Moist Rhubarb Cake

I have been busy in the kitchen again today.  For lunch I made parsnip soup.  The natural sweetness of the parsnips came through beautifully.  It was a simple soup - 500g parsnips, three small potatoes, two small onions, two veggie oxo cubes and about a 1.5lt water, though a little less would have worked just as well.  What needed to be peeled and chopped was, then oxo cubes and water added to pan, followed by the veg.  Cook until veg is soft.  Allow to cool slightly, then blend/ puree till smooth.  Re-warm slightly and serve. Delicious.

The Cake - I got some rhubarb a few days ago from Morrisons.  I wanted to do more than just a pie or crumble, as much as what I love these dishes.  I have done a couple of different rhubarb cakes before, this one is a slight variation and tastes just as good.  I have modified the original recipe, so here it is -


Moist Rhubarb Cake

• 50g butter
• 300g soft dark brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 300g plain flour
• 1 tsp bicarb soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 250ml soured cream
• 400-500g chopped rhubarb
• 5tbsp caster sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1. Preheat oven at 180c/gm4. Grease and line a 8x11" tin
2. Cream together butter and brown sugar.  Beat in egg and vanilla extract
3. Sift together flour, bicarb and salt.  Gradually add to mix
4. Fold in soured cream, then rhubarb.  Spoon into baking tin
5. Bake for 40 mins or until skewer comes out clean

Notes

• This could be enjoyed warm with either ice cream or a warm nutmeg cream
• It can be baked in a glass dish if being served straight away as a desert/pudding
• If it is to be eaten as cake, the lining is important as you will be using this to carefully extract the cake from the tin - you can't turn it out as normal as all the sugar will fall off!
• I am using a fan oven, I think it would be best to have the temp 5-10 degrees lower and have it in for the full 40 minutes.  Obviously check if it is cooked before taking it out of the oven.  A good working relationship with your oven is always a good thing!
• I used a molasses sugar - black sugar I think it is known as in the US.  It gave a lovely darm brown colour, which highlights the pinkness of the rhubarb.

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Mary-Jane has been playing with her bricks, with help from Daddy.  She made a table and a chair each for Mr Snuggles and Sock Monkey.



She and HK have been very tired again today.  Mary-Jane woke twice in the night, crying then screaming.  The second time she was curled up in her bed, screaming for Daddy.  I think we are going to have to take a tougher stance on this night time screaming, and literally let her scream till she stops and not go into her.  This approach has worked in the past before.  But the screaming is very taxing on the nerves, especially when you're very tired.  We shall overcome!

 

I went to see the GP today for the results of my blood test.  Everything (that they tested for) is fine and back to normal, as I expected it would be.  I no longer have to go back, unless I get badly again.  One bit of good news.  Shame they couldn't find out where or what was infected in the first place.