Hi everybody! I’m Jereme and I am honored to be a guest blogger here on Wholesome RD. A little bit about me — I run a small specialty cakery called Daisy Cakes (which is named after my gigantic Chocolate Lab Daisy) where I try to incorporate fresh and wholesome ingredients into my creations. Granted, cakes aren’t the healthiest choice that folks can make, but I believe that food isn’t just fuel for the body but it feeds your soul too! You should be able to get some joy from something that is integral to our everyday well being. Gotta feed both your body and your soul, I always say (well, not really, but you get my drift). What I try to do is to make some things into a “healthier” option without compromising on flavor. Take this cake for example: I use mostly whole wheat flour, I use honey in the cake instead of granulated sugar, plus it has fresh fruit and vegetables in it (yup, rhubarb is a vegetable!).
Of course, not all my cakes and pies are of the “healthier” variety, but I’m working on coming up with more. You can find Daisy Cakes on Facebook, but apparently there are several of us out there. I’m the one with the pic of a Chocolate Lab staring at an Rhubarb Upside Down Cake. You can check out my blog Jereme’s Kitchen @ jeremeskitchen.com. Stop by; there’s always room in the Kitchen!
Strawberry Rhubarb Streusel Cake
Strawberry and Rhubarb — another one of those classic combinations. Now this cake is interesting in that it is a little bit different from ones that I usually make. First of all, it has more of a sheet cake thing going on (but not really). Not that I don’t make sheet cakes, but I usually do rounds. Secondly, there’s a filling baked into the cake. But thirdly and most important, this is made using a different technique.
Here is how I usually make a cake: 1) sift together dry ingredients and set aside; 2) cream together the butter and sugar; 3) add your eggs one at a time; 4) gradually add your dry ingredients, alternating with milk or something like that. And that’s your batter. This is known as the creaming method, which is the most popular way to make a cake. This particular recipe is different in that you cut in the fat directly into the flour, like you were making some shortbread or pate brisee. Known as the rubbing-in, cutting-in, or one-bowl method, this technique gets you a very delicate cake, but it’s not as light and airy as when you use the creaming method. There’s lots of technical reasons why, but that could be discussed some other time. Anyhoo, here’s what you need:
For the filling:
- 3 c. rhubarb, cut into 1-in. pieces
- 1 qt. fresh strawberries, chopped
- 2 T. lemon juice
- 1 c. sugar
- 1/3 c. cornstarch
In a medium saucepan, combine the rhubarb, strawberries, and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes. This might not seem like a lot of liquid, but the rhubarb holds a lot which cooks out. Meanwhile mix together the sugar and cornstarch. Stir into the strawberry – rhubarb mixture. Bring to a boil, stirring until thickened. Set aside.
For the topping:
- 1/4 c. butter, melted
- 3/4 c. sugar
- 3/4 c. whole wheat flour
- 1/4 t. cinnamon
Mix together all four ingredients until everything resembles a crumblike texture. Set aside.
For the cake:
- 1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
- 1 c. honey
- 1 t. baking powder
- 1 t. baking soda
- 1/2 t. salt
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, diced
- 1 1/2 c. buttermilk
- 2 eggs
- 1 t. vanilla
- 1 c. strawberries, chopped
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 in. baking pan with cooking spray.
2. Sift together flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a mixing bowl. Cut in the butter into the flour mixture until you get a coarse crumblike texture. I mixed this in my stand mixer with the paddle attachment for about 5 – 7 minutes.
3. Beat together the eggs, honey, buttermilk, and vanilla. Add to the butter & flour mixture and combine. With a spatula, gently fold in the chopped strawberries.
4. Spoon half of the batter into the prepared pan. Gently spread the strawberry – rhubarb filling over the top. Spoon the rest of the batter over the filling. Sprinkle the topping on top of the cake.
5. Bake for about 45 – 60 minutes, until done in the center. Cool in the pan for about 20 minutes. Cut into squares and serve.
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Thanks again to Jereme for his guest post and make sure to check out his blog for some delicious cakes, cookies, baked goods and other yummy food and drinks!!
