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All you need to make the world a happier place is this recipe and a garden bursting with rhubarb. But I would be remiss if I didn't tell you a little story and also what I did and didn't do that this recipe says to do. I just can't follow the rules. Or a recipe. Scroll for the tea.
I do love rhubarb. Strawberry rhubarb pie inspired me to dedicate a big section of my garden to rhubarb. It pokes through the ground early in the spring as if the Incredible Hulk was buried there and, to emerge thrusts his fist skyward. It's a sight to behold. It's a garden leader making me believe the snow will dissipate and my garden months will begin.
My friend and neighbor Carl also loves strawberry rhubarb pie. So much so that he took me on a ride in his truck to the former site of a neighboring house. The house was buried on that site some years ago, long enough ago that I had no idea a house had existed there. But Carl knew. He also knew that rhubarb grew there, perhaps in their garden. It returns every year. We dug up part of it and that is now seven robust rhubarb plants. Do you need any rhubarb by the way?
So this is not about pie. It was going to be about compote. But it is about cake instead. I received this from my friend Molly in a text because we had been talking about rhubarb. I was having guests and decided to make it. I can't decide if I am sorry to have tried it. We literally vacuumed it up and mourned its passing. I have already made it a second time and I am pretty sure in 40 years I will be famous for it. For the record, it's Molly's grandmother's recipe.
For those of you who know me well and have dined at my house, I am a "seat of the pants" cook. That includes baking for better or for worse. Just for full disclosure, I did not do all the things this recipe said to do and the cake was beyond perfect. Here are my notes: I used butter instead of shortening. I did not sift anything. I did not separate the wet from the dry carefully mixing it. I did not alternate mixing. I just threw it all in there. I probably used too much rhubarb. It was divine. I added some strawberries to the second one because my garden gave them to me. I did not serve it with ice cream because it does not need it.
True confessions. Make this. It could solve partisan politics, I am pretty sure.
xo Dana
PS Yes, I will be making pie. Stay tuned. xo