Topsy Turvy Nutty Rhubarb Cake

loof's Note:

I love rhubarb and this sweet/tangy/crunchy dessert is a great way to use it!

• Total Time: 1 hrs 45 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs 15 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 12

Fruit Layer

• 16 ounces frozen rhubarb, thawed (about 3 cups chopped)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup flour

Cake

• 15 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese (about 1 3/4 cups)
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

Topping

• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 1/4 ounces macadamia nuts (about 1/2 cup chopped)
• 1/4 cup corn, flake crumbs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a 9" x 1 1/2 " round cake pan with cooking spray.
2. Chop the rhubarb into 1/2" chunks. In a large bowl, toss the rhubarb with 1 cup sugar and 1/4 cup flour until the pieces are well coated. Spread the rhubarb mix over the bottom of the prepared cake pan.
3. In another bowl, beat the ricotta cheese with the egg until smooth and creamy. Add the almond extract and 1/4 cup sugar and mix well. Add 1 cup flour and the baking powder and mix well. The batter will be thick, almost like biscuit dough.
4. Spread the dough over the rhubarb in the pan, making sure it goes all the way to the edge. Be careful not to let the juice from the fruit mix into the dough.
5. Put the cake in the oven with a piece of foil under the pan to catch any drips that might bubble over. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
6. While the cake is baking, coarsely chop the macadamia nuts. Melt the butter in a small bowl. Add the brown sugar, chopped nuts, and cornflake crumbs and toss until blended and crumbly.
7. Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes. Put a serving plate over the pan and invert onto the plate. Tap the bottom of the pan to release the cake onto the plate (you can tell that the cake is out and on the plate when the pan sounds hollow when you tap it).
8. Sprinkle the nut topping over the fruit (which is now the top of the cake) and press lightly.
9. Allow the cake to cool before serving. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Reviews

[MA HIKER]

I love the rhubarb topping but found the cake part to be too rubbery especially on the outside, the very center wasn't too bad. The cornflakes did get soggy quickly too.

[JanuaryBride]

Congrats on this creation! I adored the the rhubarb part of the cake. Also loved the almond flavor with the rhubarb and the macadamia nuts. But the cake was a bit too spongy and dense in my opinion and the corn flakes became soggy in no time at all (thankfully I only put them on half the cake - then just put nuts on the rest).

[Lalaloula]

This cake was amazing! It was very easy to make thanks to your detailed and easy to understand directions, quite impressive to look at and soooo tasty! The tangy rhubarb with the crunchy sweet nutty topping was a perfect match! We all loved it and could not get enough of it! :)
Due to personal preference I reduced the sugar quite a bit using only 1/8 cup in the fruit layer and also 1/8 cup in the cake. That way the cake was sweet enough for us.
In my topping I used honey roasted cornflakes and really thought that the little touch of honey was great.
THANK YOU SO MUCH for sharing this great creation with us, chef and good luck in the contest!
Made and reviewed for RSC #16 May 2011.