Rhubarb Pound Cake

2 plus months sans post. I really do intend to get better at this! In interest of actually posting this the night that I made it, I'm nixing the photos for this post!

It's the time of year for rhubarb...lots of rhubarb. My lovely mother brings me mass quantities of this bizarre plant that she gets from a family friend. Until now I've almost exclusively paired it with other fruit to make a fruit crisp. This time, I tried something different; cake!

Rhubarb Pound Cake
(recipe modified from April 2002 issue of Harrowsmith County Life)

2 cups fresh rhubarb, cut into 1/4 inch pieces (mine was previously frozen)
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup apple sauce (original recipe called for 3/4 cup butter but I reduced and subbed applesauce)
1/2 cup sugar (again, recipe called for 1 cup)
3 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line loaf pan with parchment paper.

2. Place rhubarb in saucepan and add 1/2 cup sugar. Stir to coat and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes or until rhubarb begins to soften but retains shape. Remove from heat and drain through a fine mesh sieve. Let cool.

3, Sift flour, salt and baking powder together in a bowl and set aside.

4. Using electric mixer (like me NEW green Cuisinart) beat butter until very soft. Add 1/2 cup sugar and beat until light and fluffy; add applesauce.

5. Using a fork, beat eggs in small bowl. Add vanilla and mix well. Slowly blend egg mixture into the butter mixture. Gradually add flour mixture and continue to blend until well combined. Lightly fold in the cooled rhubarb.

6. Pour batter into pan, smooth top. Bake for 1 hour or until knife comes out of the centre clean. Remove from oven and let sit 5 minutes. Cool.

This recipe equals a total of 62 WW points, so depending on how you slice it up the points value will vary.

On a side note, I picked up Blood, Bones and Butter by Gabrielle Hamilton from the library today. I'm only a few chapters in, but so far it's a beautifully written memoir filled with delicious memories of food, both happy and sad. Pick it up!


Enjoy!