Rhubarb and almond cake with rye flour and coconut sugar

Three sweet recipes in one month? Well, yes, that’s how it goes sometimes. And please don’t tell me you’re disappointed!

Rhubarb is baaaack. It makes me so happy to see it at the markets. Rhubarb is so exotic to me because it’s a fruit (or rather vegetable) that I had never eaten before I moved to the Netherlands, as it’s almost impossible to find in Greece.

Now, every spring, there’s a few things I can’t wait to taste and one of them is rhubarb; those long pink stalks of juicy sourness and sweetness that’s so unique and incredible, and that make desserts and savory dishes alike utterly special, both in flavor and texture.

The first thing I made with this year’s rhubarb is this cake, with almonds, rye flour and coconut sugar. I love rye flour and coconut sugar, and I invariably use them in desserts in place of regular white flour and white sugar. They add so much depth of flavor and in the case of the rye flour, texture as well.

This is an easy and quick cake to make and it’s perfect to have with your afternoon coffee, with or without some freshly whipped sweetened cream, and of course ideal for your after-dinner sweet cravings with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.

It’s special enough to serve it for friends and easy and quick enough to share with just your significant other or your family.

At first, what you taste is the sharp, refreshing flavor of the rhubarb which is immediately mellowed by the caramel-y sweetness of the coconut sugar and the deeply earthy, somewhat savory quality of the rye flour, which actually reminds me of my favorite biscuits, the digestives. The almonds and vanilla bean paste are present as well, adding levels of flavor to this seemingly simple cake.

It’s soft in the center with the melting, almost jammy rhubarb adding moistness to it, with the crunch of the ground almonds and the added texture from the wholemeal rye flour, while the top, bottom and sides of the cake are pleasantly crunchy form the generous sprinkling of sugar before baking. The flavors are balanced and it’s neither too sweet nor too sharp. For me, it’s just right. S on the other hand, who has an even sweeter tooth than I have, was dying for a ball of ice cream to put on top, which he did the next day.

It’s perfect eaten while still warm, but the flavors change when it’s cool and they become deeper, as with all cakes. Also, let it be known that the corner pieces with all those gloriously crunchy, caramelized, swoon-worhty edges, are the best. Keep them for yourself. You deserve it.

More rhubarb recipes:
Vanilla roasted rhubarb and ricotta cream with Greek honey on toasted bread
Rhubarb and ginger-crumble ice cream
Rhubarb jam with black pepper
Pan-fried mackerel with rosemary and capers, and roasted rhubarb






Rhubarb and almond cake with rye flour and coconut sugar
Adapted from Bon Appetit

You can easily substitute the coconut sugar with Demerara sugar which I actually used to sprinkle the top of the cake to give a different texture since the Demerara sugar I use has bigger granules whereas the coconut sugar is finer.
I find that coconut sugar has a smoother, more round and interesting flavor than Demerara and it also has a deeper caramel flavor that I love. FYI, coconut blossom sugar doesn’t taste like coconut at all.

I use an enameled roasting pan to bake this cake. It is thin (not thick as baking pans usually are), which affects the baking time and also the texture of the cake especially at the bottom and around the edges as it creates more crunchy edges. Use something similar in order to have the same results. If you use a regular baking pan that is thicker, the cake will need to bake for a little longer.

This cake could easily be made with strawberries instead of rhubarb. It would be a bit wetter because strawberries release more juices when cooked. You could use 250 g strawberries and not add any on top of the cake, only inside, cut into small, bite-sized pieces.

Yield: 1 cake / 6 very generous pieces

Ingredients
230 g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing the pan
170 g coconut sugar (or Demerara sugar), plus extra for sprinkling the pan
450 g fresh rhubarb stalks
160 g whole rye flour
100 g blanched almonds
1 tsp baking powder
¾ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or pure vanilla extract)
2 large eggs
90 g Greek yoghurt, full-fat
50 g Demerara sugar (or coconut sugar) for sprinkling the top of the cake

Special equipment: small food processor, stand mixer or electric hand-held mixer, 28x22 cm pan (I use an enamel roasting pan), baking paper


Preparation
I had posted the step-by-step on my instagram stories a few days ago and I uploaded the whole thing in one video on my flickr account. You can see it here for reference. Some steps are missing but you will get the idea.

Preheat your oven to 175°C.
Butter the bottom and sides of the pan well and cover with a piece of baking paper. Butter the baking paper and sprinkle with coconut sugar.

Slice the rhubarb in half lengthwise or in quarters if it’s too thick. Keep 7 stalks that are the most pink and pretty for the top of the cake. The rest, cut into 1.2 cm pieces.

In a small food processor, finely grind the almonds being careful not to take them too far as to become a paste. Empty them into a medium-sized bowl and add the rye flour, baking powder and salt. Mix with a spatula well.

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl), add the butter, sugar (170 g) and vanilla bean paste, and using the paddle attachment (or an electric hand-held mixer), beat on medium-high speed until creamy and fluffy, for 4-5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well the first one before adding the second. Beat for 4 minutes until again you have a very fluffy and creamy mixture. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until just combined and there are no visible patches of flour. Then, add the yoghurt and beat on low speed until just combined. You will have a slightly thick batter at this point. Finally, add the rhubarb pieces and mix them well in the batter using a spatula.

Empty the batter into the prepared pan in dollops, spread the mixture evenly and smooth the top. Add on top the reserved rhubarb stalks lengthwise, pink sides up, and sprinkle the top of the cake with the 50 g of Demerara sugar.

Place on the low rack of the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes. Then transfer the pan to the middle rack and bake for a further 15 minutes or until the rhubarb has softened, the cake has taken on a deep golden color and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remember however that there’s rhubarb pieces in there so it will be moist where the rhubarb is located.

Take the pan out of the oven and set it on a wire rack to cool a bit. I love eating it warm. It is also great once cooled completely. Take your pick!
Serve in pieces, plain or paired with ice cream or sweetened chantilly cream.

The cake is at its best the day that you make it. The next day is good as well. You can keep it in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days.

Vanilla and homemade-nutella pound cake

I have talked to you before about my homemade hazelnut-chocolate spread and it seems like I’m going to be talking more about it in the future because every time I prepare a batch, I make something different with it. I use it in various cakes, brownies, beverages (like this hot chocolate) and ice creams.

This time, I used it in a pound cake, a vanilla pound cake that needed something to lift it up and make it more interesting, and the resulting cake was like the best marbled cake there is, with the homemade spread making all the difference.

It’s very easy to make, you don’t even need to bring out the big guns, aka stand mixer, as you’ll only need an electric hand-held mixer to make the batter.

It’s a delicious cake that’s moist and dense but not heavy, and it’s soft and ultra buttery with an intense vanilla flavor and an even more intense hazelnut and chocolate flavor from the homemade spread. And that part of the cake is my favorite; where it’s softer and creamier but also grainy from the hazelnuts and almonds.

Getting both the vanilla and the homemade nutella part in one bite, however, is pure heaven. The combination is scrumptious and I had a really hard time having just one slice. If you too have a sweet tooth like I do, be warned, this cake is seriously addictive.

Vanilla and homemade-nutella pound cake

You’ll need about a third of my homemade chocolate-hazelnut spread so you’ll get the chance to eat the rest by the spoonful.

The homemade nutella makes the difference in this cake but if you don’t want to make it yourself, you can certainly use the regular nutella. It won’t be exactly the same because the homemade version of the spread has more balance of flavors, is not too sweet and has the full flavor of chocolate and nuts, but it will still be delicious.

Yield: 1 cake / 10 slices

Ingredients
185 g all-purpose flour
¾ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp sea salt
5 medium-sized eggs
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
115 g unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing the pan
250 g caster sugar
320 g homemade nutella (or regular nutella)

Special equipment: 21 x 11 cm loaf pan, baking paper, electric hand-held mixer, fine sieve


Preparation
Leave your homemade nutella out of the fridge for 1 hour before using it in the cake in order to soften.

Preheat your oven to 160°C.
Grease the bottom and sides of your pan and line with baking paper.

In a medium-sized bowl, sieve the flour, the baking powder and the salt.
In a jug or another medium-sized bowl, add the eggs and vanilla and lightly whisk using a wire whisk until frothy.
In a large bowl, add the butter and sugar, and beat with an electric hand-held mixer at high speed until pale and fluffy. With the mixer running at medium-low speed, gradually add the beaten eggs and beat on high until fully incorporated and you have a mixture that is creamy, light and airy. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture and beat at low speed until just incorporated. Add another 1/3 of the flour mixture and beat until just incorporated. Add the last 1/3 of the flour and beat until just incorporated. Beat for 30 seconds more and then stop.

Spread 1/3 of the vanilla cake batter in the bottom of your prepared loaf pan, then add half of the homemade nutella on top and spread it or dollop it (I did the latter to get bigger pieces of it in the cake). Repeat with another 1/3 of the vanilla cake batter, spreading over the nutella. Add the rest of the homemade nutella and spread it (or dollop it) and finish by adding the rest of the vanilla cake batter on top. Smooth the top of the cake and place it on the low rack of the preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes. Then transfer to the middle rack and bake for a further 15 minutes or until a wooden skewer comes out clean.

Note: Because the homemade nutella is made with actual nuts, it has heft and sinks a bit to the bottom of the cake. If you use store bought nutella it will probably stay put. You can even swirl it around to marble it with the vanilla batter, something which is a bit difficult with the homemade nutella because it is thicker.

Remove the pan from the oven and leave the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before inverting it onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Cut into slices and enjoy!

It will keep for up to 4-5 days, covered, at room temperature but I doubt it will stay around for that long.

Seven years + a spiced pumpkin cake with walnuts and a vanilla cream cheese frosting

A couple of weeks ago, my blog turned seven.

I had to celebrate the occasion and what better way to do it than with cake. A spiced pumpkin cake with walnuts and orange zest, and a vanilla cream cheese frosting.

A moist, soft and fluffy yet substantial cake. A cake that’s deeply aromatic from all the spices —cinnamon, ginger, clove, nutmeg, cardamom— without being overwhelming to your taste buds. A cake that’s sweet but not cloyingly so. With the pumpkin having a subtle presence, offering that precious moist texture. With the walnuts adding crunch and the orange zest that inimitable citrus aroma.

With a frosting speckled with real vanilla seeds and a creamy, luscious consistency that pairs beautifully with the cake. With the cream cheese adding a bit of sourness to balance the sweetness and the orange zest on top bringing flavor as well as color.

Thank you all for being here these past seven years and I hope you stick around for the next seven.

Spiced pumpkin cake with walnuts and a vanilla cream cheese frosting

I used the classic, orange-colored pumpkin but you can also use a Hokkaido pumpkin (see it here on this post if you’re not familiar with it).

Yield: 1 cake / 16 small square pieces

Ingredients

for the cake
125 g unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing the pan
175 g caster sugar
2 medium-sized eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
150 g all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ginger powder
⅛ tsp ground cloves
⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
⅛ tsp ground cardamom
Pinch of salt
175 g peeled pumpkin
Zest of 1 orange, finely grated
75 g walnut halves, coarsely chopped

for the frosting
200 g cream cheese, at room temperature
125 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
150 g icing sugar
Seeds scraped from 1 fresh vanilla bean or 1 tsp vanilla bean paste

Special equipment: stand mixer, square baking pan (20x20 cm), baking paper, coarse grater, rasp grater


Preparation

for the cake
Butter the bottom and sides of the pan and line with a piece of baking paper, leaving an overhang on all sides.

Preheat your oven to 160°C.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter and sugar, and beat on high speed until creamy and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until fully incorporated. Beat in the vanilla and then add the flour, baking powder, all the spices and the salt, and beat on medium speed until incorporated.
Grate the pumpkin on a coarse grater and add it to the batter together with the orange zest (keeping some of the grated zest for garnishing the cake). Add the chopped walnuts and mix well on low speed.
Empty the cake batter into the prepared baking pan and even the top with the back of a spoon or a spatula.

Place on the lower rack of the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes. Then transfer to the middle rack of the oven and bake for a further 20 minutes or until a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
Take the pan out of the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool, for about 15 minutes. Then, lift the ends of the baking paper and transfer the cake to the wire rack to cool completely.

for the frosting
In the clean bowl of the stand mixer, add the cream cheese and butter and beat with the paddle attachment on high speed until they are mixed well and you have a fluffy mixture. Add the icing sugar and the vanilla seeds (or paste) and beat on high speed until you have a creamy and smooth mixture. You should end up with a not too thick frosting, that’s very soft, smooth and creamy.

When the cake has completely cooled, add the frosting on top and smooth it with a spatula. Top with the orange zest and serve cut into squares.

The frosting will be very soft at first and it will become firmer after a few hours. It will never stiffen, but it will remain creamy and soft.

You can keep the cake at room temperature, in an airtight container, for up to 4 days.

Blueberry cake

Traveling, especially during the summer when the days are long and the nights are soft, is amazing. Tasting new foods, seeing new places, experiencing different cultures and countries, discovering things about myself along the way, is everything that I love about traveling.

There’s nothing like coming home to my familiar surroundings, making a cup of good, strong coffee, cosing up in the kitchen and cooking or baking something inspired by those travels.
This time, it was cake. A blueberry cake.

Blueberries are all over Northern Europe at the moment. They are at their prime, especially wild blueberries that I love. I couldn’t find any wild ones at the market, but these were exceptional nonetheless. Sweet and plump, juicy and shiny; they were perfect.

They made my cake not only flavorful but beautiful as well, with that purple, deep-blue hue of theirs. And it was a warm, fluffy and soft cake, intensely aromatic and elegant, with the juiciness and freshness of the blueberries, the slight acidity from the lemon and the warming cinnamon.

Blueberry cake

Choose plump and juicy blueberries and make sure to remove any stems that are attached to them before adding to the cake.

If you can’t find fresh blueberries, use frozen. Defrost and drain them, and add to the cake as you would the fresh ones.

Yield: 1 cake / 10 pieces

Ingredients
130 g all-purpose flour, plus 1 tsp for tossing the berries
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp sea salt
115 g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing the pan
160 g caster sugar
2 large eggs
Freshly grated zest of 1 small lemon
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
300 g fresh blueberries
1 tsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed

Special equipment: 22 cm round springform pan, baking paper, fine sieve


Preparation
Butter the bottom and sides of the springform pan. Line the bottom with baking paper. See here how to make a round piece of baking paper.

Preheat your oven to 175°C.

Sieve together in a bowl the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl), add the softened butter and sugar, and beat on medium-high speed, using the paddle attachment (or a hand-held mixer), until light and fluffy, for about 4 minutes.
Add the eggs one by one, beating well after each addition. Then add the lemon zest and the vanilla, and beat well to mix through.
Add the sieved flour mixture and beat on low speed until it is just incorporated and you have a smooth batter.
Empty the batter into your prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula or the back of a spoon.

Rinse and drain the blueberries, add them in a medium-sized bowl together with the 1 tsp of flour and the lemon juice, and toss to coat them. Add the blueberry mixture on top of the cake batter, making sure to distribute the berries evenly.

Place the pan on the middle rack of the preheated oven and bake for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick or wooden skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.

When ready, remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool for about 15 minutes. Then remove it from the pan (run a knife around the outside to ensure the cake hasn’t stuck to the pan) and allow it to cool completely on the rack.

Transfer to a cake platter, berries side up, and serve cut into pieces.

You can keep it at room temperature, covered, for 2-3 days.