Strawberry Rhubarb Almond Cakes with Crème Fraîche

 This a French recipe I got in Paris. I attended a culinary class from Pastry A La Carte (highly recommend if you are ever in Paris) where we walked to an open air market with our chef and planned a menu for the meal we would prepare and eat together. It was springtime in Paris with a light breeze carrying the smell of freshly baked bread. The hundreds of vibrant colors tumbling from the stalls was a feast for my eyes! With our grocery bags filled we headed for the kitchen to prepare and eat. While everything we made that day was heavenly, this strawberry rhubarb cake was my absolute favorite! The picuture to the left is the one we made in Paris. The middle picture is of our cute and knowledgeable chef who took her craft very seriously. I may or may not have gotten in trouble once for talking!
The bottom picture is my re-creation of this desert at home on a day when I didn’t happen to have crème fraîche available, and I used heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar to make the topping which was pretty darn good too!

Strawberry Rhubarb Almond  Cakes with Crème Fraîche

100 grams butter

100 grams of sugar

100 grams eggs (about 2)

100 grams almond flour 

1 tsp vanilla 

1 tsp Rum (optional, but delicious)

2 stalks rhubarb sliced about 1/3 - 1/2 inch thick

1 pint strawberries washed and chopped into bite size pieces 

One container of crème Fraîche 

1-2 Tbsp powdered sugar (optional)

Sliced almonds and fresh strawberry slices for garnish (optional)

Combine butter and sugar in a mixing bowl until creamy. Add eggs and mix until completely combined. Add the ground almonds and mix well. At that point you can add your vanilla and rum. Divide your cake batter into 8 small ramekins or 6 large ones, keeping room to add the rhubarb and strawberries without overflowing. Press even amounts of strawberry and rhubarb into the batter leaving the colors showing on the top. Bake at 350° for about 15 minutes. Insert a toothpick and make sure it comes out clean before you take them out of the oven. Serve warm with crème fraîche sweetened with a little bit of powdered sugar if you like it sweet!