Recipe: Strawberry-Rhubarb Cake

The following recipe was adapted from Bon Appetit, May 1993. From Bon Appetit: “This cake was first made in the north of England by young women for their fiancés. It’s usually just layered with whipped cream and strawberries, but we spread the cake with a berry and rhubarb compote for extra moistness. If your guests don’t eat all of this, serve it with tea the next day.”

Nutmeg is a seed from the fruit of a tree grown in the Spice Islands, and this cake is a recipe for nutmeg lovers, to be sure. I love the pervasiveness of the freshly grated nut, but feel free to eliminate it from one or more layers if you're not taken by its sultry appeal.

Yield: 10 servings (9-inch cake)

Ingredients for Cake:

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature, plus additional butter for greasing pans
• Parchment paper for lining pans
• 1 cup white sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, freshly ground preferred
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• Powdered sugar for dusting cake
• 1 sprig fresh mint, optional garnish

Directions for Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Butter two 9-inch diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch sides. Line bottoms with parchment. Using electric mixer, beat butter until light. Add sugar and beat until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time followed by vanilla. Sift together the flour, baking powder, nutmeg and salt into a bowl. Fold the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Gently mix in the milk.
3. Divide the batter between the prepared pans. Bake cakes until firm to the touch, about 30 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks for 15 minutes. Turn out cakes onto racks and cool completely.
4. Split each cake into 2 layers, using a serrated knife. This works best if the cakes are cold or even slightly frozen. If you are making the 12-inch diameter cake (instructions below), it's a lot easier if the cakes are very cold. (Cake may be made then frozen up to two weeks in advance.)

Ingredients for Whipped Cream

• 1 1/2 cup heavy cream 
• 6 tablespoons sugar, plus more if desired
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, freshly ground preferred

Directions

 Whip cream, sugar, vanilla and nutmeg until stiff peaks form, adding additional sugar for sweeter whipped cream, if desired.

Ingredients for Strawberry Rhubarb Compote

• 4 cups, sliced into 1/2-inch thick pieces, rhubarb (1 generous pound)
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 quart of fresh strawberries, washed and hulled, plus extra sliced berries for garnish
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, freshly ground preferred

Directions

1. Combine rhubarb, sugar and water in a heavy medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce heat, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until rhubarb is tender, about 5 minutes.
2. Remove from heat; mix in berries, vanilla and nutmeg. Chill until cold and stir before using in recipe. (May be made one day ahead. Keep refrigerated.)

Assembly

Place one cake layer, cut side up, on a platter. Spread with 1/3 of the compote, then 1 cup whipped cream. Repeat layering with 2 more cake layers, compote and cream. Top with last cake layer, cut side down. (May be prepared 6 hours ahead. Keep refrigerated.) Dust with powdered sugar. Arrange berries and mint sprig, if using, atop cake.

12-inch variation

Make the cake as described above, but put all of the batter in one 12-inch spring form pan. You will need to repeat this so you have two, 12- inch cakes to start with. Double the cream and compote, making a bit more than double of the compote.

 This recipe was written by Peggy Lampman and originally posted on AnnArbor.com on July 7, 2011.