Gluten Free 
Fruit
Rhubarb (Rhubarbe)
If you love rhubarb, you’ll fall in love with this French Rose Rhubarb Orange cake. It’s on the same lines as this easy sticky almond and lemon cake yet made extra moist with a little rhubarb pre-roasted in fresh orange with a subtle hint of rose.
The welcome timing of rose and rhubarb season is also perfect for celebrating Easter and Mother’s Day.
Rhubarb & Rose Recipes
By now, you may have noticed I adore rhubarb and rose together. I even wear a French perfume of the two together – it’s glorious. To taste the two, have you tried this rhubarb and rose sorbet or this rhubarb, rose and hibiscus jam?
It doesn’t just stop at roses: in my second book, ‘Teatime in Paris‘, I also have a recipe for Rhubarb and Poppy macarons. Poppy is a particularly French sentimental flavour, associated with French childhood bonbons or sweeties (you’ll find the extract in speciality stores, such as Deco Relief in Paris.) I loved discovering that it totally worked with rhubarb.
Prolong Rhubarb Season
For fans that find the rhubarb season FAR TOO SHORT, make batches of this delicious rhubarb compote and freeze it in jam jars. I often make it without the ginger, infusing a fruity hibiscus teabag in it to pink it up and add a touch of rose water. So, when rhubarb is well out of season, omit the roasted rhubarb step in this Rose Rhubarb Orange Cake and serve it with your defrosted rhubarb compote – it’s the best combination ever!
What’s more, this cake is pure heaven served with rose macarons, lemon or almond macarons (recipes in Mad About Macarons) – or sublime with rose and orange blossom macarons (recipe in Teatime in Paris).
While developing the recipe, I based it on the lines of a French financier style teacake (also in Teatime in Paris) but reduced the butter and added egg whites to lighten it up a bit for a bigger cake. It’s also reduced in sugar as much as I dare but, of course add a little more, if you do prefer it slightly sweeter.
More Rhubarb Recipes
My Grandpa’s favourite pudding was Rhubarb and Custard and there’s nothing much to beat it, especially with delicious memories of growing up in Scotland. We loved putting ginger with rhubarb, from jams to compotes, but the various combinations or just pure rhubarb on its own is fabulous.
Check out my UK blogger friends’ rhubarb recipes too – they also write out their recipes by weight (grams/ounces):
- Janice has a whole page of ALL her rhubarb recipes together over at Farmersgirl Kitchen;
- Christina’s Cucina has many recipes, including this gorgeous Rhubarb Fool and Rhubarb Crumble Ice Cream;
- Camilla (aka FabFood4All), famous for her jams, has an incredible Rhubarb & Gin Jam, Rhubarb & Ginger Jam, plus a Rhubarb & Blueberry Tarte Tatin;
- Choclette has many vegetarian recipes and many rhubarb (also loves rose) delights, including Rhubarb & Ginger Chutney and a Rustic Rhubarb Galette with Orange Spelt Flaky Pastry over at Tin & Thyme.
Rose Rhubarb Orange Cake
Rhubarb, Rose and Orange Cake
Servings : 12 people
Calories : 270kcal
Description
Celebrate rhubarb and rose season with this financier style rose rhubarb orange cake, an easy French teatime treat with reduced sugar, making it also ideal for breakfast or brunch - or dessert served with rhubarb compote and some rose macarons.
Ingredients
Roasted Rhubarb with Rose and Orange
- 2 sticks rhubarb, cut into small pieces
- 1 large unwaxed orange, juice (organic)
- 1 tsp rose water
- 1 tsp of the grated zest (below)
- 2 tbsp cane sugar
Almond Cake
- 110 g (4oz) butter, softened (unsalted)
- 100 g (3.5oz) sugar
- zest from 1 large unwaxed orange organic
- 2 large eggs organic
- 75 g (3oz) egg whites (from 2 eggs)
- 200 g (7oz) ground almonds (almond flour)
- 35 g (1.5oz) plain flour (all-purpose)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- slivered almonds, for sprinkling (optional)
Instructions
Roasted Rhubarb
- Preheat oven to 180°C/160°Cfan/360°F/Gas 4. Line a 23cm non-stick cake tin with parchment paper.
- Wash rhubarb, cutting off the extremities and cut into 5cm sticks. Place in a non-stick roasting tin with 1tsp of the orange zest and all the juice. Add rose water and sprinkle over rhubarb with cane sugar. Roast until soft for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Almond Cake
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy - either using a ballon whisk o mix together in a mixer.
- Gradually whisk in the orange zest, eggs, whites, ground almonds, flour, baking powder until mixed together.
- Place the roasted rhubarb in the bottom of the cake tin and top with the mixture. Sprinkle over the slivered almonds, if using, and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden.
- Leave to cool in the cake tin for 10 minutes then remove and cool on a wire rack. Brush over the rhubarb, orange and rose juices from the roasting tin onto the cake.
Notes
Store in a cool, dry place. Can keep for up to 5 days and also good for freezing. Excellent served for breakfast or teatime with rhubarb and strawberry compote.
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION: 270 Calories per portion; 6g protein; 17g carbohydrates; 20g fat.
Are you on Pinterest? Then pin this for later. Sending you sweet wishes and peony roses from Paris!
[…] Rose, Rhubarb and Orange Cake […]
This cake was really delicious Jill. To have it with rose macarons is sheer decadence. Rhubarb is one of my favourite desserts. Thank you for the recipes.
Thrilled you liked it, Thomasina. Rhubarb is the best! I need to dream up more recipes with it. Have a delicious weekend.
now this is just amazing to try tonight.,.thanks for sharing.
So happy you love rhubarb like this, too, Kioi. Enjoy the cake!
Jill your grandad absolutely loved rhubarb and I cooked it a lot, I also loved eating the rhubarb raw as I was cutting it.
Thanks, Auntie Shirley, for popping in! I hope you still eat rhubarb – do you still love it raw?
I still do eat it raw Jill – I grow quite a bit in the garden – I love to keep up the old habits!!
That’s wonderful you have rhubarb in the garden! I’ve tried growing it in ours and somehow it doesn’t like it…
This sounds lovely jill. I love rose flavour in food. So perfumed so fragrant. Cheers sherry
Well this is for you, Sherry. Hugs from Paris x
What a glorious cake, I love rhubarb and paired with rose and orange this sounds heavenly. Thanks for sharing my rhubarb recipes!
Real pleasure, Camilla. Enjoy rhubarb season – I’m dying to try the rhubarb and gin jam.
Oh Jill, you know how much I adore rhubarb, so this cake is definitely something I’d enjoy immensely. I saw so much rhubarb all over the French markets in the cities where I stayed that it was painful. In fact, I bought a stalk and ate it as is (not even with sugar) one day! It was delicious!
Thank you so kindly for including my rhubarb recipes, too! 🙂
You know, Christina, I’d forgotten that when I was little, we’d eat the rhubarb stick as is, and dip it in sugar. Your reaction made me giggle – especially without the sugar! You must have had serious withdrawal symptoms. The funniest thing is that the rhubarb I got recently at our local French market …was from Germany!
Another beautifully presented and creatively made recipe, Jill! I’m sure the rose and rhubarb together are delicious and must be a great accompaniment to the yummy looking cake! Just lovely!
You are the sweetest, Betty. I’m sure Victor would love this – it’s a most romantic way to start the day, too x
Yum! I adore rhubarb desserts! So yummy with the touch of rose—-seems so French and delicious!!!
You’re a sweetie, Liz. Thanks – I think you adore ALL desserts, right?
Oh Jill – this looks so pretty and French. I love rhubarb and your rose macarons. This must be so good!
Thanks, Suzie. We love this for breakfast just now, especially with the compote and some extra wee strawberries.
Such wonderful photos Jill and a gorgeous recipe too. As you know I adore rhubarb, and rhubarb and rose is particularly special. So I’m on for a slice of this cake please. One day I WILL make it to Paris.
Thanks for including a couple of my recipes too. Pinned and shared.
I love your rhubarb recipes, Choclette. Thanks for sharing, too! I certainly do hope you make it soon to Paris.