applesauce-like recipe my grandmother made is this strawberry-rhubarb sauce. ย My kids adore it straight from the bowl, and it’s delightful stirred into plain yogurt or spooned over ice cream, angel food and pound cake. There are a number of other rhubarb recipes on this blog that have become family-favorites in our house, from coconut rhubarb bars to cobbler, rhubarb streusel muffins toย baked oatmeal.
This year’s addition is a simple, rustic cornmeal cake. ย It’s lightly sweet and somewhat dense–think pound cake, butter cake and bakery corn muffin all mixed into one. ย And while the hint of tartness provided by the rhubarb is lovely, this recipe can be prepared with a mix of strawberries and rhubarb, all strawberries, peaches, or whatever fruit calls your name. ย If you’re feeling adventurous, incorporate a bit of citrus zest. ย I like orange zest with rhubarb, blueberries with lime zest, and blackberries with lemon zest. ย Slivered or sliced almond would compliment these flavors, too.
Since this cake is not overly sweet and has a good measure of healthy ingredients, my husband thinks it’s fair game for breakfast. ย While I enjoy it for dessert or an afternoon snack with a cup of tea, I like his idea a lot, too!
Polenta Cake with Rhubarb
Yields 8 servings.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (120 grams/4 ounces) diced rhubarb
- ยฝ cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
- โ cup (125 grams/4.5 ounces) plus 2 teaspoons sugar, divided use
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ยฝ cup (120 ml/4.25 ounces) canned coconut milk (I typically use light)
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract
- 1 cup (112 grams/4 ounces) blanched almond flour
- ยพ cup (130 grams/4.5 ounces) fine polenta or cornmeal (the fine texture is important here)
- ยฝ teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
- Optional for serving: whipped cream or vanilla ice cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease one 9-inch round cake pan. I like to also line it with a round of parchment paper for easy removal.
- Dice the rhubarb. In a small bowl, toss the rhubarb with the 2 teaspoons of sugar, and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the almond flour, polenta, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using a hand beater or a stand mixer, beat the butter and the 2/3 cup sugar until light yellow and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, followed by the coconut milk and the vanilla, beating well after each addition. The mixture may appear slightly curdled; this is normal.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients (I like to add half at a time), and beat to combine.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Drain the diced rhubarb (the sugar will draw out a good bit of moisture), and sprinkle the rhubarb over the top of the batter.
- Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30-35 minutes. The cake should be golden brown and firm to the touch in them center.
- Transfer to a rack to cool. Enjoy plain or with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
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