Did you know that Rhubarb is in fact a vegetable? So why is it used in so many sweet dishes? The same reason tomato, being a fruit, is used in so many savoury dishes. It's just the way it is.
I recently noticed the seasonal change in fruit and vegetables at the market and got thinking of new recipe ideas that I haven't tried before. Strolling around the market sipping my atomic long mac from the usual weekend coffee haunt, I noticed bunches of ruby red rhubarb had started to appear in the market stalls.
After a recipe search from my usual, reliable sources thinking of a fresh approach as to how I could cook - or bake - with the new season's offering, I made a pit stop for the baking necessities and ran back home to get started (the running was purely an after-effect of the heart-starting coffee I consumed not 10 minutes prior).
This recipe turned out really well - not only was it a perfect way to showcase rhubarb's versatility, but it also gave me an opportunity to FINALLY use some of my precious rosewater that has been sitting in the pantry, all alone and unloved, begging to be used up.
*recipe courtesy of Ginny Grant | Cuisine | Issue 142
rhubarb & rosewater upside down cake
rhubarb
3-4 rhubarb stems
25g butter
25g caster sugar
1tbsp rosewater
Line the base of a 20cm springform tin with baking paper and grease with butter. Cut the rhubarb diagonally into 3cm-thick slices and set aside. In a small saucepan, gently heat the butter and caster sugar until the mixture begins to caramelise. Remove from heat and add rosewater. Pour into the base of the tin. Arrange the rhubarb in the base and set aside while you make the cake batter.
cake
100g butter
150g caster sugar
1tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs, separated
150g plain flour
1 1⁄2 tsp baking powder
125ml milk
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Beat the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract then the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sieve the flour and baking powder and add to the egg in 2 lots alternately with the milk.
In a clean separate bowl, beat the egg whites to soft peaks then fold through the cake batter. Spoon the batter on top of the rhubarb and smooth down. Bake for 50 minutes (you may want to place a baking tray at the bottom of the oven to catch any drips from the rhubarb). The cake should be firm to the touch.
Cool the cake for 5 minutes then run a knife around the sides of the tin and remove the side. Invert the cake on to a serving plate and remove the base and baking paper. Serve warm with whipped cream and/or rhubarb and rosewater syrup (recipe below).
rhubarb & rosewater syrup
150g caster sugar
150ml water
1 rhubarb stem, chopped
1 tbsp rosewater
juice of 1⁄2 lemon
In a small saucepan, heat the sugar and water until the sugar dissolves. Add the rhubarb and cook for 5 minutes. Strain through a sieve then add rosewater and lemon juice.
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