Jessica Holmes’ Rhubarb Sour Cream Cake with Brown Sugar Crumble

Few things are more comforting than a homemade cake fresh from the oven, especially one topped with a buttery crumble and finished with a vibrant pink glaze.

Jessica Holmes’ Rhubarb Sour Cream Cake is one of her favourite recipes from Something Sweet, combining tangy rhubarb, fragrant orange zest and rich sour cream for a beautifully moist cake that’s just as suited to dessert as it is to afternoon tea.

Made using the reverse creaming method for an exceptionally tender crumb, this cake is finished with an easy brown sugar crumble and a rhubarb glaze that adds both colour and flavour. Serve it warm with custard for a comforting winter dessert, or enjoy a slice with a cup of tea.

Rhubarb sour cream cake

Prep time: 40 minutes

Bake time: 55 minutes

Serves: 8–10

Ingredients

210 g (1½ cups) plain flour or all-purpose flour
150 g (¾ cup) caster sugar or granulated sugar
1½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
Finely grated zest of 1 large orange
150 g (⅔ cup) unsalted butter, softened, roughly chopped
1 large egg, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
80 ml (⅓ cup) full-fat sour cream, room temperature
60 ml (¼ cup) full-fat milk, room temperature
150 g (1¼ cups) fresh rhubarb, stalks only, trimmed and chopped into 1 cm (½ inch) pieces

Brown sugar crumble

70 g (½ cup) plain flour or all-purpose flour
24 g (2 tablespoons) brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon salt
45 g (3 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted

Rhubarb glaze

60 g (½ cup) fresh rhubarb, stalks only, trimmed and chopped into 1 cm (½ inch) pieces
30 ml (2 tablespoons) fresh orange juice
30 ml (2 tablespoons) water
65 g (½ cup) icing sugar or powdered sugar, sifted

Method

Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F) fan-forced. Grease and line the bottom and side of a 20 cm (8 inch) round cake tin with baking paper or parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, caster sugar, baking powder, salt and orange zest. Add the butter and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until the butter is broken into small pea-sized pieces and completely covered in flour.

Add the egg and vanilla and beat briefly on low speed to combine. Don’t worry if the mixture looks dry and floury at this point.

Add the sour cream and milk. Beat on low speed, then increase to medium speed for 30 seconds or until the batter is creamy and smooth. It will be very thick – this is fine.

Gently fold the rhubarb pieces into the cake batter using a spatula or wooden spoon.

Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the surface.

Make the brown sugar crumble. Add the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt to a small mixing bowl. Add the butter and stir until you have little wet crumbs.
Sprinkle the crumbs all over the top of the cake.

Bake the cake for 50–55 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Put the cake tin on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Then carefully turn the cake out onto the rack to cool completely.

Make the rhubarb glaze. In a small saucepan, add the rhubarb, orange juice and water. Put the pan on medium heat and stir for 5 minutes until the rhubarb has broken down and formed a pink puree.

Leave the stewed rhubarb to cool completely.

Add the icing sugar to the rhubarb and stir until you have a smooth pink glaze. Generously drizzle the glaze all over the top of the cooled cake.

Notes

You can also make this cake using fresh, firm peaches. Swap the rhubarb glaze for a dusting of icing sugar.

Once frosted, store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature. See page 21 for more storage and freezing instructions.

Something Sweet by Jessica Holmes, published by Plum, RRP: $44.99, photography by Mark Roper.
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