Rhubarb Lemon Cake


And then the World Cup.
I did not grow up in a place that recognized the World Cup.  In my little town about an hour outside of Toronto, soccer was a thing you played after school when the hockey season was over.  Filler I guess.  When I moved to Montreal the World Cup was a thing that was recognized for sure but I was a broke student in the music faculty.  I didn't really give a crap about team sports generally and had no money to go to the pub with my friends to socialize... and watch the game.  Hence, this soccer thing was not at all on my radar.
My subsequent move to Trinidad served to school me in the 'joys' of cricket more than anything else. I thought that all of these people must be talking about croquet.  Never heard of cricket and therefor it can't be that important.  After, I've been around and would have heard about it if it were a big thing.  Yup - it's a big thing... not croquet after all... turns out most of the world knows about a lot of things that I didn't even know existed...imagine.  Cricket and all of it's test match weeks and day long games are huge... HUGE.  Who knew.


We took a trip to London a few years ago.  We wanted to reconnect with some of D's family and to spend time in a place that I had heard so much about.  Our trip just happened to coincide with the World Cup.  Of course this meant nothing to me until I attempted to navigate around Piccadilly Square during an England match (god help us all).  You couldn't so much as buy a cookie that didn't have the white flag with the red cross on it.  I think even vegetables were branded with it.  Tv ads and even a music video - so ghastly that I shudder a bit even remembering it - marketing how well the England team would do.  Of course being the England team (I'm sorry - I really am) meant that they didn't get too far into the tournament.  Imagine my shock when the then Prime Minister, Tony Blair, gave a televised statement viewed across the UK expressing his deep disappointment (expressed by him as 'devastation' as I recall) that the team would not be bringing home the cup.  What... the Prime Minister... what's going on here.  I'm sure that all of the cakes and cookies stamped with the flag went on sale the next day.

A very dark picture of two members of my family watching a game.
For D this was a relief because finally I get it.  I understand just how important this world cup thing was.  I understand that this is something entire countries get behind in a way they never do in the Olympics.  I understand that even if you aren't from Brazil you can support them and that you'd better hope if you are in the pub that you aren't the only Brazil supporter present.  I understand that even if you've lived in Canada your entire life that when it comes to the world cup you absolutely become Italian.  I get that it's almost impossible to work at your desk during a game... and why fight it.  I know now that doing something, anything on a day when there are 3 or 4 games happening will be done by me by myself unless it happens in the 60 minutes in between game times.
I understand and I'm ok with it now.  I made rhubarb cake so that I could serve it to the construction guys in our house during the game.  'Cause I know now that they won't be working.


Rhubarb Lemon Cake adapted slightly from 'honey & jam'
makes 1 tube cake

3 cups chopped rhubarb
2 tbsp all purpose flour
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cardamom
1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1 3/4 sugar
3 eggs (or 1 egg and 3 egg whites - that's what I used)
zest of 1 lg lemon
3/4 cup buttermilk

glaze:
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup icing sugar
cream (if needed to get the right consistency)

Preheat oven to 350°F
Butter and flour a tube/bundt pan.  Set aside.  
Combine the chopped rhubarb (I used frozen rhubarb, let it thaw and drain well) and the 2 tbsp flour until the rhubarb is completely coated.  Set aside.
Combine the 2 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, salt and cardamom together.  Mix well and set aside.  

Beat or whisk together the room temperature butter and the sugar for about 2 minutes or until light and fluffy.  Add in the eggs and continue to beat or whisk until well combined and fluffy.  Add in the lemon zest and mix thoroughly.  
Continue to beat at low speed or whisk adding about half of the flour mixture.  Combine thoroughly. 
Add in the half of the buttermilk and beat until thoroughly combined. 
Add in about half of the remaining flour mixture and beat until combined. 
Add the rest of the buttermilk and combine.  
Add the rest of the flour mixture until thoroughly combined.  
Gently fold in the coated rhubarb to the cake batter.  
Pour into the prepared pan and spread evenly.  Bang lightly on the counter to remove air bubbles. 
Bake for about 30 minutes. 
Turn the pan and bake for another 30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean and the cake is pulling away from the edges of the pan. 
Cool completely before removing from the pan. 

Glaze: 

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St Michael's Choir School is celebrating it's 75th anniversary year of service to St Michael's Cathedral. Part of the school celebration is a trip to Italy where our boys from Grades 5 - 12 will be performing and celebrating Mass. This blog will be chronicling our adventures. Wanda Thorne is the Vocal Coach at St Michael's Choir School. Gerard Lewis is the Grade 7/8 Homeroom teacher at the Choir School.

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Wanda Thorne
St Michael's Choir School is celebrating it's 75th anniversary year of service to St Michael's Cathedral. Part of the school celebration is a trip to Italy where our boys from Grades 5 - 12 will be performing and celebrating Mass. This blog will be chronicling our adventures. Wanda Thorne is the Vocal Coach at St Michael's Choir School. Gerard Lewis is the Grade 7/8 Homeroom teacher at the Choir School.
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