Recipe from Flavors Under the Big Sky

September 8, 2020

RHUBARB RASPBERRY POLENTA CAKE

MAKES 12 SERVINGS


This is the serious spring cake. Rhubarb and raspberries are swaddled in a dense cake, moist with sticky, chewy goodness. Rhubarb from your freezer is fine; raspberries can be replaced by crisp apples in the fall or ripe peaches come summer. To add another flavor dimension, serve this with a generous dollop of whipped cream flavored with freshly grated ginger or cinnamon.


  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 cup unsalted butter, divided
  • 2 cups rhubarb, rinsed and sliced into ½-inch pieces
  • 1 pint (6 ounces) fresh raspberries
  • 3 tablespoons plus 1 cup sugar, divided
  • 1 cup almond flour or meal*
  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons coarse yellow cornmeal
  • 1½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 3 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • confectioner’s sugar for dusting, if desired

Heat oven to 350°F.Cut a piece of parchment paper to the size of the 9-inch springform pan. Grease pan with 1 tablespoon butter. Line bottom of pan with the parchment. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together rhubarb, raspberries and 3 tablespoons sugar. Set aside.  In another medium bowl, blend well almond flour, all-purpose flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt.

In bowl of a stand mixer, beat together 1 cup butter and 1 cup sugar until creamy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, and then vanilla until well blended. On low speed, add flour mixture just to blend. Spread batter into prepared pan.

Arrange rhubarb and raspberries on top.  Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes until fruit sinks into cake and cake is nicely browned. Test by tapping the top of the cake lightly with finger—it should spring back. If cake is browning too quickly, tent loosely with aluminum foil.  Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes before carefully releasing cake from pan. Let cool about 20 minutes more and then use a large spatula to remove cake from bottom of pan. This cake is delicious served warm or at room temperature.


COOK’S NOTES

No almond flour on hand? Process one cup of blanched almonds in the food processor until very fine. No fresh rhubarb? Use frozen rhubarb. I store ½-inch slices in my freezer to pull out for this cake. After the rhubarb thaws, drain most of the juices before mixing with sugar.