From Nigel's Kitchen Table

Rhubarb Marzipan Cake

Recipe by Nigel Clease Kitchen-tested

Cakes & Muffins 6 min read

A moist vanilla sponge studded with tender rhubarb and layered with sweet almond marzipan.

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This rhubarb marzipan cake has a light, moist vanilla sponge with tender rhubarb throughout and a layer of delicious sweet marzipan in the centre.

As a kid we often had rhubarb desserts as it grew in abundance in the garden. Not one of my favourite fruits as a child because of its tangy sour taste and I don’t think I was alone. It has slowly become more popular, combining it with strawberries in pies has become a big hit and my strawberry rhubarb crumble is one of the family favourites. This time I am paring it with marzipan, store bought or home-made it adds a sweet caramel flavour, blending beautifully with the sourness of the rhubarb and creating a moist cake.

If you want to add some further flavour twists, take a look at my variations section.

RECIPE HIGHLIGHTS
INGREDIENTS
WHAT VARIATIONS CAN I MAKE?
NUTRITION
STORAGE AND FREEZING
TOOLS YOU’LL NEED
RECIPE TIPS
RECIPE – Rhubarb Marzipan Cake
HOW DID IT TURN OUT FOR YOU!
PIN FOR LATER!

RECIPE HIGHLIGHTS

EASE: easy.
TASTE & TEXTURE: a light, moist vanilla sponge, tender, tangy rhubarb and sweet marzipan.
SERVING: delicious just served on its own or with a cup of tea or coffee.

Rhubarb Marzipan Cake – preparation step 9

Rhubarb Marzipan Cake – preparation step 8

INGREDIENTS

For this recipe, all you need are these ingredients:

Plain or all-purpose flour – to build structure.

Baking powder – is a chemical leavening which increases the volume of the ingredients, helping to create a nice light texture.

Caster or granulated sugar – sweetens the cake.

Nigel Recommends

The Vanilla I Recommend

I recommend Taylor & Colledge vanilla products because they add a delicious depth of flavour while enhancing the other ingredients in the recipe. Choose from pure vanilla extract, vanilla paste or vanilla pods, depending on the recipe and the intensity of flavour you prefer.

VIEW THE VANILLA I RECOMMEND

Eggs – add structure. Make sure they are at room temperature before using.

Neutral-tasting oil (coconut, vegetable or sunflower oil) – creates moisture, makes the cake light and lengthens the cake’s life span.

Rhubarb – the star of this cake, gives it that tangy flavour, which is absolutely delicious and moist.

Marzipan (bought or homemade) – adds sweetness and notes of caramel to the cake.

Icing sugar – for rolling out the marzipan and dusting the finished cake.

Flaked almonds – give a little texture and add decoration to the top of the cake.

Nigel Recommends

Don’t Skip the Salt

I always recommend adding a generous pinch of fine sea salt to your cakes. It balances the sweetness, softens any bitterness and brings out flavours such as chocolate, vanilla, fruit and spices. You should not taste the salt itself—it simply gives the finished cake greater depth and a more rounded flavour.

VIEW THE SALT I RECOMMEND

WHAT VARIATIONS CAN I MAKE?

Try some of these flavour twists.

Spices – add an exotic twist, by adding 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon or a 1/4 tsp of ground cardamom to the cake batter. Both go really well with rhubarb.

Citrus fruit – for a bit more zing, add the finely grated zest of 1 lemon.

Oil vs butter – I use oil in this cake to give it that light, moist texture. If you don’t want to use oil it can be replaced with an equal amount of butter. Simply beat the sugar and butter together first until pale and fluffy, continue mixing adding the eggs one at a time. Finally, add the baking powder and flour.

Try different fruits – this recipe works well with many other fruits. I particularly like glacier cherries or mixed peel. Fresh apricots, apple or pear also work perfectly.

Nutrition

Serving: one slice

401.26 kcal

CALORIES · 20% DV

23.84 g

TOTAL FAT · 34% DV

41.29 g

CARBOHYDRATES · 16% DV

25.96 g

SUGARS · 29% DV

6.1 g

PROTEIN · 12% DV

87.98 mg

SODIUM · 4% DV

1.4 g

FIBRE · 5% DV

% Daily Values based on a 2,000-calorie diet

Nutrition information is provided as an estimate and may vary depending on the ingredients and portion size used.

STORAGE AND FREEZING

This cake will keep well for up to 5 days in an airtight container.

Freezing: This cake will freeze well, wrapped in clingfilm for up to 3 months.

Rhubarb Marzipan Cake – preparation step 12

Rhubarb Marzipan Cake – preparation step 10

TOOLS YOU’LL NEED

Here is a list of some kitchen equipment that I use and recommend for this recipe.

Large mixing bowl – I recommend the 29 cm Mason Cash cream earthenware mixing bowl because it is sturdy, chip-resistant and has a generous four-litre capacity, making it ideal for everything from cake batters to bread doughs. It is also microwave, freezer and dishwasher safe. You can find this bowl and more of my favourite kitchen tools in my Amazon Baking Essentials collection.

Silicone spatula – I recommend these sturdy silicone spatulas because they are incredibly useful for baking and everyday cooking. Their firm handles make them excellent for scraping mixtures from bowls, dishes and frying pans, while the raised centre of the larger spatula gives it extra strength. You can find them and more of my favourite baking equipment in my Amazon Cake Making collection.

Electric hand whisk – I recommend the Breville Classic Combo Stand and Hand Mixer because it includes a generous 3.7-litre stainless steel bowl and a convenient stand, so you do not have to hold the mixer throughout use. You can find it and more of my favourite baking equipment in my Amazon Kitchen Equipment collection.

Cake pan 20cm – These springform pans make removing cakes from them after baking a doddle. I personally tend to line them as often as possible to ensure that my cakes don’t break for added security.

RECIPE TIPS

Make sure to cover the cake with foil for the first hour, this will help avoid it over browning.

A little marzipan may stick to the skewer when testing the cake to see if it has baked through. making it hard to check if it has fully cooked. Try testing in a couple of places and make sure you leave it for at least 1 hour 20 minutes as a minimum baking time.