Inverse Sundae

It's been forever! Sorry. But I'm back (for now) and I'm on a mission to tell you about two things. The second will have to wait because I haven't made it yet. But it's on my list of things to do but it's a long list. It is, however, sitting above washing the linens so hopefully soon. Anyway, the first thing I wanted to tell you about... well, it's not old (probably). But I made it and it's good enough to share. The title may be a good hint. OK, I'll tell you: it's vanilla sauce.

Now for the meandering story to get to that. Shortly before marrying Beta Taster, I asked every family member and friend I had for their favorite recipes. They delivered magnificently. And I've still not cooked every good thing they've shared. My list of things to do and things to cook are equally long.

Back to my story. So, this past weekend, I went to the farmer's market and there was some rhubarb. It wasn't the sad and limp end-of-season rhubarb that you would expect in mid-summer. It was fresh and firm. So I bought 2 stalks. The woman I was chatting with as I bought them asked what I was going to make with it. Answering without thinking, as I sometimes often do, I said probably a rhubarb cake as you can only take so much rhubarb in pie form (with or without strawberries) in a given rhubarb season.

When I got home, I searched my recipe database for rhubarb and there was a Special Rhubarb Cake from Cousin Gayle. Now I didn't want to be a liar, even about something as minor as what I'm going to do with my fresh produce. So I gathered up the ingredients and realized I don't own a 9 inch square pan. But since I didn't want another baking pan that I'd only occasionally use, I decided to use my 2 rarely used 9-inch round cake pans and just make my cake height shorter and figure out something to put between the layers. I toyed with the notion of strawberry preserves but decided to make a rhubarb filling as the best rhubarb accompaniment is yet more rhubarb.

Anyway, that cake was delicious. I ate more than half and my only regret is that I had to share the whole thing with Beta Taster. But the real star of the show was the vanilla sauce that goes on top. I finished the cake two days ago but some of the sauce remained. And I got to thinking, what else can I put this on since I ate the cake it was supposed to go on? Well, if vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce is a sundae, then chocolate ice cream and vanilla sauce is an inverse sundae. Let's do it.

Now I'm not going to give you a recipe for a sundae. You can make one as you like best. But I humbly submit that chocolate ice cream, this vanilla sauce, perhaps some whipped cream, and fresh berries makes a luxuriant dessert, even when it's not a Sunday.

Special Rhubarb Cake
Cake:
1/2 cup butter softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter milk
1 stalk rhubarb, chopped fine-ish

Filling:
1 stalk rhubarb, thinly sliced
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
approximately 1/2 teaspoon pectin (I didn't measure and I'm not sure if necessary)

Sauce:
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

For cake: Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; add to creamed butter mixture alternating with buttermilk. Beat just until moistened. Fold in rhubarb. Split between two greased 9 inch round cake pans. Bake until done. (I forgot to time this step.) Cool in pan 5 minutes then turn onto a baking sheet and let cool entirely.

For filling: Meanwhile, combine rhubarb, sugar, and water in small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until rhubarb breaks down entirely and almost all water is boiled off (about 10 to 15 minutes). Add pectin and continue to boil until thickened. (I'm not sure pectin was needed.) Let cool completely.

Build your cake. Spread rhubarb filling between layers.

For sauce: Melt butter in saucepan. Add sugar and milk. Bring to boil; cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Serve over cake (or anything else you can think of).