Last weekend, my dad brought me rhubarb, freshly cut from his garden in Vermont. Â So awesome! Â I love rhubarb season. Â For me, it is the marker of Spring really arriving; it is the first fruit/vegetable that demands to be baked into something delicious. Â The first thing I tried to do with this bounty of rhubarb, because I had found the recipe this winter and was just dying to try it, was make rhubarb curd. Â Like lemon curd, except with rhubarb. Â It did not go well, partly (well, mostly) my fault because I tried to substitute an important ingredient. Â I’ll make a post about my misadventure next week, after I’ve made it again and this time I’ll follow the recipe verbatim!
After that flop, and still with no rhubarb sweet in hand, I opted for something easy, meaning I’ve done it before so there was little to no chance of failure. Â A simple cake, tons of rhubarb, cinnamon sugar and lots of happy tummies. Â The Vanilla Coconut Sauce was a small adaptation of something I had made earlier in the week. Â I stumbled upon a recipe, and then many more recipes, for vegan sweetened condensed milk, made with coconut milk instead of cream. Â I had no idea it was so easy to make! Â I cut and paste some recipes together to come up with my own version, which I’ve used as a sauce on the cake, and also as a sweet treat in my coffee in the morning. :). Â The sauce can be made days in advance and keeps well in the refrigerator.
This recipe, by happy coincidence, also meets the criteria for the So Delicious and Go Dairy-Free Spring Fling Recipe Contest that I entered a couple of weeks ago, with this recipe for Creamy Ginger Avocado Veggie Dip. Â They allow up to five entries, so here’s a second one from me. Â Hopefully it doubles my chances!
On it’s own, this cake is really really good and a perfect Sunday morning treat with coffee or tea.  Adding the Vanilla Coconut Sauce turns it into a rich, decadent, indulgence that may make you swoon into your coffee!
Rhubarb Cinnamon Coffee Cake
- 1/2 cup vegan margarine
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 3/4 cup So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Yogurt
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2/3 cup So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups rhubarb, sliced thin (about 3 large stalks)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Preheat oven to 350F. Â Lightly grease an 8×8 baking pan.
- Mix the flour and baking powder in a small bowl and set aside.
- Mix the So Delicious Coconut Milk, vanilla, and orange zest in a separate bowl and set aside.
- With a mixer, cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy.
- Add the So Delicious Plain Coconut Yogurt and mix well.
- Add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk mixture, mixing after each addition until the ingredients are just combined.
- Fold in the rhubarb and then pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Mix together the 2 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle evenly on top of the cake.
- Bake for 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cool completely before serving.
Vanilla Coconut Sauce
- 2 11 oz packages So Delicious Original Culinary Coconut Milk
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup agave nectar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- In a medium saucepan, combine the coconut milk, brown sugar, and agave nectar and bring to a simmer.
- Let it simmer for 30-40 minutes (or longer if needed), checking on it every 10 minutes or so to give it a stir with the whisk and make sure it’s not going to bubble over.
- You will know it’s done when it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (there is a picture below explaining what I mean). Â It should reduce down to about 1/2 of the original.
- Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla.
- Let cool completely, then pour into a jar or container and store in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks.
![sliced rhubarb](https://thelazyveganbaker.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/sliced-rhubarb.jpg?w=300&resize=300%2C200)
![Cake about to go into oven.](https://thelazyveganbaker.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/about-to-go-in-the-oven.jpg?w=300&resize=300%2C200)
![Rhubarb Cinnamon Cake](https://thelazyveganbaker.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/cake-1.jpg?w=300&resize=300%2C200)
![Vanilla Coconut Sauce reducing](https://thelazyveganbaker.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/boiling.jpg?w=300&resize=300%2C200)
![Checking the consistency](https://thelazyveganbaker.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/boiling-2.jpg?w=300&resize=300%2C200)
![Sauce should coat the back of a spoon.](https://thelazyveganbaker.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/back-of-spoon.jpg?w=300&resize=300%2C200)
Can you use almond and or coconut flour to replace the all purpose flour?
Great question. I’m not sure, I’ve never tried either. If I remember correctly, both of those flours absorb more liquid than all-purpose, so that might need to be increased as well. Sorry I’m not more help! Let me know if you try it, I’d love to hear if either work.