Candied rhubarb flower cake. Something from my crazy imagination that i dreamed up.
Jump to RecipeI love to create edible cake decorations, and candied rhubarb isn’t something new. However making petals with it and creating flowers with stamens might be!.
They are so easy to make, and i think they look so pretty.
Cutting the rhubarb at different angles created different sized petals. straight for the smaller flowers and at an angle for the larger one’s.
I peeled really thin strips of the pink rhubarb skin off and made stamens for the centres of the flowers with that.
They are then stuck together with some white chocolate.
The flowers are just the beginning to this cake though.
Its the sponge inside that is requested time and time again in my family.
Raspberry rhubarb and white chocolate is one of my favourite flavour combinations.
The sweet and sour flavours go so well together. The white chocolate seems to caramelise slightly in places.
Usually i make this cake in the summer when raspberries are at their best, but i wanted to make the most of the pink forced rhubarb that is still in season right now.
Candied rhubarb flowers
To make the candied rhubarb flowers you will need
- 3 long stalks of rhubarb
- 150g sugar
- 150ml water
- potato peeler
- 2 baking sheets
- Baking paper
- white chocolate
Directions
First make a simple syrup by adding the water and sugar in a pan, stir to dissolve sugar then let reduce a little so you have a syrup.
Using a potato peeler thinly slice the rhubarb.
The angle that you cut the rhubarb will determine the shape of the petals.
For the larger petals i sliced it at a horizontal angle and the smaller ones i cut the rhubarb straight.
Cut some of the rhubarb into strips to create the stamens. Or peel some strips of the pink skin off.
Once dried out they are easily broken down into size.
Preheat the oven to 100c.
Place rhubarb slices in the syrup and leave for a minute or two.
Remove rhubarb from the syrup and place flat, spaced apart on a lined baking tray.
Bake the rhubarb for 20 minutes, then turn each petal over and bake again, check after 10 minutes, then continue cooking until they are crisp and not tacky.
Some of the smaller strips might be ready after the first 20 minutes, the larger ones can take 20 minutes on one side and 10 to 15 on the other side. Sometimes longer.
Keep an eye on them so they don’t burn.
Let cool on the tray then gently peel off the paper.
To stick the petals together, melt some white chocolate and add small dots of it onto the paper and press in the petals.
Break down the longer strips of rhubarb to make thin stamens and place in the centre.
Leave to harden.
Once on the cake, the flowers will soften slightly so place on before serving.
Alternatively you can make twisted strips like these.
The cake
- If you would like to make a smaller cake, or cupcakes the recipe can be easily halved.
- The frosting can be halved too if you prefer a naked cake.
- The sweetness of the frosting can be adjusted to your tastes.
- Cake layers can be made the night before and covered in plastic wrap and assembled the following day.
- The low oven temp means the layers rise fairly evenly.
- Self raising flour can be switched for plain flour, just add 2 tsp baking powder.
- Fresh or frozen raspberries are fine, just be sure to break down any large raspberries into smaller chunks.
Raspberry rhubarb white chocolate sponge cake
Ingredients
For cake
- 220 grams caster sugar
- 220 grams unsalted butter room temp, softened
- 4 large eggs room temp
- 220 grams self raising flour (If you don't have self raising flour you can use plain flour and add 2 tsp baking powder)
- 65 grams chopped white chocolate
- 80 grams raspberries fresh or frozen
- 1 stalk of rhubarb forced or summer outdoor grown
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 to 4 tbsp milk
Raspberry Mascarpone frosting
- 500 grams Mascarpone cream
- 250 ml double cream
- 150 ml seedless raspberry jam
- 100 grams icing sugar
Instructions
For the sponge
- Preheat the oven to 160c
- Grease and line three shallow 9 inch baking tins with baking paper
- Finely chop the white chocolate and set a side
- Break the raspberries in to small chunks by hand and place in a bowl.
- cut the rhubarb in to small chunks and place in a bowl with 1 tsp flour and 1 tsp sugar.
- Cream the butter and sugar together until very pale and fluffy, at least 5 minutes.
- Use a spatula to scrape the bowl, then add the first egg and beat for 2 minutes, then scrape the bowl again and add the next egg. Continue this process with the next two eggs. Then add the vanilla.
- Sift in the flour and salt and fold in using a spatula, then fold in the raspberries, rhubarb and white chocolate.
- Add the milk to loosen the batter, fold in and then separate the mixture between the tins and level out.
- Bake in the centre of the oven to 20-22 minutes.
- check cakes are done by inserting a knife into the centre. If it comes out clean they are ready.
- Leave to cool in the tins for 15 minutes. The gently remove the cake layers from the tins and peel off the baking paper and place on a cooling rack until completely cool.
Frosting
- Add the cream, mascarpone and icing sugar in a bowl and whisk until it starts to thicken, then add the seedless jam and mix again. Tate and check the sweetness level and adjust by adding more jam or sugar to your taste.
- Place one of the cake layers on a cake stand and add some frosting and level out leaving a ridge around the edge, then add some jam and add the next layer. Build up cake with frosting and jam then coat the cake in the remaining frosting.
- Decorate with the rhubarb flowers, and melted pink or white chocolate.
The pink chocolate for the decorations came from the raspberry and white chocolate egg from waitrose.
this cake is beyond beautiful
thank you xx
I just found your art and it took my breath away. such a sad, melancholic beauty… I can’t help,but think “where are those little hands that gonna eat the cake?”, “why aren’t the whole family at the table yet?”
thank you, i don’t have any children so no little hands around here,but i am missing my family right now x