My favorite spring cleaning ritual is using up all of the frozen produce in my freezer from last summer. Some people find it crazy that I bother to freeze the bounty of the farmer’s markets like herbs, berries and vegetables and use them, bit by bit, all winter long. It is true that most of these things can be found in stores year-round, but, I swear, freezing them fresh is the way to go. A frozen berry from last July still tastes better than anything I can buy in the store in January.—
So, now that produce paradise is almost upon us again I am using up the remainder of my goods from last season, including my very last bag of rhubarb. This is particularly timely since rhubarb season is just beginning and pretty soon I’ll be able to cut fresh stalks straight from the garden. I have endless recipes for my favorite seasonal vegetable to share with you and today I am going to start with one of the best, Simple Rhubarb Almond Cake.
Baking this cake during my daughter’s afternoon naptime is a snap. Making the entire batter takes all of five minutes and merely requires stirring the ingredients in one large bowl. Then I leave it to bake while I tend to other things around the house. I love to serve it with vanilla ice-cream after dinner, but it is also great served on it’s own with a cup of tea or, even, for breakfast with some cool Greek yogurt. Best of all, if you don’t have rhubarb you can use almost any other fruit you would like, making this recipe incredibly versatile.
Simple Rhubarb Almond Cake
adapted from Home Cooking by Laurie Colwin
1 c. sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1 c. all-purpose flour, sifted
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 eggs
1 t. pure almond extract
1 1/4 c. chopped rhubarb in 1-inch chunks or smaller (or any other fruit – see more ideas below)
1. Preheat oven to 350%uFFFDF.
2. Butter and flour 9-inch cake pan. Scatter fruit chunks evenly on the bottom of the pan and set aside.
3. Mix sugar, flour, cooled butter, eggs and almond extract in a large bowl until fully combined.
4. Pour this batter over fruit in the cake pan and sprinkle top lightly with sugar to make a nice crust.
5. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
Naptime Notes:
Naptime Recipe Variations & Ideas: I don’t know if there is a simpler cake in the whole world. It is delicious everytime, no matter what fruit you use. I have made this before with cranberries, blueberries, peaches, plums, apples and pears. They are all excellent.
Naptime Stopwatch: The batter of this cake takes about 5 minutes to prepare and about 40 minutes to bake.
Naptime Reviews: My daughter loves this cake and can’t get enough of it. I’ve also served this at summer luncheons and dinner parties and it is always a hit.
– Kelsey Banfield, The Naptime Chef™
