PEAR TREE LOG

pear tree log: I started this blog to keep my younger son, Jonny, in touch with life in Lincolnshire, while he spent a year working in China. That year turned into five! Now he is home and training to become a physics teacher. This is simply a patchwork quilt of some of the things I enjoy - life in rural Lincolnshire, our animals, friends, architecture, books, the gardens, and things of passing interest.



Wednesday 14 March 2012

A Little Sparrow Told Me... Rhubarb Cake

Ms Sparrow very kindly shared some lovely rhubarb recipes from her family cookbook.  I chose to make the rhubarb cake.
Our rhubarb patch survived a terrible trauma and has come out fighting...
this is how it looked ten days ago!  By yesterday there were enough sticks of rhubarb ripe and ready for me to make Ms Sparrow's  rhubarb cake (click for recipe).

Quick and easy to make,  the cake was moist and delicious.  Second slices were soon called for, by three adults, one little boy, and one Toby dog was going crazy, snuffling around for fallen crumbs.  Safe to say, it was a success!  George has just had the final slice tonight - and enjoyed it every bit as much as the first.

Next time I make it I think I will treat it as a pudding - I can hardly wait for the next batch of rhubarb to be ready.  Imagine this cake with a drizzle of single cream, or custard if I am being really indulgent!

A huge thank you to Ms Sparrow for that wonderful peek into your special family cookbook - and I hope you won't mind if I copy it into my family recipe book - along with a note about how it comes to be there.

21 comments:

  1. I've only had rhubarb in pies. I wandered over to Ms Sparrow for the recipe -- sounds delish!(And I do so love "quick and easy.")

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    1. Hi Janet, It is so easy to make - and you end up with a huge and delicious cake. I'm not the world's greatest cook, so quick and easy does it for me, too.

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  2. Do the people you feed know how very fortunate they are?!?!

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    1. Hi Joanne, They do now they have tasted this rhubarb cake!

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  3. We have 6 rhubarb crowns at the allotment and only me likes it! Maybe if I disguise it in a cake J and KL will munch away quite happily!

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    1. Hi Scarlet, My late father's favourite way of eating rhubarb was to dunk it in sugar and munch. Horrible. This cake makes it far more palatable!

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  4. Hi Elaine...it's 11pm here in Texas and I'm wishing I had a slice of your rhubarb cake, this is, if there is any left!
    Remember my coffee cake? Every hour or so, I was rewarding myself with a small piece. Before I knew it, I had eaten 1/3 of that cake. I plan on saving Ms Sparrow's family recipe. Thanks for sharing it with us.

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    1. Hi Meggie, Did you get the slice of cake I faxed over to you? Moist, satisfying, flavoursome - and best of all it was easy!

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  5. I split my rhubarb into four plants last year Elaine, and it's really cracking along now. It'll be the size of giant Gunnera soon I'm sure of it.

    It was one of those rescued (nearly expired, sad looking) plants from the garden centre too. Just goes to show.

    Thanks for the heads up on the recipe.

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    1. Hi Chris, Maybe that is why our rhubarb is doing so well, it can take a bit of a bashing and comes back for more!

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  6. Thank you for the slice of cake! A nice crumbly crust on the outside, moist and rhubarby on the inside. It was brilliant the way it was but - imagine it warm, with custard...

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    1. Hi Ian, I'm glad you enjoyed it. Keep your eyes on the rhubarb, I'll make another as soon as we have enough ripe rhubarb.

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  7. "Click for recipe"? I would much rather click for a piece of cake!

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    1. Hi Mitch, Wouldn't that be nice! Almost top of my list for when I win the lottery (!!) is to employ a cook..!

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  8. I'm am so happy to hear you liked the rhubarb cake! It's been a favorite of my family for many years. It actually keeps for a long while, but who gives it a chance? We would sometimes top it with whipped cream or Cool Whip. Thanks again for all your kind words.

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    1. Hi Ms Sparrow, Thank you so much for sharing it with me. It is a truly delicious cake and I enjoyed both making it, and eating it. We will be having it while the rhubarb is in season.

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    2. My daughters and I would be thrilled for you to add this recipe to your family cookbook! What an honor!

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    3. Hello Ms Sparrow, I have my fountain pen inked and poised ready to neatly ink it in - using my 'best handwriting', of course! I will also add a note about how it comes to be there. I should add that it was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone.

      Hi Sparrow chic, Thank you for popping over, and thank you for sharing your family recipes. When I read Ms Sparrow's post about the compilation I was thrilled - old family recipe books are a particular passion of mine.

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  9. Sorry this is a late comment, but that looks brilliant elaine! I can't have enough of rhubarb lately, but usally it's just been made into a compote or poached, and then I use it as a topping for porridge/yogurt/rice pudding. haven't actually evntured into baking with it yet, this sounds liek a great idea, thanks so much for sharing it!

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    1. Hi Shu Han, I should also have added that it makes a very large cake. It was beautifully moist and flavoursome. I'm waiting for my next sticks of rhubarb to ripen so I can make another.

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