nadia muses

love in springtime: rhubarb raspberry crostata

a little over 3 years ago, a young law student – who i had met par hasard, by chance, outside a cafe in cleveland a few years prior – started taking me out in manhattan. he thought i would like a neighborhood called the west village and so we spent many nights dining, drinking, and flirting there.

our courtship began in springtime, and it was over these late, wine-drenched dinners, that we both discovered rhubarb, and how incredible it was in dessert. 4 springs later, i’m re-creating that love in my own kitchen.

recipe: simple rhubarb cake

…but now i’m back in manhattan, and of course completely overjoyed to be back home.

saturdays are swiftly becoming my favorite day. M and i take it easy in the morning - go to the gym, make some coffee from cafe grumpy, have a little breakfast, listen to jazz. then, it’s off to the union square greenmarket!

we went totally bonkers there today, acquiring {among other items}: raw cow’s milk cheese, ricotta, fresh milk, kale, beets, rosemary lamb sausage, chicken breast, granola, cranberry walnut bread. jewish rye bread, apples, nectarines, bison tenderloin, rhubarb, celery….we will eat like kings for a long time.

so i have all this rhubarb and i thought to make a rhubarb cake. remember now, i am following recipes to a T for now while i hone my skills - which means no substituting to make it healthier {i stayed true to my coffee cake, and while you can quite literally taste the butter, it’s fracking delicious}.

the rhubarb cake recipe is simple, delicious, moist, and looks beautiful. the result is a wonderfully light cake with a slightly crispy top and a little “bite” with the acidity of the rhubarb. a perfect summer dessert, especially with a side of yogurt or ice cream. behold:

simple rhubarb cake

ingredients:

1 1/2 cups brown sugar, firmly packed

1/2 cup {1 stick} butter

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanila

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/3 cups fresh rhubarb, finely chopped

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

directions:

1. preheat oven to 350°F.

2. in a large bowl, mix brown sugar and margarine (butter) with an electric mixer until well blended.

3. add egg, vanilla, salt, buttermilk, soda, and flour. beat until above ingredients are blended.

4. stir 1 1/3 cups of finely chopped rhubarb into batter.

5. pour batter into a lightly greased cake pan. sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.

6. bake at 350ºF for 35 minutes. remove from oven & cool.