Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Refined Sugar Free
A few months ago I was asked to create a recipe that was themed Springtime for a local magazine. My initial thought was rhubarb, and I am honestly not even sure why. I have never had rhubarb other than in a pie or cake. Never have I had it in a salad, and I eat a lot of salad. It’s one of those random ingredients that makes for an amazing dessert. I am finding that a lot recently… kalo, avocado, zucchini. Through my recent findings creating this recipe, I learned that the leaves of the rhubarb stalk are actually poisonous.
So why rhubarb? Where did it even become popular? Why is it typically only used in dessert? If anyone has any insight or other uses other than pie, I would love to hear more! Not that I have anything against pie, quite the opposite. Simply, why rhubarb?
All I can answer to that, it is amazing when baked into breads, cakes, or pies – adding texture and a wonderfully savory flavor when paired with spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and clove. All the smells of the Holidays. If you are worried about the bitter flavor coming through, this generally is mellowed out in the baking process. However, you can roast it in coconut oil for about 5 minutes at 400 degrees before adding to your mixture. Be careful not to over do it on the roasting process! Rhubarb’s cooking time is wizardly fast. I learned this hard way.
Need I say more. This is a cake recipe. It’s like a cakey coffee cake that has a chewy crumb from the almond flour and coconut sugar. AND it smells like Thanksgiving when it’s baking.
Enough said.
Yields 1 9"x9" cake or tart pan
20 minPrep Time
1 hr, 10 Cook Time
1 hr, 30 Total Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 1 lb. fresh vibrant rhubarb stalks (the prettier the rhubarb, the prettier the tart)
- 1 cup + 1/4 cup almond flour
- 3/4 cup homemade gluten free flour blend. You can also use a store bought mix such as Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free flour blend), but I highly suggest this blend: 1/4 cup tapioca flour + 1/4 cup white rice flour + 1/4 cup brown rice flour
- 3/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1/2 vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- 2 fresh farm eggs (or 2 teaspoons flax meal soaked in 4 teaspoons warm water for egg free option)
- 1/4 cup nut milk of choice
- 1/4 cup crystallized ginger
- palm full of slivered almonds (preferably sprouted)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease tart or 9"x 9" cake pan with coconut oil or small amount of ghee.
- Cut the rhubarb lengthwise if they are really large pieces (each need to be about 1/2" wide). Save 4-6 of the prettiest pieces for the top of the cake.
- Chop the remaining rhubarb into 1/4" pieces.
- In a large bowl - beat the coconut sugar, ghee, vanilla, and eggs or flax egg together until combined.
- In a separate bowl - whisk or sift the dry ingredients.
- Add the dry ingredients to wet ingredients.
- Fold in the nut milk, rhubarb, and ginger pieces.
- Spread evenly over tart or cake pan.
- Place the remaining rhubarb stalks lengthwise along the top of the cake - sprinkle palm full of slivered almonds along with more ginger pieces if you like to top cake.
- Bake for about 1 hour to 70 minutes. The cake is finished when golden on top, edges start to pull away from pan, and there is a slight spring back when you touch the cake. It will also smell amazing!
- Let the cake cool before slicing... try to hold off. It will crumble if really hot.
- If you have ginger syrup in hand - drizzle some on top before eating. You won't regret it!
Notes
Store in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days in a cool place. Can also be stored in refrigerator for up to 5 days; however, this does tend to dry it out.