RHUBARB POUND CAKE FROM MELISSA CLARK

“This tender pound cake has slivers of vanilla-poached rhubarb running across the top and shot through the center, adding a tangy sweetness to the buttery crumb.”–Melissa Clark

Finding a Rhubarb Pound Cake recipe was never an issue but finding one that was also great-looking was a greater challenge for Melissa Clark. She pointed out that Rhubard is so full of moisture, that it often turns into ‘a beige mush’.  Here she poaches rhubarb in sugar which candies the stalks so they not only keep their shape, they become far less tart.  And by poaching them, you can also add a secondary flavor, in this case, Vanilla. And in the “waste not, want not” category, the syrup used to poach the rhubarb is reduced to a glaze brushed over the cake for shine and moisture.” Rhubarb has just arrived at our local Bridgehampton farm stand. is always cause for Andrew to bake something Rhubarb.  So again this year, his first contribution to Rhubard season will be Melissa Clark’s recipe from the New York Times.

Greenhouse Rhubarb is always the first to appear and you can use it in this Rhubarb Poundcake Recipe

It’s grown for those of use who simply cannot wait to cook with these rich, red stalks.  So growers rush out ‘hothouse rhubarb’, which is a brighter red, sweeter tasting, and more tender than what comes from the ground. After our particularly wet and cold Spring, local Rhubarb has finally made its appearance.  And Andrew could not wait to work with it.

Rhubard is not native to North America

I’ve long associated Rhubarb as quintessentially North American. I remember my parents grew it in Montreal. We grew it in our garden which was quite a surprise since the only other edible there was potted chives.  But Rhubarb is not North American. Rhubarb has been grown in China for thousands of years.  Its roots were prized as medicinal; it was used as a laxative.  It was one of the first Chinese medicines imported to the West. Brought along the Silk Road, it reached Europe in the 14th century.  Because of its long journey across Asia, Rhubarb was expensive– priced much higher than other high-value herbs and spices like Cinnamon, Opium, and Saffron.  Marco Polo himself searched for Rhubarb. He found it in the mountains of the Chinese province of Tangut.  Believe it or not, rhubarb was mentioned in the same breath as “rubies, diamonds, pearls”.

Because it was so expensive and in so much demand from apothecaries, huge efforts were made to cultivate Rhubarb in Europe.

What they grew never matched the medicinal qualities of the Chinese varieties.  The Russian variety, called “Siberian Rhubarb”, became the ancestor of what is grown today.  As sugar became less expensive and more widely available, Rhubarb as a culinary tool took hold. Rhubarb came to America as early as the 1730s.  One John Bartram planted it for both medicinal and culinary purposes.  Thomas Jefferson wrote about his plants at Monticello: “Rhubarb, the leaves excellent as spinach.”  The stalks were a relatively recent entry into the kitchen. And as sugar became affordable, their use grew and grew. For a deep dive into Rhubarb’s history go to: https://rhubarbs.com/the-history-of-rhubarb-from-ancient-times-to-modern-day/

Advice from Melissa Clark:

“For the most vivid stripes, use the reddest rhubarb stalks. They will fade to hot pink after poaching and baking. Green rhubarb also works; the cake won’t be quite as striking, but it will be equally delectable. This cake is best served within a day of baking. After that, the rhubarb will start to dry out.”  Here is the recipe. And after that, a whole collection of Rhubard Recipes for you to try.

Rhubarb Pound Cake from Melissa Clark in The New York Times

May 24, 2024

Servings: 12

Prep: 30 min

Difficulty: Not difficult at all

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This tender poundcake has slivers of vanilla-poached rhubarb running across the top and shot through the center, adding a tangy sweetness to the buttery crumb.

By: Monte Mathews

Ingredients

• For the rhubarb:
• 8 ounces rhubarb stalks (about 3 to 4 large stalks)
• 1 cup/200 grams granulated sugar
• ½ vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped with the tip of a knife and reserved
• For the cake:
• 1 cup/225 grams unsalted butter (2 sticks), at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pan
• 1 ⅔ cups/200 grams cake flour, plus more for flouring the pan
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ⅓ cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped with the tip of a knife and reserved
• 1 cup/200 grams granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature

Directions

• Step 1 Cut rhubarb stalks to fit crosswise inside the top of a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. (They should be about 5 inches, but they could also be a little less.) You’ll need enough rhubarb to cover the top of the cake in the loaf pan, plus a few extra pieces in case any split during poaching.
• Step 2 In a medium pot, combine sugar, 1 cup water, and the vanilla bean and seeds, and bring to a boil. Simmer until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Stir in rhubarb, simmer for 1 minute, then remove from heat. Cool to room temperature, then slice rhubarb in half lengthwise so you have long, thin pieces. Reserve poaching liquid.
• Step 3 Heat oven to 350 degrees, and butter and flour the loaf pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
• Step 4 In a small bowl, whisk together milk, vanilla extract, and vanilla seeds.
• Step 5 In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl between each addition. Beat in half the flour mixture until just combined, then beat in the milk mixture until barely combined, scraping the sides of the bowl. Beat in the remaining flour mixture until just combined.
• Step 6 Scrape half the batter into the prepared pan, then lay half of the rhubarb slices in an even layer on top of the batter. Cover with remaining batter, smoothing the top.
• Step 7 Bake the cake for 20 minutes to set the top, then remove the pan from the oven and quickly lay the remaining rhubarb slices next to each other on the top of the cake. Return pan to oven and bake until a toothpick inserted in the cake’s center comes out clean, another 30 to 50 minutes.
• Step 8 While cake is baking, bring rhubarb-poaching liquid to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer
• Step 9 Continue to simmer until thickened and syrupy, about 10 minutes. Brush some syrup on top of the cake once it comes out of the oven. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack before serving, for at least 2 hours, then carefully remove the cake from the pan and serve.

Check out these Rhubarb recipes on Chewing The Fat

Dorie Greenspan’s Mostly Rhubarb Tart with Strawberries

Dorie Greenspan’s Rhubarb Upside-Down Brown Sugar Cake with Fresh Strawberries and Crème Fraiche

Melissa Clark’s Rhubarb Custard Bars

Cinnamon Rhubarb Muffins from Fine Cooking Magazine

Rhubarb Upside Down Cake and Strawberry Sour Cream Ice Cream with thanks to Melissa Clark and David Lebowitz

Gingered Strawberry Rhubarb Pie adapted from Molly Birnbaum