Cardamom and Tea

Strawberries and rhubarb are late spring’s dream team. Each is lovely on its own, but together? Magic. This strawberry rhubarb compote lands somewhere between a chunky preserve and a tangy, low-sugar jam. It’s a bold way to add a splash of strawberry-rhubarb flavor to just about anything.

Since it’s tricky to find rhubarb out of season, I like to make a little extra compote to freeze for later in the year. You can also make this recipe with frozen rhubarb and frozen strawberries. Whether you’re in peak season or months away, I hope this brings a little late-spring to your table.

victoria sponge cake being layered, rugelach before rolling up, and a whipped cream fool

Ways to use up that jar of strawberry rhubarb compote

Once you make a jar, the possibilities are endless. Here are just a few of my favorites:

Folded into strawberry rhubarb fool
Sandwiched in a Victoria sponge cake
In a recipe for rugelach in place of the jam (especially one with chocolate)
On top of chocolate mousse
On strawberry shortcakes, in addition to fresh sliced strawberries
Spread a thin layer on a cheesecake and top with sliced strawberries
Top a bowl of oatmeal
Fill a batch of choux buns with this compote and whipped cream
Spread on cream scones
Make a cheese board with Camembert or Brie, this compote, pecans, and a crusty, seedy whole-grain bread
Make a PB&J with strawberry rhubarb compote in place of the jam
Make a lemon poppy seed dressing, and use this jam instead of the honey or sweetener
Swirl into plain yogurt
Spoon over or swirl into ice cream

strawberry rhubarb compote in a jar with a spoon photographed from overhead

strawberry rhubarb fools photographed from overhead

strawberry rhubarb victoria sponge cake with powdered sugar being dusted on top

strawberry rhubarb rugelach on a baking sheet photographed from above

Step-by-step instructions

(or check out the video at the end of the recipe below)

Place the water in a 10 in [25 cm] skillet.

Then add the strawberries, rhubarb, sugar, and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat without stirring.

Once it comes to a simmer, lower the heat to medium-low and give it a stir.

Let it gently simmer, uncovered, for 40 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally (do not intentionally mash up the pieces when you stir or it will take longer to reduce).

You’ll need to stir it more often during the last 10 minutes.

It’s done once the whole thing has reduced by about half, and if you drag a spoon across the bottom it does not fill back in.

Chill before serving.

strawberry rhubarb compote

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Yield: 1½ cups [400 g]

Ingredients

1 Tbsp water
2 cups [320 g] sliced strawberries
2 cups [300 g] sliced rhubarb
¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp [75 g] sugar
Pinch of salt

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Instructions

Place the water in a 10 in [25 cm] skillet, then add the strawberries, rhubarb, sugar, and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat without stirring.
Once it comes to a simmer, lower the heat to medium-low and give it a stir. Let it gently simmer, uncovered, for 40 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally (do not intentionally mash up the pieces when you stir or it will take longer to reduce). You’ll need to stir it more often during the last 10 minutes.
It’s done once the whole thing has reduced by about half, and if you drag a spoon across the bottom it does not fill back in. Chill before serving.

(If video does not appear below, please disable ad block)

Notes

A note on scaling: If you halve this recipe, it will take more like 20 minutes to cook down completely in a 10 in [25 cm] skillet. To double it, it’s best to use two separate pans, or it will take about 90 minutes to reduce. If you do decide to double it in one pot, only add 1 Tbsp of water (do not double the water), and use a taller, wider stockpot, because it will splatter more than a smaller batch.

Storage: When properly reduced to a paste, strawberry rhubarb compote keeps for up to 1 week in the refrigerator (discard if it starts to separate, gets moldy, or smells oﬀ), or for at least 3 months in the freezer with no loss of quality. Freeze in small containers, so that you can use a little at a time.

Psst… by the way, I love this recipe so much, I ended up including it in my cookbook, Piecemeal.

If you like this compote as much as I do, you might like my book! It’s full of mix-and-match recipes and inspiration for fun and easy meals.

Of the 500+ recipes I have ever written, this Victoria sponge cake (AKA Victoria sandwich cake) is the one I am proudest of—and I don’t say that lightly.

The crumb is extremely tender, almost like a buttermilk biscuit or very delicate scone. It’s fluffy and springy—buttery, yet light. And when I bake it for friends and family, no one can resist a second slice.

If you’re going to master just one cake recipe, I humbly present this one. And even if you already have a few dozen cake recipes under your belt, you’re in for a treat.

Jump to the recipe to get to baking, or read on for a bit about why this one has earned a special place in my kitchen. Here’s why I love it, and what we’re gonna cover in this post:

You can get creative with the filling! (Fun!)
It uses a special technique called reverse-creaming, which is way easier than it sounds.
That method is easiest to explain visually, so I made a quick video and step-by-step instructions.

victoria sponge cake being dusted by powdered sugar

How to get creative with the filling

Victoria sponge cake is also known as Victoria sandwich cake, because it’s traditionally filled with strawberry jam and whipped cream. But there are so many ways you can get creative with it.

Filling ingredient possibilities:

Add fresh strawberries or skip the fresh fruit entirely.
Opt for a store-bought jam, preserves, or even a homemade compote.
Whip the cream to medium-firm peaks and dollop it, or go a skosh further to stiff peaks and then pipe it with a fluted tip.
Go wild and use a totally different jam flavor/sprinkle on another kind of fresh berry
You can even opt for a lemon or passion fruit curd instead of the jam.

What order to layer the ingredients:

You must layer your cake strategically, depending on the ingredients you choose. Here is the key:

Start with the firmest spread, end with the softest spread, and put the fresh berries in the middle (if you are using them).

So if you’re using a super set jam that’s right from a store-bought jar, you will likely need to start with that and end with the whipped cream. If you’re using a soft homemade compote, you should start with the whipped cream and end with the compote. Likewise with any kind of curd, which will be much softer than whipped cream. If you’re not using fresh berries, that’s cool. But if you are using fresh berries, just make sure they go in between the two spreads.

And be prepared for a bit of the filling to pop out of the side, especially if your fillings are particularly soft—that’s just part of the charm!

I love this recipe so much, I even made this wonky little painting of it!

Why is this Victoria sponge cake special? Reverse-creaming!

What is reverse-creaming?

Rose Levy Beranbaum invented this method. It might sound fancy, but it’s actually even easier than the usual method. Instead of creaming the butter and sugar together first, you cream the butter and sugar along with the flour and other dry ingredients. Then you add the wet ingredients.

Why does reverse-creaming work?

Cake’s natural enemy is gluten. Too much gluten activation will make a cake turn out dry, chewy, and dense instead of moist, fluffy, and light.

In a typical cake recipe, you can avoid this by not over-mixing your batter. Mix the wet ingredients and the dry ingredients separately, and then bring them together with as few passes as possible.

But for an even more tender crumb, we reverse-cream. By working the butter and flour together, all those flour bits get coated in fat, which creates a water-resistant seal. Since the flour has been waterproofed, it can’t quickly absorb all the moisture from the eggs and milk. And since gluten needs moisture to form, this waterproofed batter can’t form gluten as easily.

(Allergy note: This does not mean this is a gluten-free cake or even a low-gluten cake. It’s just aesthetically not glutinous. It still contains gluten.)