Rhubarb & Ginger Cake is just perfect as a dessert or simply as a cake with afternoon tea. Flavoured with ginger, topped with rhubarb and syrup it is so good. The cake is so easy to make too.
I originally made it about 8 years ago, from a Waitrose recipe card. But at that time I wasn’t doing videos. So I thought it was time to make it again, with a video.
The recipe is very simple. Originally it called for self-raising flour. But I only had plain flour so I used baking powder to create a substitute. As the title implies the cake is flavoured with ginger and has rhubarb too. I used frozen rhubarb, which I defrosted and drained thoroughly. I retained the liquid from draining, to use when making the syrup to go on the top of the cake.
Fresh rhubarb would work very well too, of course. The ginger element is provided from ground ginger. Some is in the cake batter and more is in a syrup to go on top of the cake.
The recipe also calls for soured cream though creme fraiche or a natural/Greek yoghurt would work well too.
So the process is easy. Make the batter and put it into a 9 inch/23cm springform pan. Top the batter with rhubarb and bake the cake for 1 1/2 hours. Then let it cool down before making a syrup to pour or brush over the top.
Once the syrup has been absorbed the cake can be sliced and eaten.
My Cake
I baked my cake for the full 1 1/2 hours, covering it with foil for the last 15 minutes to prevent excessive browning.
I tested the cake which was firm to the touch. So I knew it was fully baked. Then I removed it from the oven and let it in the pan for 10 mins. After that I transferred the cake to a wire rack to cool completely.
A simple syrup of sugar, water and ground ginger was then drizzled over the top and left to soak in.
Then I cut a slice and ate it with some whipped cream. It had a great texture and a wonderful ginger flavour, with the tart fruitiness of the rhubarb.
Another lovely cake, which is easy to make is Lemon Cake with Pecan Streusel .
Rhubarb & Ginger Cake
Course: Cakes, DessertsDifficulty: Easy10
servings19
minutes1
hour30
minutesIngredients
300g(2 cups, based on scooping packed flour into a 250ml cup) plain flour
16g(4 tsp) baking powder
75g(5 tbsp + 1 tsp) softened unsalted butter
250g(1 1/4 cups) light brown sugar
285ml(1 cup + 3 tbsp) soured cream(or creme fraiche/natural yoghurt)
400g(14 oz) rhubarb in 1 inch slices/cubes. If using frozen rhubarb thaw and drain it.
2 medium eggs(large in USA)
100g(1/2 cup) caster sugar
100ml(1/3 cup + 4 tsp) water(I used the liquid from draining the rhubarb)
9g(3 tsp) ground ginger, divided into 6g and 3g.
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/350F.
- Grease and flour a 9 inch/23cm springform pan(I lined mine with parchment paper)
- Place the butter and brown sugar into a large bowl and cream them together.
- Add some of the soured cream to help the creaming process.
- Add the remaining soured cream and the eggs and whisk until thoroughly combined.
- Place the 6g of ground ginger and the baking powder into the flour and mix through.
- Sift that onto the wet mixture and then gently fold it in until fully combined.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared cake pan and spread it evenly over the base.
- Place the rhubarb on the top, either in a pattern, or randomly.
- Bake the cake in the oven for 1 1/2 hours, until it has risen and is firm to the touch. If it is browning too fast you can cover the top with aluminium foil for the last 15 to 30 minutes.
- Remove the cake from the oven and leave in the pan for 10 minutes.
- Remove the cake from the pan and place it on a wire rack to cool completely.
- Place the caster sugar, water and 3g of ground ginger into a saucepan and stir to mix together.
- Place the saucepan on the stove and heat it to dissolve the sugar, then turn up the heat to boil the syrup for 5 minutes.
- Spoon, drizzle or brush the syrup over the top of the cake, using as much as you wish. Allow it to be absorbed before slicing and serving.