Country Rhubarb Cake looks much more like a pie than it does a cake and for good reason – when you get to the instructions it tells you to have a deep tin or pie dish which means it’s actually a pie and boy oh boy what a pie it is!!

I can’t even tell you how swiftly I consumed both pieces of this pie within minutes of finishing these photos. I don’t say that lightly as usually I try to test things out during the photo process more to give the viewer an idea of what this dish looks like, but with a little cream or ice cream, this is one of those ‘can I have another slice’ dishes.

Two of us successfully finished the whole thing by breakfast the next day because the rhubarb flavor just is so full in this and that scone crust will definitely be appearing here again because it left a mark. The pastry alone is the most forgiving and easy one I’ve ever made so much so that I’m keeping it stored in my back pocket for other uses.

Ireland being an island nation is one where the locals would utilize all the food they have available on their shores and so stumbling upon this recipe made sense for the type of hardy vegetable rhubarb is and the fact it likes a wet environment to grow, with cold not really deterring it too much from sprouting back again in the spring.

Irish Country Rhubarb Cake
Adapted from irelandseye.com
Serves 8

Ingredients:
Scone pastry
2 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup caster sugar
80 grams/30 ounces butter, cold and cubed
1 egg
3/4 cup buttermilk
Rhubarb filling
500 grams/1 pound rhubarb, roughly chopped
3/4 cup caster sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 180C/350F and greaseproof a pie dish.

Sift the flour, baking power and salt into a bowl.

Add the sugar and rub in the butter until it resembles breadcrumbs, make a well in the center.

Beat the egg and buttermilk in a bowl until well combined and pour into the flour mixture.

Carefully stir together until a dough has formed, place on a lightly floured work surface and halve.

Set one half aside and roll out the remaining dough until it is approximately 1/4 inch thickness, adding more flour as needed to ensure it doesn’t stick.

Press into your pie dish, allowing for some overhang.

Add the rhubarb and spread out evenly, sprinkling the sugar over the top.

Roll out the remaining dough and place on top, pressing the edges down and removing the unnecessary pastry.

Slice slits into the pastry top.

Place in the oven and bake for 50 minutes or until golden and bubbling.

Remove and allow to cool to room temperature.

Slice and serve with pouring cream or ice cream.

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