Rhubarb and Apple Crumble

Can a baking week get any better than this?!  It started last Friday and Saturday with Rhubarb muffins and then a fresh Summer Rhubarb and Strawberry Cake with Almond Buttercream... and then there was more!  Leftover rhubarb sitting in the fridge, just waiting for a day that wasn't filled with work and unpacking boxes... I couldn't wait to bake again with this rhubarb and so here it is - this week's bake:  Rhubarb and Apple Crumble, with a nice thick crumble and of course served with cream!

 

 

Now I searched my now unpacked recipe books for a crumble recipe either for apple or rhubarb, but I didn't quite find what I was looking for.  I knew that I wanted the fruit to be pre-cooked before baking the crumble - I love a super soft, apple sauce type bottom half to the crumble so searching the recipes for one with stewed fruit was the first challenge... Then, of course the crumble.  Ah crumble.  I didn't want to skimp on any of the crumble topping so I kind of made that one up as well, making sure that I had plenty to go around :-) 

So, in researching around 15 recipes, I kind of came up with my own based on all of these varying crumble recipes, and here it is!...

Ingredients:

800g stewed fruit - 3 large apples and a big handful of rhubarb stalks to equal 800g - the balance of which is your choice! 
100g granulated sugar
1 tbsp water

200g plain flour
80g ground almonds
170g unsalted butter, chilled and cut into chunks
100g golden caster sugar
Pinch of salt

Method:

1.  Peel, core and cut the apples into small chunks.  Cut the rhubarb into equal sized pieces.

2.  Place the fruit into a large pan, add the water and sugar and cook on a medium heat with the lid on - leaving it covered and simmering for around 15 minutes, until the fruit has begun to soften.

3.  After the fruit has stewed for around 15 minutes, remove the lid and leave on a very low heat, stirring occasionally until it thickens and the liquid disappears.

  4.  Once the fruit has thickened up, spoon into your chosen dishes (lightly greased).  I used a medium sized oval dish and also 2 ramekins - just to make sure there was a taste test for that very evening!

 

5.  Time for the crumble!  Preheat your oven to 350°F.

 

6.  Put the flour, ground almonds and chilled butter into a mixing bowl and using your fingertips, mix the butter into the flour until your mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.  I also use a pastry blender for this - it's my favourite tool for getting a great breadcrumb consistency!

7.  Add the sugar and using a fork, stir together until you have a crumbly mixture.

8.  Spoon the crumble on top of the stewed fruit already in the dishes.  Pat down gently to smooth the top but do not press it down. 

9.  Bake for 35-40 minutes until golden and bubbling.   

 

10.  Serve warm and enjoy with cream, or ice cream!

 

  

 

Now I recently acquired my sister's old and spare iphone (teehee!) so it's a great life of blackberry work phone, and iphone for camera and instagram!  It works especially for those, I need to you eat you now and don't want to get the camera out moments but I have now realised the quality isn't as good as the DSLR is of course - but it does the job and I'm excited to have it!  Thanks sis!

 

 

Did you see my sneak peek on Instagram?  Well my husband and I enjoyed our trial crumbles one evening as the perfect taste test and then we enjoyed the main crumble with friends on Friday night :-)  There was definitely enough crumble, and the rhubarb was just tart enough to complement the sweet apple and sweet buttery crumble for it to be a winner!  Will bake again!

 

I hope my 2 farm fresh rhubarb posts this week and last have inspired you to search out some fresh rhubarb from your garden, your neighbour's allotment or from the local farm market like I did ... it definitely wont be the last time I bake with rhubarb this Summer :-)

Farm Fresh Rhubarb Cake

Hi hello!  It is good to be back!  We've had a crazy few months, with buying, selling and moving house, followed by an amazing holiday away to Estonia and England exploring and visiting family... Before coming back to our incredible new house to make it our home :-)

So the blogging had a little break, and so did my baking while everything was packed up in boxes for a month or so which was super sad, but I'm happy to be back baking - and made up a little bit as I baked twice in two days which is just perfect!! 

Our new home is just down the street from a local farm, with pick-your-own seasonal fruit and veg, and a farm market, so before baking this week I wanted to pick up some farm fresh rhubarb, because why not buy local?!  And it was so worth the taste!! 

 

So here I am - super excited to be back baking and blogging.  Super relieved that our new oven worked and baked the cake through evenly.  And SO happy and excited to be in our new home and for all the adventures that are coming up!

 

We had the big cousin Summer bash last weekend, where I have made a citrus cake, and nautical themed cake in past years, but this year went a bit more rustic and fresh with a Rhubarb cake (inspired by all the rhubarb flavours we tasted while in Europe in various cakes!), with almond buttercream and fresh strawberry filling.

 

I am totally in love with this new recipe (firstly inspired by The Transplanted Baker) and how it turned into a deliciously moist and tangy rhubarb cake, with the sweet almond buttercream and fresh strawberries.  A perfect dessert!

 

First came a test run in muffin form that were for an event I had signed up to make 12 muffins for.  It was great timing to try it out, and I had plenty of rhubarb! 

 

And then the next morning it was time for the full on cake ready to take to the party! 

 

Here's the recipe, and finished product photos at the end.  I'll DEFINITELY be making this recipe again :-D

 

Ingredients:

 

6 stalks (450g) fresh rhubarb, sliced into 1cm pieces

200g sugar

225g unsalted butter, softened

2/3 cup buttermilk

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

280g all purpose (plain) flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Some more coarse sugar for sprinkling

 

and for the buttercream:

6oz unsalted butter, softened

18oz icing sugar

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

 

Method:

 

1.  Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease two 9/10 inch sandwich tins.  Line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper.

2.  In a large mixing bowl (I used the stand mixer) - cream the butter and sugar.

3.  Add the buttermilk, then the eggs, one by one mixing until well blended.  Add the vanilla.

4.  In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and salt.

5.  Incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet, until everything is combined.  Then fold in the sliced rhubarb.

 

6.  Fill the prepared pans with the batter, and smooth the top with a spatula.

7.  Sprinkle the top with the coarse sugar.

8.  Bake in the middle of the oven for 40-45 minutes, checking to test if it is done with a cake tester/skewer.  The top should be golden brown and should spring back when touched.

9.  Leave the cakes to cool on the rack.

10.  While cooling, you can prepare the buttercream in the mixer - cream together the butter and icing sugar.  Add the milk and extracts and beat until well whipped. 

11.  Slice the fresh strawberries and when the cake is cooled fill and decorate with buttercream and strawberries.

 

 

This cake was a really great, easy recipe, that was perfect for a summer's day - fresh and sweet.  And there were NO leftovers!  Good and bad right?!  I hope you find some deliciously fresh rhubarb somewhere and get a chance to try this out - I'll for sure be making it again later this Summer!... And there's still some rhubarb left in the fridge... expect another rhubarb bake coming soon :-)

 

I also just noticed this is my 100th post!!  YEY!