Pound Cake with Rhubarb Compote & Kefir Cream
Hearty kamut flour, vibrant lemon, lightly spiced rhubarb compote, and cultured cream make this seasonal dessert balanced and satisfying, but not overly sweet. Bar Tartine uses its house-made kefir butter and kefir cream in this recipe, but if you're short on time, you may substitute store-bought products. Find kamut flour at natural food stores or online, or substitute whole-grain pastry flour. Bee pollen is sold at many natural food stores and at farmers’ market honey stands during spring; it’s an optional ingredient that adds a sweet earthiness to the dish. Adapted from the forthcoming Bar Tartine cookbook (Chronicle Books, Autumn 2014).
Ingredients
Ingredients
POUND CAKE
- ¾ cup kamut flour
- ½ cup pastry flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup kefir butter room temperature
- 1 ¼ cup sugar
- 4 eggs
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
RHUBARB COMPOTE
- 2 pounds rhubarb cut into 1-inch pieces
- Zest of 2 lemons
- ¼cup plus 1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice
- ¾ cup sugar
TO GARNISH
- 1 cup kefir cream reserved from kefir butter recipe
- ¼ to ⅓ cup raw honey
- 2 tablespoons bee pollen optional
Instructions
Instructions
POUND CAKE
- In a small mixing bowl, stir together kamut flour, pastry flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on medium. Add eggs one at a time, allowing each to incorporate into batter before adding the next, and scraping sides of the bowl occasionally.
- Add dry ingredients to stand mixer. Mix until just combined, then scrape down sides of bowl. Turn mixer on low, and slowly add lemon zest and juice. Once batter is just smooth, cover bowl tightly with plastic and refrigerate for 3 hours to overnight to allow flours to hydrate.
- Before baking, let batter come to room temperature, and heat oven to 350°F. Line loaf pan with parchment paper and grease lightly. Spoon batter into prepared pan, smoothing top. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until loaf springs back when touched, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a rack to cool.
RHUBARB COMPOTE
- Place rhubarb, lemon zest, juice, and sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. While stirring to dissolve sugar, gently bring to medium heat. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 to 20 minutes, or until rhubarb is tender and liquid is reduced by half. Set aside to cool.
- TO SERVE: Cut pound cake into 1-inch slices and warm for 5 minutes if desired. Place ¼ cup of rhubarb compote on a plate, followed by a slice of pound cake, and top with a dollop of fresh kefir cream, a drizzle of honey, and dusting of bee pollen, if desired.
Kirstin Jackson
Kirstin Jackson is an Oakland, Calif.-based cheese and wine educator and the author of the book it's Not You, It's Brie: Unwrapping American Cheese Culture
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