Thursday, May 27, 2021

Ten-minute, one bowl rhubarb cake #rhubarb #cake





From Mary Jane Maffini 

This little cake has been a family and friend fave for years. When I started to make it, we called it Eight Minute Cake, but now that I’ve added a few extra tasty ingredients, it’s Ten Minute – One Bowl Cake.  It’s still a winner in my book.  I usually have one in my freezer in case of cake emergency.

The rhubarb is quite exuberant in the garden this and needed to be harvested (a very easy job). As we have been in extended lockdown with no one allowed to visit even in the back yard, I was understandably thrilled that on our Victoria Day Weekend, we were allowed up to five people outside.  I whipped up three of these little cakes – two for daughters and their hubbies (visiting in shifts) and one for our neighbor who lives alone and has a sweet tooth.

 

In case you want some too, here’s the recipe.

RHUBARB CAKE 

Ingredients

 

2 extra-large eggs, room temperature

½ cup plus one tablespoon sugar

½ cup plus one tablespoon flour

1 – 2 tablespoons chilled butter (forgotten in photo)

1 cup chopped fresh (or frozen rhubarb)

¾ tsp good quality vanilla extract

¼ tsp almond extract

Toasted slivered almonds

1 tsp lemon zest

Icing sugar to dust (optional)


Directions:

Toast the almonds on a cookie sheet while the oven is pre-heating to 400 F. They will toast in about five minutes.

Chop the rhubarb.

Beat eggs until light and fluffy.  Gradually beat in sugar until thick. 

Add vanilla and almond extract and lemon zest.  Beat in flour (don’t overbeat)

 

Pour into greased 8-inch baking pan.   (Or make three and use three pans!)



Arrange a layer of rhubarb on the top.  Sprinkle top with slivered almonds and dot with dabs of butter.  

I like to use these little red pans I got more than twenty years ago in England.  

The cakes do turn out better if you make one at a time, rather than doubling or tripling the recipe. I don’t know why.   Of course they can bake together and they did.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 – 25 minutes.   

 


When the cake is cool, dust with icing sugar.  The sweetness counteracts the tartness of the rhubarb.

How about you? Do you have an easy cake or dessert that’s a standby when you want/need something homemade fast?  Let’s hear about it!


 Mary Jane Maffini is the award-winning author of three and a half mystery series: the Camilla Maffini mysteries, the Fiona Silk capers and the Charlotte Adams organizer mysteries – number six coming soon!  The first five Charlotte Adams are being reissued by Beyond the Page Publishing. Recipes have been added and of course, the organizing tips continue! The Charlotte Adams books have recently been optioned for television films.

Organize Your Corpses was be released as an e-book and a trade paper on May 18. There's a great deal for the e-book.   You can order it HERE!

And watch for the reissue of The Cluttered Corpse on June 15th!




With her daughter Victoria Maffini, MJ collaborated on The Book Collector Mysteries as Victoria Abbott. Victoria Abbott spent several happy years on Mystery Lovers Kitchen. MJ  is very glad to be back and Victoria is waving at you all!


Don't forget to check out MJ's Canadian books:  Camilla MacPhee features a fortyish widowed lawyer who runs an advocacy agency for victims of violent crime, in Ottawa, Canada's capital city. Life would be easier if she didn't have the world's worst office assistant, the world's bossiest sisters and, arguably, the world's greatest stubborn streak. If you like your mysteries a bit edgy with a side order of humor, these could be for you.  


Keep up on the news!  You can sign up for updates about MJ and Victoria plus fun and prizes through our newsletter HERE 



5 comments:

  1. These look delicious! I wonder if some other fruit could be substituted--cherries or strawberries? My go-to dessert when summer fruit is in season is either clafouti or this strawberry cobbler. https://www.mysteryloverskitchen.com/2015/07/old-fashioned-strawberry-cobbler-recipe.html

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    1. I am sure, Peg. I often use plums. Strawberries would be great.

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  2. What fun and you got to share them with friends and family!
    Wonder why it doesn't like to be increased, but wants to be one cake at a time?
    Editing note: "The rhubarb is quite exuberant in the garden this and needed to be harvested (a very easy job)." This year?

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    1. PS Any estimate as to how much you need in almonds?

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    2. I think year would be good, lol. And probably 1/2 cup almonds, but I just used what I had and didn't measure. ooops.

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