Rhubarb Raspberry Ripple Tea Cake

What got me excited about this Rhubarb & Raspberry tea cake recipe, was it only calls for two stems of rhubarb – enough to enjoy but not enough to obliterate the plant completely!

I love rhubarb and as it’s only the first year growing our very own, I’m on strict self-regulated instructions not to over-harvest, in fear that it will damage the newly planted crown.

So, like a hawk I watch for wilting stems and pounce!  As they are mature stems (at least the thickness of my thumb) it was only a matter of time they’d fall prey to my kitchen.

Rhubarb & Raspberry Ripple Tea Cake

Ingredients

Filling

• 3/4 cup rhubarb thinly sliced (or in my case, two stems)
• 1 cup raspberry jam
• 1 Tbsp cornflour

Cake & Crumb

• 2 1/4 cups high grade flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 150g butter
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup plain yoghurt (or milk)

Method

1. First things first, preheat oven to 180°C.  Grease the sides of a spring form tin (with a removable bottom) and lightly flour.
2. To make the rhubarb/raspberry filling: slice the rhubarb thinly, stir through the raspberry jam and cornflour together. Heat over a medium heat and be sure to stir regularly so it doesn’t burn on the bottom. You’ll need to cook until the rhubarb is soft (approx 20 minutes). The mixture will thicken, so add 1-2 tablespoons of water to help thin it down. When cooked, remove from heat and allow to cool.
3. To make the cake/crumb: Sift flour, add sugar and cold butter (cut into small pieces) in a large bowl. Knead with your fingers to make a breadcrumb-type crumb mix. Set aside 3/4 cup of crumb for the topping.  With the remaining crumb mix, add baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix well.
4. In a separate bowl whisk egg and yoghurt and when well combined, make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and mix together. It will be a sticky batter!
5. Spread 2/3 of the batter in the spring form pan ensuring it covers the base and slightly up the sides of the tin. To help spread the batter a great tip is to wet fingers with water and you’ll be able to ply the batter a little easier.
6. Spread the rhubarb/jam filling onto the batter (within a few centimetres of the edge), then drop irregular mounds of remaining cake mix on top of the filling.  The, using the crumb you’d kept aside earlier, sprinkle over the top (including filling any gaps where you may still see the filling).
7. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Test with a skewer to ensure it’s cooked all the way through. Very delicious served warm – or cold with a dollop of plain yoghurt on the side.

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