Earlier this spring, sometime in March, I went around my garden taking pictures of the earliest signs of life coming up. Some of my favorite pictures is of my rhubarb, making their presence known with their pink and bright green display coming up through the leaf mulch. I liked it so much I made one of the pic’s my blog banner.
Now that it’s May my rhubarb is beautifully full. The plants were getting so big that I decided to cut some last week and start baking with it or freezing pies (I’ve been told I make a MEAN rhubarb pie). I wasn’t sure if it was too soon, but the plant looked ready so I just went for it!
The pictures above can’t even begin to show just how immense these plants were before I picked some for my baking endeavors.
The elusive “strawberry rhubarb”. I’m not sure what it’s real name is, but country folks or folks who just really know their rhubarb LOVE this variety. Dave’s parents gave us this plant this year and it’s already doing really well. I picked some of this too and incorporated it in with my “Victoria” rhubarb.
It’s naturally sweeter than regular rhubarb and has thin red stalks. When you pick it, it actually seems to be a little sticky.
When you see a strawberry rhubarb pie, chances are it’s regular “Victoria” rhubarb baked with actual strawberries. Not the Same!
Anyway, the point of this blog was to share a yummy and amazingly easy recipe that my boyfriend showed me. I apologize that I can’t give exact measurements. That’s just how I roll.
Easy Rhubarb Cake
1 package white cake mix
2 cups rhubarb, chopped or diced (you can use more or less rhubarb. 2 cups is an estimate)
1 pkg. strawberry jello
Mix the cake mix according the the boxes instructions and pour into a greased pan. In a medium to large bowl mix chopped rhubarb with the jello powder. Plop the jello-ed rhubarb onto the cake batter that is already in the pan. No need to stir, the pieces sink to the bottom. Bake at 350 until toothpick or knife comes out clean. Let cool.
The result is something like an upside-down cake. I would love to try this in a bundt pan some day!
-H
