Rhabarber-Himbeer-Kuchen (rhubarb and raspberry cake)
A creamed butter cake with rhubarb and raspberries folded straight into the batter rather than layered under a streusel, so the fruit is distributed through every slice instead of sitting as a separate topping. Flaked almonds scattered over before baking are the only finish it needs.
Christoph's rhubarb and raspberry cake, folding the fruit straight into a creamed batter rather than piling it under a streusel.
Ingredients
Written for a 26 cm round tin
Units
Temperature
Servings
Cake
- 200 g butter, softened rounded
- 180 g sugar rounded
- 4 eggs rounded
- 5 ml vanilla extract rounded
- 280 g flour rounded
- 10 g baking powder rounded
- 2 g fine salt rounded
- 60 ml milk rounded
- 300 g rhubarb, trimmed, in 1.5 cm pieces rounded
- 200 g raspberries, fresh, or frozen and not thawed rounded
- 15 g flour, for tossing the fruit rounded
- 40 g sliced almonds, for the top rounded
Dietary labels are a guide, not a guarantee. If you have an allergy, read the ingredients yourself.
Method
- Beat the softened butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together separately. Fold into the butter mixture in two additions, alternating with the milk, just until combined.
- Toss the rhubarb and raspberries with the 15 g flour to coat lightly; this keeps them from sinking straight to the bottom of the batter.
- Fold the fruit gently into the batter, keeping the pieces as whole as possible.
- Pour into a lined 26 cm springform and smooth the top. Scatter the sliced almonds evenly over.
- Bake at 175°C for 45 to 50 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs and the almonds are toasted golden. Tent loosely with foil if the almonds brown too fast.
- Cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then release the sides and cool on a rack before slicing.
Notes
- Tossing the fruit in flour before folding it in is a small step with a real payoff. It coats the wet surfaces of the rhubarb and raspberries just enough to stop them sinking straight to the bottom during baking.
- Fold the fruit in gently, at the very end. Raspberries in particular break down fast under vigorous mixing and streak the whole batter pink instead of staying as distinct pieces.
- Watch the almonds near the end of baking. They toast quickly once the cake is mostly set, and can go from golden to burnt within a couple of minutes.
- It keeps for 3 days in the fridge, covered, and is good cold or at room temperature.
Ingredient substitutions
- Raspberries can be blackberries or blueberries in the same weight.
- Rhubarb can be reduced and the raspberries increased to compensate if rhubarb is out of season.
- Sliced almonds can be omitted for a nut-free cake, or swapped for a light dusting of demerara sugar for a bit of crunch instead.
- For a lemon-scented version, add the zest of one lemon to the butter and sugar when creaming.
From Christoph Mayer