If you have been my friend here in this space for a while now, it’s no surprise that I get very excited when rhubarb season arrives. At last count, I had 15 rhubarb recipes on my blog. My youngest son planted a rhubarb garden in his backyard for me on Mother’s Day because I live in a condo. If you have ever planted rhubarb, you know it is the gift that keeps on giving!

The “layers” in this cake are meringue, with ground pistachios folded in for crunch. The meringue layers bake in a low oven (250°F) for about an hour. Then you turn the oven off and leave them there overnight, to dry out completely.

I got the idea for this cake from Sainsbury’s Magazine. Sainsburys is a UK based supermarket. Their website has so many inspiring ideas and recipes. I adapted the recipe very slightly.

The rhubarb is poached in a heavenly combo of orange juice, sugar and vanilla. This is the perfect make-ahead dessert. Bake the meringue layers and prepare the rhubarb filling a day ahead and then an hour before serving, whip heavy cream with some sour cream to make a tangy whipped cream and assemble.

A drizzle of rhubarb syrup and chopped pistachios finish off the cake.

My husband dislikes both rhubarb and meringue, so you can imagine his dismay when I told him what I was planning. He gamely tried a piece when I was finished shooting and discovered that, he did indeed like rhubarb and meringue. He reasoned that the two negatives somehow cancelled each other out. Who said that two wrongs don’t make a right?

This cake is a study in contrast. Meringue can be cloyingly sweet, but the tart rhubarb and tangy whipped cream really balance out all that sweetness. The meringue layers are a crunchy foil to all that soft whipped cream and silky rhubarb. While strawberries are a classic pairing with rhubarb, I love to combine it with raspberries. It is an unexpected combo that looks pretty and tastes yummy.

A slice of this cake is a bit messy but oh so addictive.