Before the rhubarb season comes to an end, I would like to share my rhubarb cake recipe that I created for the first time this season. Every year I make a few jars of rhubarb strawberry jam, a rhubarb strawberry compote which I serve with panna cotta (it is the perfect picnic food), a rhubarb crumble and rhubarb tartlets with a meringue topping which is a German classic. This year I wanted to try something new and I created a rhubarb cake that consist of a shortcrust shell filled with a marzipan cream and rhubarb strings that are hidden under a almond streusel topping. I love the combination of the crunchy and sweet almond streusels and the tart rhubarb flavor and the combination of the crunchy shortcrust and the marzipan cream. It is the perfect pairing. And I am in love with this rustic streusel tartlet creation. 

Serve the cake with freshly whipped cream (I was running out of heavy cream when I served the cake and photographed the cake the other day). It does not only taste better but it is better for you, too. As you may know rhubarb contains oxalic acid but paired with a dairy product, the oxalic acid combines with calcium and therefore makes the oxalic acid  "harmless".

Makes 8 tartlets (8 cm / 3 inches in diameter, I use tart rings)

Pâte Sucrée (Sweet Shortcrust Pastry)

  • 100 g / 1/4 cup / 1/2 stick unsalted butter
  • 50 g / 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 egg (large)
  • 150 g / 1  1/4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
  • Mix butter and sugar until creamy. Add egg and mix until well combined; add flour and knead to a dough. Do not over knead the dough. Wrap the dough into clingwrap and let the dough chill in the fridge for at least one hour or overnight.
  • Take the dough out of the fridge and let the dough sit for a few minutes at room temperature. In the meantime butter and flour tartlet moulds or rings.
  • On a floured surface roll out the dough until 3 mm. Cut out circles, gently press the circles into the moulds. Trim away any excess dough with a sharp knife. Prick the bottom of each tartlet with a fork. Place tartlets on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Freeze tartlets for 30 minutes (you can also freeze them overnight as well).

Almond Streusel

  • 100 g / 1/4 cup / 1/2 stick unsalted butter
  • 100 g / 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 85 g / 1/3 cup and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 100 g / 2/3 cup almonds, chopped
  • Knead all ingredients with your hands to a dough. Form the dough into little balls (1 cm / 0.4 inches in diameter). Place the balls on a plate lined with parchment paper and place them in the fridge for at least 15 minutes. It is important that the streusel balls are chilled. In the meantime prepare the marzipan cream and rhubarb.

Marzipan Cream

  • 75 g / 2/3 cup powdered sugar
  • 75 g / 1/3 cup unsalted butter, soft
  • 1 1/2 eggs
  • 75 g / 3.5 ounces marzipan, grated or roughly chopped
  • 35 g /1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • Mix powdered sugar and butter until creamy. Add eggs and mix well; add marzipan and flour and mix until it has a creamy and smooth consistency.
  • Rhubarb
  • 150-200 g rhubarb
  • Wash rhubarb, remove strings and trim the ends of the stalks.
  • Cut rhubarb stalks lengthwise, 1/2 cm / 0.2 inches thick, then cut rhubarb into strings.

Assembling

  • Preheat the oven to 175°C / 350° F.
  • Take the tartlets out of the freezer.
  • Spread the marzipan cream on the tartlets. Arrange rhubarb strings on top and on top of the cream arrange streusel.
  • Bake tartlets for about 25 minutes until the streusels are golden in color.
  • Let cakes cool. Carefully remove tart moulds or rings. Sprinkle the cake with powdered sugar.
  • The cakes taste the best on the same day or the next day. Store the cakes at room temperature; do not store the cakes in the fridge, otherwise the shortcrust of the cakes will become soft.