Is there anything more promising than rhubarb in the spring? That time of the year when you know winter is coming to an end, and summer will soon return. Rhubarb is quite amazing, so versatile, and a perfect way to be used in this healthy lemon rhubarb pound cake!
Rhubarb might seem like a simple plant, but they contain good nutrition, like calcium (good for the bones and muscles), lutein (good for the eyes and skin), vitamin K, and antioxidants (essential for our health).
You can use rhubarb in almost anything: jams, pies, chutneys, ice cream, etc. Check out my simple Rhubarb and Strawberry Jam made with chia seeds instead of pectin!
I felt like making a little something special to celebrate this warm season, and made this simple yet healthy version of a pound cake, without any milk or butter, but instead I used a nut milk and olive oil, along with whole food flours (see the recipe for details to make this gluten-free).
A wonderful treat to enjoy and nourish your body!
Bon appétit!
ECP xo
Healthy Lemon Rhubarb Pound Cake | Dairy-free, low sugar, low gluten, gluten-free option)
Ingredients
- 1 cup sprouted spelt flour
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/3 cup unbleached organic cane sugar
- organic lemon washed, juiced and zest
- 2 free-range organic eggs
- 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup nut milk (I used a homemade cashew milk)
- 1 cup sliced rhubarb
Rhubarb Sauce
- 3 cups cut rhubarb
- 1 cup organic strawberries (fresh or frozen)
- zest of 1 organic lemon
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup organic icing sugar , or 1/2 cup maple syrup
Icing (Optional)
- 1/2 cup organic icing sugar
- 1-2 Tbsp water
Gluten-Free Option Only
- Replace the 1 cup sprouted spelt flour with other gluten-free flours , such as a mix of buckwheat flour, coconut flour, chickpea flour, tapioca flour, etc.
- + add 1 tsp baking soda to the dry mix , and 1 tsp apple cider vinegar to the wet mix.
Instructions
- Prepare a rectangular 9" x 4" baking dish by greasing it with a little bit of olive oil.
- Mix all of the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
- Mix all of the wet ingredients in a medium mixing bowl (I use a whisk to mix the eggs really well).
- Incorporate the wet mix into the dry mix, using a rubber spatula, and add the rhubarb pieces. Mix.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish, and bake at 350 F for about 60 minutes, or until fully cooked and golden on top. (a knife inserted in the middle should come out clean)
- While the pound cake is baking, put the sauce ingredients together in a small to medium pot, on medium-low heat, until it starts boiling, then reduce the temperature, and let simmer until the rhubarb and strawberries are fork tender. Remove from heat and mash using a potato masher or a fork. Let cool.
- Once the pound cake is fully cooked, remove from the oven, and let cool for 5-15 minutes, then run a knife all around the sides of the dish to help loosen the cake, flip it upside-down over a cooling rack and give it a gentle shake until the cake loosens and falls down.
- Let cool down completely.
- If you choose to use some icing, simply mix some icing sugar with a very small amount of water (1 Tbsp of water goes a very long way), and mix until you get the consistency that you want.
- Once the cake is cooled completely, you can drizzle some of the icing on top.
- Serve a slice of the pound cake with a few tablespoons of rhubarb-strawberry sauce on top.
- Enjoy!
I am OBSESSED with rhubarb and so happy the season for this fruit is finally here! This looks absolutely DIVINE and I am loving the rhubarb sauce! Gorgeous combination of flavours!
Thanks Jessica! I must make it again! 🙂
Another great recipe, Gabby! Love the pairing and, as usual, all the ingredients in this pound cake. That sauce is so simple and so yummy, I can see it on pancakes and more 😉 .
Thanks Nicoletta, I agree, that sauce would be so good on pancakes! Mmmmm! I need to make another batch and try it! Good idea!
When I see ‘healthy’ and ‘cake’ in the same sentence I’m usually skeptical but this looks AMAZING. I love all things lemon so I’m adding this to my list of recipes to try!
hahaha hard to believe but true! It’s fairly easy to transform a cake recipe into a much healthier one, without sacrificing the taste 🙂
I’ve never baked with rhubarb but this sounds delicious paired with the lemon. And let’s face it, a healthy pound cake is pretty hard to resist!
haha yes it is hard to resist! This one makes an awesome breakfast too 🙂