Moments of pleasure

and a recipe for a syrupy rhubarb upside-down cake

fleet·ing (flē’tĭng)  adj. Passing quickly; ephemeral

How strange this year has been. We seem to have been waiting forever to experience again the moments of joy that life gives us. We long for the bustling dinner out, the live music event, the celebratory party.

Yet, right in front of us are equally thrilling moments of pleasure that we can experience no matter what, making them all the more precious. They come on tippy toes, sneaking up behind us. Quick! Don’t let them slip by.

The season’s bounty

There is the slow, snail-like wait.  Daylight encroaching into darkness at an ever-later hour; the thermostat rising in degrees haltingly like a cranky mid-century oven.  Closets in between sweaters and shorts; shoots barely breaking the soil to reach for the sun.

And then suddenly it's summer - blazingly hot, electric blue-sky summer. The heat blasts at 500˚F, and the days start to get inexplicably shorter, even before the dog days have truly begun.  The flowers wilt in the heat and you do too, cooling off in barely there dresses and flip flops. Your favourites - the ones that you have waited for with longing and anticipation - make their glorious entrance and just as quickly begin to maddeningly disappear.  Juicy peaches; the season's first cherries and strawberries; asparagus so tender green it makes you weak.  

That time is not quite yet. We’re still waiting for the full flush of summer. The sneakiest of all is upon you. Perhaps most fleetingly of all - ruby ruby red, tangy, tart and slender - rhubarb is rubbing up against you coyly.  

…these moments given are a gift from time.”

Kate Bush, Moments of Pleasure, from The Red Shoes

I know that it’s easy for inertia to set in. To allow the days that have no punctuation to begin to blend, to lose the thread of small ways and the joy in the simple. And yet… We can’t waste time, we can’t waste days, we can’t waste moments.

It can be as simple, as delightful and as delicious as an old-fashioned upside-down cake. So, before rhubarb pulls up its roots and leaves town, have this moment. Fleeting perhaps, but perfect in its timing. 

Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake

from Melissa Clark, as seen in the New York Times

serves 8-10

Syrupy upside down deliciousness

While strawberries and rhubarb have long had a love affair with one another, I prefer to give this most ephemeral of vegetables a starring role all of its own. Rhubarb comes in rainbow of colours, from the palest tender green to deep vibrant red. Although there may not be a difference in flavour with these variations, for this cake, try to seek out the deeper-hued stalks. They make for the prettiest topping.

UPDATED: Ever since this recipe appeared in the New York Times in 2011, I’ve made it at least a dozen times. The minute those long scarlet stalks of crisp-tart rhubarb appear at the market, I reach for this tried and true favourite. But what if it could be made better, easier and even more delicious?

The original recipe calls for the cake to be baked in a springform pan, tightly wrapped with foil and placed on baking sheet. But without fail, some of the buttery brown sugar syrup that’s put at the bottom of the prepared pan seeps out and ends up in a sticky mess on the baking sheet. The second issue is the sweetness of the cake. While rhubarb requires plenty of sugar, I wanted the rhubarb flavour to shine.

With some small modifications I now have the ultimate rhubarb cake recipe. Below you’ll find the new updated version of this spring classic. Don’t be put off by the number of steps - most are prepping and combining the various ingredients for the cake batter.

Note: The original recipe indicates 1½ pounds rhubarb will yield 4 cups, but I find it’s more like 6 cups. You can go ahead and use more. Be aware that 6 cups of rhubarb plus the cake batter will fill your cake tin to the top, so make sure you are using a cake tin with at least 2” high sides.

Ingredients

2 ½ sticks (284 gr) unsalted butter, at room temperature 

4 cups rhubarb (about 1½ pounds, 680 g) rhubarb, rinsed and sliced into ½-inch cubes (see note)

2 teaspoons cornstarch 

¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar

1¼ cups (280 gr) light or dark brown sugar

2 cups (227 g) cake flour 

1½ teaspoons baking powder 

½ teaspoon fine sea salt 

Zest of 1 lemon, grated 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 large eggs 

⅓ cup full fat sour cream 

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1. Heat oven to 325˚F.  Generously butter a 9-inch cake tin with at least 3-inch sides (or a 10-inch cake tin with 2-inch sides). Line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper.

2. Put the rhubarb in a medium bowl. Whisk the cornstarch and ¼ cup (50 gr) of the granulated sugar together, sprinkle over the rhubarb and toss or stir to combine. Set aside.

3. Sift together the cake flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. Blend the remaining ½ cup (100 gr) granulated sugar and the lemon zest with your fingers until the zest is distributed evenly throughout the sugar and the sugar is lemony in colour. Set aside.

4. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream 2 sticks (227 gr) butter for two minutes. Add the sugar-lemon zest mixture and ¾ cup (170 gr) brown sugar and cream together with the butter at medium-high speed until it is light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down the bowl periodically. Add the vanilla and mix well. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the sour cream and then the lemon juice.  The mixture may seem to be separating - it will bind again with the addition of the flour.

5. Turn the mixer to low, and slowly add the flour mixture, ¼ cup at a time, until well combined, scraping down the bowl periodically.  The mixture should be very light and fluffy.

6. Heat the remaining ½ cup (110 gr) brown sugar and remaining ½ stick (57 gr) butter in a small skillet pan over medium heat. Whisk until smooth and bubbling, about 2 minutes.

7. Pour the brown-sugar mixture into the prepared cake pan, then spoon in the rhubarb and its juices. Spoon in the batter so it covers all of the rhubarb, smoothing out the top evenly. The tin will be full, especially if you have used more than 4 cups of rhubarb. Don’t worry - it will bake up beautifully.

8. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the top of the cake is firm and springs back and a toothpick stuck in the middle comes out clean. If it is still soft but browning, cover the cake with tin foil and continue baking, checking again every 10 minutes until done.

9. Place the pan on a wire rack, and cool for 20 minutes. Run a knife around the cake, place a plate on top of the tin and turn it upside-down. Be sure to plate the cake while it is still warm, otherwise the topping may adhere to the tin. If some does stick, simply scrape the rhubarb off and onto the cake top. Let the cake cool for one hour before serving.