I just love rhubarb. Mum has a large plant growing in her garden, I’m looking forward to having some time with her in the kitchen whipping up this cake and having a slice while chatting over a cuppa. 

Rhubarb is easy to grow and is very good for providing fibre and vitamins A, B and K.  Traditionally, you stew rhubarb with rather a lot of sugar to get rid of the tart flavour, then put it in a pie, or add a crumble over the top.

This cake however is a little less sugary and simply divine.

I altered the original recipe, which called for cream, and replaced it with yoghurt, just because I had some in the fridge. The result was wonderful – as you eat it, you get a zing of slightly tart rhubarb to contrast with the sweet, spicy cake. Now that there is lovely fresh rhubarb in the shops, why not have a go at this culinary delight?

Little known fact: rhubarb can help ease constipation!

Wendyl’s Rhubarb Cake

80g butter
250g brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
Rind of 1 lemon
2 large eggs
300g flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 cup yoghurt
5 stalks of rhubarb, washed and chopped into 2cm pieces

Topping:

½ cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Method:

1. Cream butter and sugar, then add the vanilla and lemon rind. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well.

2. Sift flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt, then stir into the mixture, alternating with the yoghurt. If you don’t, it will curdle.

3. When all mixed, stir in the rhubarb pieces. Pour mixture into a cake tin and sprinkle with the topping.

4. Bake in a 180ºC oven for 1 to 1½ hours, or until cooked through.

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