It’s rhubarb season!! I love it when I start seeing those stalks of tangy juiciness arrive in the shops. These Rhubarb and Marzipan Muffins are sweet and fluffy and the perfect use for them.
Some of my other favourites include:
Rhubarb crumble (I learned recently from experience that you can’t par-cook the rhubarb in advance, top with the crumble mixture and expect to be able to cook it later. The result is pink mush. Still perfectly edible by the way - can’t waste good rhubarb! but it’s definitely a good idea to leave the rhubarb uncooked if preparing crumble in advance!!) Rhubarb amaretti cake - that almondy flavour (much like the marzipan) is amazing with the rhubarb. Rhubarb marshmallows - sweet and tangy 😍😍 Or a savoury option of confit duck with roasted rhubarb -whoah! they’re old and terrible photos! I really need to reshoot those (the recipe is still perfect though)
The tartness of the rhubarb in these muffins works really well with the almondy sweetness of the marzipan. I use shop-bought yellow/golden marzipan for this. You can of course make your own, but for this recipe I think the shop-bought stuff works better. It seems to have a stronger (completely artificial of course) almond taste, also any chunks on the top of the muffin melt down and caramelize slightly. I don’t think that would happen with homemade marzipan.
The other reason is that Chris absolutely loves shop-bought yellow marzipan. I’ve literally seen him cut chunks off – like cheese – to have with a cup of tea. My secret ingredient for these muffins is rhubarb yogurt! It injects extra tangy rhubarb taste, whilst also making the cupcakes even more moist and tender. Not only that, but the yogurt also acts as an acid which will react with baking soda (an alkaline) to produce a lovely rise. This acid/alkaline combination means you don’t need to use other rising agents like baking powder. I also use vegetable (or coconut) oil in my muffins - in place of butter. Again this ensures a more moist cake. Using butter usually adds more taste to a cake, but the other big flavours in these muffins ensure you’re not missing out on flavour at all. Enjoy these muffins with a nice cup of tea. Much safer than attempting make-ahead crumble!! Below is a video of the recipe, plus some extra tips:
Can I make the muffins gluten free?
Yes! simply replace the 240g/2cups plain flour with 70g (2.5oz) of coconut flour, and 140g (5oz) gluten free plain flour blend. Also replace the 1tbsp plain flour that the rhubarb is mixed with for gluten free plain flour blend. Make sure the baking soda and yogurt is gluten free too.
How long do they last?
They’re pretty moist, so they should last for 3-4 days, in a sealed box, at room temperature.
Can I freeze the muffins?
Yes, you can freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature for a few hours or overnight (I find it really usefully to freeze them, then put a frozen one in the kids lunchbox, it should be defrosted by lunchtime).
The Rhubarb and Marzipan Muffins Recipe:
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