Duck Egg Sponge Cake with Rhubarb Compote and Cream

  

One of my very favourite things is receiving unexpected food gifts... I swear I'm not trying to sneakily demand presents, I'm just stating a fact! The last time my mom came to visit, she brought homemade apricot jam and beef from my uncle's farm. Beautiful! My dad often brings artisan sausages back from Saskatchewan when he visits, and I've gotten some pretty nice treats from my brother and sister when they've come back from travelling. People must just think, "Lindsay likes food" and assume it's a safe bet ...and they are correct. ;)



Recently Neil's mom came to visit us at our new(ish) place, and she came bearing all kinds of gifts. It was lovely - we felt pretty spoiled! Among the goodies was a container of farm-fresh duck eggs that a friend of hers gave her. I had never seen a duck egg before - I'd seen quail eggs and goose eggs and even ostrich eggs, but not duck eggs. They're big and mottled; really beautiful. Here's Neil working his hand-modelling skills (duck egg on the left, chicken egg on the right):



The question was, what do I make with these? I started doing some research and found that duck eggs are actually really useful in baking - the whites have a higher protein content than chicken eggs, and the yolks have a richer flavour. I found that the whites were SUPER thick and way more viscous than normal eggs, and took a lot more whisking in order to get stiff peaks (I thought maybe I had gotten grease in the bowl or broken a yolk, because they stayed liquid for a good five minutes past the point I'd normally expect them to fluff up. But nope! They just take a little more whipping than delicate little chicken egg whites). The thick shell was kind of novel too; I really had to get aggressive when cracking these things!

I found a recipe for duck egg sponge cake on The Kitchn that intrigued me, mostly because it has only three ingredients: duck eggs, sugar, and flour. I wanted to showcase the eggs as much as possible, plus, to be honest, I was sceptical/curious as to how a 3-ingredient cake would turn out.

The cakes came out bright yellow and very light and spongey. The perfect vehicle for some sweet whipped cream and bright, tart rhubarb compote - a nice springtime treat. :)

You might be able to find duck eggs at your local farmer's market - I know there are a few here in Edmonton who sometimes offer duck eggs alongside their chicken eggs. Plus you can grab some rhubarb at the same time, which is in season and super cheap right now (I got a huge bunch for $3 from Peas on Earth at the Old Strathcona Farmer's Market). But if you can't find any duck eggs, I think 4 chicken eggs would substitute nicely.

Duck Egg Sponge Cake with Rhubarb Compote and Cream
Adapted from a recipe from The Kitchn, originally from Forgotten Skills of Cooking: The Time-Honored Ways Are the Best--Over 700 Recipes Show You Why
Makes two 8-inch layers

Sponge Cake
3 duck eggs
6 tablespoons caster sugar/superfine sugar
3/4 cup sifted all purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Rhubarb Compote
2 cups sliced rhubarb (about 1-inch slices)
3/4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon or lime juice

Whipped Cream
1 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

To make the rhubarb compote:

1. Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Keep stirring; the sugar will dissolve and the mixture will come to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat a little and simmer until the rhubarb is tender, about 5 minutes, mashing the chunks of fruit a bit with the back of your spoon.

2. Transfer the compote to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and store in the fridge while you make the cake.

To make the cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F/180C and grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans.

2. Separate the egg whites and yolks; set the yolks aside. Add the sugar to the whites and whisk in a mixer or with electric beaters until thick and glossy and stiff peaks form.

3. Add the yolks one at a time to the egg white mixture and beat at low speed. Beat in the vanilla at this point too.

4. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the flour into the egg mixture until the batter is moistened (but try not to lose too much of the volume you've whipped into the whites).

5. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pans and bake for about 15 minutes, until the edges are golden and a skewer comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool on racks for a few minutes, then gently remove them from the pans and let them cool completely on the racks.

Whip the cream:

1. Combine the cream, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl (or the bowl of a mixer with a whisk attachment) and whip on high speed for a few minutes until thick, soft peaks form.

Assemble: Pile up two layers of cake, cream, and compote, being as messy as you like. Slice up and enjoy!