This week’s recipe, a rhubarb and cream sponge cake was a winner. However, there are a few things I’d do a little differently next time. Don’t worry, I’ve altered the recipe below to take these factors into consideration.
I can be a very impatient person; I really love rhubarb, but I should have waited a couple more weeks to let it grow before I harvested stems from our one and only little plant. I picked almost all of it for the rhubarb and vanilla sponge pudding last month. I could have done with at least another stick for making my rhubarb syrup.
Another thing, I think a finished sponge sandwich looks neater and better if you bake a single cake and slice it horizontally, than if two separate cakes are cooked and layered one on top of the other… that’s just me. However, on this occasion, I think the amount of cake mix in a single tin was too much and too heavy and the weight of it hindered the rise and made the texture a bit dense.
One thing that I am glad that I did was use up a spare container of extra thick double cream that Morrison’s delivered as a substitute for whipping cream. It was like slathering clottted cream over the rhubarb syrup… yum!
All in all, I think it was a success; it was all eaten in a couple of days. I’ll make it again, with my little adjustments… and perhaps buy another rhubarb crown or two for future years!
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- 8 oz/220g caster sugar
- 8 oz/220g butter or margarine (at room temperature)
- 4 large eggs
- 8 oz/220g cake flour, sifted
- 2½tsp baking powder
- 1½tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 2tsps vanilla extract
- 2 large sticks of rhubarb, cut into 1cm slices
- 3tbsps caster sugar
- 1tbsp water
- 300ml/10½ fl oz whipping cream
- Pre-heat the oven to 170ºC325ºF/Gas mark 3
- Line or lightly grease two 20cm/8" loose-based cake tins
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the sugar and butter until light and airy
- Lightly beat the eggs and vanilla extract in a 1-litre/1¾pt measuring jug
- Pour the beaten egg into the sugar & butter mixture in 3 stages - mixing in thoroughly each time - stir in a tablespoon of the flour if the mixture looks like it will separate
- Into a medium mixing bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and bicarb
- Fold the flour into the mixture, taking care not to knock the air out
- Add equal amounts of the mixture to the 2 prepared tins, level off and bake on the centre shelf of the oven for about 30 minutes
- When cooked leave in the tins for a minute before turning them out onto a wire rack to cool completely
- Place the sliced rhubarb evenly on the bottom of a pan sprinkle over the caster sugar and water
- Over a medium heat, bring the pan up to a simmer - stirring gently to allow the sugar to dissolve - for 5-7 minutes until the rhubarb has softened but hasn't lost its shape
- While still hot, spoon the rhubarb and syrup over one of the sponge layers. Allow to cool
- Whip the cream and spoon it generously and evenly over the rhubarb before placing the other sponge layer on top
- Dredge with icing (powdered) sugar and serve
- Refrigerate to store