Walnut & Date Rhubarb Cake

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Growing up in Saskatchewan and living on a farm, we always made as much as possible with each crop as it ripened. It was the same story with rhubarb and I remember it being one of the very first harvests of the year.

Mom would make everything out of rhubarb: stewed rhubarb (over ice cream, which was so delish!), rhubarb and strawberry jam, pie, crisp, even rhubarb juice. (Which was not my favourite) She also often made a Rhubarb Cake that I loved. Looking back, it likely contained eggs, butter and sour cream, but boy was it moist and tasty! Last week at the veggie farm where I volunteer, I was offered some rhubarb and I couldn’t turn it down. That prompted me come up with a moist, vegan Rhubarb Cake for this post.

What is Rhubarb?

Rhubarb is actually a vegetable that is thought to be native to Siberia. That makes sense as it seems to be able to grow well anywhere!

Its stalks are high in vitamin K, (great for brain health), vitamin C, A, calcium, manganese and potassium. Rhubarb is also extremely low in calories and contains a good amount of fiber. It is high in antioxidants, which help prevent numerous diseases. If you can’t get enough of this information about rhubarb, I made a post a couple of years ago for a rhubarb strawberry crisp. Check it out here.

One important note on the rhubarb plant… don’t eat the leaves (not that you would want to)… They are poisonous! It is strange to me that one part of a plant is super healthy and the other part is poisonous…

This cake is sweetened only with dates!

This recipe is made using only dates as a sweetener. Both date sugar, which is dried powdered dates, and whole fresh dates are used. Date sugar is the healthiest sugar, as it is simply dried powdered fruit. It is quite expensive though, so other sugars like cane or coconut sugar would be good options as substitutions.

Also, I did add some olive oil, but you could reduce the amount if you like and just substitute with some more yogourt. If you don’t have plant-based yogourt, you can also use applesauce or a vegan sour cream in the recipe.

I think you will love how tasty and flavourful this recipe is. It’s just the right amount of sweet and tangy with a little bit of crunch. It makes a delicious pairing with some hot tea as an afternoon ‘pick-me-up’! Honestly, it might even pass for breakfast. I know it has in our house.

Walnut & Date Rhubarb Cake

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Serves: 10-12 Prep Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 35 minutes 35 minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 1 cup rhubarb, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
• 10-12 soft, pitted dates
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup unbleached flour
• 1 cup plain or vanilla plant-based yogourt (coconut, almond, soy, etc.), option to use applesauce instead
• 3/4 cup walnuts, chopped
• 3/4 cup date sugar, option to use another type of sugar
• 6 tablespoons water
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 flax eggs, (2 tablespoons of ground flax in 6 tablespoons of water, mixed and allowed to sit until if forms a thick consistency)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling on top of cake once baked
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, split

Instructions

1. 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 
   2. In a large bowl, add together the flours, sifted date sugar, baking soda, baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon.  Whisk together.
   3. In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of ground flax seeds with 6 tablespoons of water and allow to sit. Add the vanilla to this mixture.  Mix again right before incorporating.
   4. Wash and chop 1 large stalk of rhubarb, or the equivalent of 1 cup, into 1/4" pieces. 
   5. Chop the walnuts into pieces and set aside.
   6. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the olive oil, plant-based yogourt, flax egg mixture and lemon juice.  
   7. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and mix well with a wooden spoon.  
   8. Next, add all of the rhubarb and half of the walnuts and stir together until mixed. 
   9. Spread the batter into a greased 8"x8" or  8.5"x8.5" glass or non-stick baking pan.
   10. Place in oven and set a timer for 25 minutes.  
   11. In a Vitamix, or high speed blender, blend 10-12 pitted dates, 6 tablespoons of water and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.  Keep blending until smooth. 
   12. Once the cake has baked for 25 minutes, remove from the oven.  Cover the top with the date mixture.  Sprinkle on the remaining walnut pieces.  Place back into the oven and cook for another 10 minutes. 
   13. Remove from the oven and allow to sit on a rack for 10 minutes.  Gently remove from the pan and allow to cool further.    Dust with cinnamon if desired.                                                               
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For the delicious rhubarb/strawberry crisp recipe shown below, please click here. Yum!