Sunday bake: Helen Goh’s double rhubarb, white chocolate and almond loaf cake

Name: Sunday bake: Helen Goh’s double rhubarb, white chocolate and almond loaf cake
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Modern Australian,British
Ingredients: 300g rhubarb, thick ends trimmed; 110g plain flour; 1¼ tsp baking powder; ¼ tsp fine sea salt; 180g ground almonds; 170g unsalted butter; 170g caster sugar; finely grated zest of 1 lemon; 2 large eggs, at room temperature; 1 tsp vanilla; 100g white chocolate, roughly chopped (or white chocolate chips); 30g smooth strawberry (or other red) jam for glazing; whipped cream, to serve (optional)

Helen Goh

September 13, 2024

The thin “sticks” of rhubarb on top become chewy in the oven.William Meppem

Time:1-2 hoursServes:6

The simplicity of this cake, in terms of its cooking method and appearance, belies its rich texture and flavour. Ground almonds and creamy white chocolate counteract the sharpness of the rhubarb. The rhubarb is added both as small pieces folded into the batter – little pockets that burst with flavour – and as thin “sticks” on top of the cake that turn pleasingly chewy with the heat of the oven.

Ingredients

300g rhubarb, thick ends trimmed
110g plain flour
1¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp fine sea salt
180g ground almonds
170g unsalted butter
170g caster sugar
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
100g white chocolate, roughly chopped (or white chocolate chips)
30g smooth strawberry (or other red) jam for glazing
whipped cream, to serve (optional)

Method

Step 1
Line the base and sides of a deep loaf tin (about 10cm x 20cm x 7cm) with baking paper. Allow an overhang of a few centimetres on the two long sides to help lift out the cake later.
Step 2
Prepare the rhubarb. Slice 130g of the stalks crosswise into 0.5cm pieces and set aside in a small bowl; these will be folded into the cake batter. Slice the remaining rhubarb into 10cm lengths (or the width of your loaf tin), then slice each piece in half lengthways to create long batons. Set aside for now.
Step 3
Preheat the oven to 165C fan‑forced (185C conventional). Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl, then stir in the ground almonds.
Step 4
Place the butter, sugar and lemon zest in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes until light and creamy. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl, then add the eggs, one at a time, beating well on medium speed after each addition.
Step 5
Scrape down the bowl once more (the mix may look curdled at this stage, but don’t worry, it will come together), then add the vanilla and the combined dry ingredients in two batches. Mix on low speed until combined, then remove the bowl from the mixer. Add the chopped pieces of rhubarb and white chocolate, then fold together with a flexible spatula to incorporate.
Step 6
Scrape the batter into the tin, then arrange the rhubarb batons widthways across the top. Make sure the sticks are packed closely, with no gaps between them.
Step 7
Place the loaf in the oven and bake for 60 minutes, then cover with foil and continue to bake for another 10-15 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Remove the tin from the oven and place on a wire rack.
Step 8
Warm the jam in a small pan over low heat for about a minute (or microwave for a few seconds) to loosen it, then use a small pastry brush to gently brush the jam all over the rhubarb. Allow the cake to cool for about 10 minutes in the tin, then lift it out and onto the wire rack to cool completely.
Step 9
Slice and serve with whipped cream, if you like.