When a friend gives you free, heirloom rhubarb, you get into the kitchen and make something delicious with it as soon as possible. The moment I got it home, I was flipping through my copy of Rustic Fruit Desserts to find the perfect recipe. There were many to choose from, crumbles to pies, but it was this recipe that caught my eye.



This cake, with it’s deep lemon flavor coming from zest, extract and lemon glaze, has pieces of yummy tart rhubarb through out. Strawberry may be rhubarbs perfect mate, but lemon is a close second. I’d never had the two together before, but they work so, so well.




The cake it’s self is almost too fantastic for words, rich and moist, my new favorite, for sure. It would work wonderfully with whatever fresh fruit you have on hand, as soon as there are fresh blueberries at the farmers market I’m putting them in this batter!

If you have any fresh spring rhubarb in your kitchen, this is a fantastic way to make use of it!



Lemon Buttermilk Rhubarb Bundt Cake
from Rustic Fruit Desserts

Cake

2 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
zest of 1 lemon
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon lemon oil (i used lemon extract)
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 pound rhubarb, trimmed and very thinly sliced (3 cups prepped)

Lemon Glaze

2 cups confectioners sugar, more as needed
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon nearly melted butter

Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 10-cup bundt pan.

To make the cake, sift the 2 1/2 cups flour, the baking powder and salt together in a bowl. Using a handheld mixer with beaters or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar and lemon zest together on medium-high speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition, then stir in the lemon oil. Stir in the flour mixture in three additions alternating with the buttermilk in two additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally. The batter will be very thick.

Toss the rhubarb with the 2 tablespoons of flour and fold half into the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle the remaining rhubarb on top.

Bake for 30 minutes, then rotate the pan and cook for an additional 30 minutes, or until the center springs back when lightly touched. Cool the cake in its pan on the wire rack for 30 minutes before inverting and removing the pan.

To make the lemon glaze, whisk the confectioners sugar, lemon juice and butter together. The mixture should be thick. If it’s not, whisk in another tablespoon or two of the sugar. Spread the glaze over the cake as soon as you remove it from the pan.