Rhubarb season is almost over, but I did find some fresh rhubarb at the market last week. My history with rhubarb is long. In my day, children walked to and from school every day; sometimes alone. I remember my Mother going with me to my kindergarten orientation. We walked. She told my to pay attention to where we were going because I would be responsible to get myself to the school building every day. On the first day of school I made the trek alone and found my way. I marveled, later, as an adult that my Mom would allow me to do that even though we lived in a small town and the school was not too far away. But years later, my Mom confessed that she discretely followed me on that first day. It was a safer world in those days.
One of the things that I loved about these walks was taking in the houses, lawns and gardens as I passed by. I still remember the cracks in the sidewalks and the neighborhood dogs. But every Spring, one home in particular held my attention. It had a huge garden with a rhubarb patch. The appearance of rhubarb became my harbinger of Spring in our cold Michigan weather.
This Rhubarb Spoon Cake is another recipe from Erin French’s new cookbook {the} Lost Kitchen. It is a simple cake with great flavor. The rhubarb is made ahead of time as a sweetened compote. The batter is light and by the time it is baked, you will almost wish you could spoon it out of the skillet and eat it with dollops of whipped cream.
Why not just do that very thing? Place the cake in the center of your table and spoon out what you want. It is that good.
RHUBARB SPOON CAKE ( {the} Lost Kitchen by Erin French )
8 Tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the pan
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup sour cream
Rhubarb Compote (Recipe follows)
Whipped cream for serving
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a 10-inch ovenproof skillet, preferably cast iron, with butter and flour, shaiking out any excess flour.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, vanilla, milk, sour cream, and melted butter. Gently stir the wet ingredients into the dry until just incorporated.
Pour about two-thirds of the compote into the greased skillet and spread evely. Pour the cake batter over it, spread evenly, then dollop the remaining compote over the top. Use a butter knife to swirl together the batter and compote.
Bake until a cake tester or knife inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean, about 25 minutes. I like to serve this warm, directly from the skillet, with a big spoon and a bowl of whipped cream to dollop on top.
RHUBARB COMPOTE
3 cups chopped rhubarb (1-inch pieces)
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons cornstarch
In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the rhubarb, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly until the rhubarb becomes tender and sauce-like, about 5 minutes. (Mine took longer). Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature. This will keep in the fridge for up to a week.