Moosewood’s Lisa Wichman shares a family recipe from her grandma Erma Mabel, who taught her how to make this light, simple, and delicious vanilla cake with a sweet-tart fruity layer of fresh rhubarb in the middle. The recipe originated years ago in the hills of north central West Virginia. We’ve enjoyed this easy, old-fashioned cake for years, and now we’ve developed a gluten-free version using a gluten-free wheat flour substitute that is rice flour–based. We recommend Bob’s Red Mill One-to-One Flour, or try making a supply of Moosewood’s Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Mix.
Serves 8
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Baking time: 35 to 40 minutes
½ cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature, plus more for the baking dish
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1½ cups white gluten-free flour mix
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2½ cups ¾-inch pieces rhubarb stalks (about 12 ounces)*
*Be sure to discard the leaves of the rhubarb, which are poisonous, and the tough fibrous ends of the stalks.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 10-inch round or 7 x 11-inch baking dish.
Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour mix, baking powder, and salt. In a small bowl, mix together the milk and vanilla.
Add some of the flour mixture to the creamed butter-sugar mixture and beat until incorporated. Alternate mixing in the milk and the dry ingredients, beating well after each addition. Beat until the batter is fluffy.
Spread about two-thirds of the batter into the prepared baking dish, and gently and evenly distribute the chopped raw rhubarb pieces over the entire surface. Then spread the remaining batter evenly over the rhubarb, being careful not to press the rhubarb into the bottom layer of batter.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean and the top is golden brown. The rhubarb will cook thoroughly inside the cake.
A good dessert after Spring Greens and Vegetables with Shallot Vinaigrette or Spring Potpie. Erma Mabel’s cake is so delicious that you may want it for breakfast, if there’s any left over.