Desserts, Breakfast, Fruit, SpringPaul Shetler Fast

Rhubarb Strawberry Cake

Desserts, Breakfast, Fruit, SpringPaul Shetler Fast
Rhubarb Strawberry Cake

Madeline is quite focused on her Papa these days. We hear her little voice calling out 'Papa' from her crib when she wakes up in the morning; she sits riveted in her highchair in the middle of the kitchen to watch Paul cook; she babbles on early morning walks with Paul, trying out her new words of the day; Madeline bangs on the door when Paul is working, shouting 'book... Papa;' and she maintains a steady chant of 'Papa....home,' as we drive home after an overnight at her grandparents. My favorite though, is her own made up game of Marco-Polo with her father. Throughout the day, Madeline will frequently interrupt her playing, eating or reading to say; 'Papa?' with a questioning lilt. Paul will respond 'Yes, Madeline.' and she will give a small nod of satisfaction, and go back to her play. 

This year our Father's Day celebrations will be spread over both this weekend and the next, as we plan to welcome our new baby next Friday. For me, celebrations bring to mind cakes, and given my dislike of baking, fool-proof is a requirement. This Rhubarb Strawberry Cake has a rustic moist vanilla base, with jammy pools of cooked strawberry and rhubarb dotted on top, and a sweet crunch of caramelized sugar. This cake is adapted only slightly from Martha Stewart.

Yield: 1 cake, serves 6-8

Ingredients:

  • 6 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar + 2 tablespoons for on top
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla 
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 pound strawberries, stemmed and cut in half
  • 1/2 cup rhubarb, cut into thin, 1/4 inch slices

Steps:

  1. Heat the oven to 350. Grease a bundt pan.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar for about 3 minutes until pale and fluffy.
  3. Add the egg, milk and vanilla and beat briefly to combine.
  4. Stir in the remaining dry ingredients with a spatula (flour, baking powder, salt). Stir briefly to ensure the batter is mixed well.
  5. Pour the batter into the bundt pan (it will be very thick) and smooth the top.
  6. Distribute the strawberries and rhubarb over the cake (cut side down for strawberries) and sprinkle over-top the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.
  7. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 325 and continue baking for another 50-60 minutes. You are looking for a golden brown cake top, and the cake to be cooked through (a toothpick or knife should come out clean).
  8. The cake should cool in the bundt pan before you remove it from the pan, as it will be quite moist and delicate.

DIY, Breakfast, Desserts, Fruit, Gluten Free, SpringPaul Shetler FastComment

Roasted Rhubarb Strawberry Oven Jam

Every year, in the hot months of summer, my Oma would make oven jam. My Opa would buy her bushels of fresh apricots and plums from the farmers markets, and she would slow roast the fruit until they caramelized and the juices thickened, creating silky fruit jams that she tucked into layers of her torte cakes for celebrations throughout the year. In the years since she died, I find myself craving the custardy texture, and caramelized fruit taste of her jams. I started experimenting with my own oven jams recently, and found them to be simple, fail-safe, and delicious. My favorite is this tangy spring rhubarb strawberry jam, with rhubarb fresh from a friend's garden.

DIY, Breakfast, Desserts, Fruit, Gluten Free, SpringPaul Shetler FastComment
Roasted Rhubarb Strawberry Oven Jam
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Old-Fashioned Rhubarb Strawberry Jam Bars

We made these Old-Fashioned Rhubarb Strawberry Jam Bars five times in the last two weeks. Each time we swore to ourselves it would be our last. But then another picnic would pop up on the calendar. Each time we turned to the jars of crimson hued roasted strawberry rhubarb jam perched in the fridge, tempting us. And so another batch of Old-Fashioned Rhubarb Strawberry Jam Bars would hit the oven, followed by much happy gobbling.

Breakfast, Desserts, DIY, Fruit, SpringPaul Shetler Faststrawberry, rhubarbComment
Old-Fashioned Rhubarb Strawberry Jam Bars
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Simple Rhubarb Danishes

It is high rhubarb season here in Northern Indiana where Rebecca and I are spending these last weeks of her pregnancy. Since rhubarb is something we can't find in Haiti, Rebecca has been doubling down on it while we are here. We eat rhubarb strawberry jam on our toast, in yogurt, and as a topping for ice cream. We make batch upon batch of rhubarb strawberry jam bars, and of course many a rhubarb cream pie. These Simple Rhubarb Danishes are easy (for a pastry), delicious, and elegant -- great for a crowd, or in scaled down version for a weekend breakfast.

Breakfast, DessertsPaul Shetler Fastrhubarb, cream cheeseComment
Simple Rhubarb Danishes
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Strawberry Rhubarb Baked Oatmeal

Mornings around our house typically involve a lot of bleary-eyed animal wrangling with infrequent interludes of serene calm involving both breakfast and the news.  Last week, Paul upped the ante when he started classes for his second Masters degree, this one in Public Health.  Between full time work, a 2 hour commute each day and now evening classes, we needed a new weekday breakfast strategy.  Enter Strawberry Rhubarb Baked Oatmeal in jars. In this smartly conceived dish, Strawberry Rhubarb Baked Oatmeal is cleverly baked up in small canning jars, which, when cooled, can be lidded and refrigerated for up to a week for later reheating.  This is a winner breakfast that we warm-up in the morning with a dash of milk, perfect for eating on the go.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with baked oatmeal, it is somewhere between a less sweet fruit crisp and porridge (oatmeal) and thanks to being chock full of whole grains and nuts, it makes for a substantial breakfast.  We found the addition of strawberry and rhubarb at the bottom of the jar to be a good incentive to keep digging into our baked oatmeal.  Warmly spiced with cinnamon and orange, Strawberry Rhubarb Baked Oatmeal is a filling, healthy, and make-ahead way to tackle morning meals for busy week-days.  

Breakfast, Spring, Summer, Vegetarian, Whole Grains, Gluten Free, FruitRebecca Shetler Faststrawberry, rhubarb, oats, coconut, cinnamon, pecan11 Comments
Strawberry Rhubarb Baked Oatmeal
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Strawberry Rhubarb Shortcakes

The mercury is rising, and the days are lengthening.  It is the season of backyard barbecues and farmers markets. We find ourselves craving Strawberry Shortcakes this time of year, and wanted to remake this classic dessert to feature the seasonal bounty. To highlight the first stalks of rhubarb and early strawberries, we made a tangy strawberry rhubarb sauce, sweetened with handfuls of fresh strawberries. For shortcakes with bright flavor and fantastic crunch, we mixed together a dough dotted with citrus zest and crisp cornmeal. Top these lovely Strawberry Rhubarb Shortcakes with heaps of fresh whipped cream, and your family and friends will thank you.

Desserts, Breakfast, Fruit, SpringRebecca Shetler Faststrawberry, rhubarb, cornmeal, orange, lemonComment
Strawberry Rhubarb Shortcakes