By the Weber’s Bakeshop Team
We’re excited to share the story—and the recipe—behind our new Seasonal Dessert: Rhubarb Olive Oil Cake with Goat Cheese Sorbet, a collaboration that marks a turning point in our pastry kitchen.
This dessert is extra special because it’s the first seasonal feature developed with major contributions from our Assistant Pastry Chef, Lonnie Elswick, who just earned Employee of the Month. Lonnie joined us in June 2024, moving from his role as pastry chef at the Kimpton Journeyman Hotel in Milwaukee, where he led the pastry program at Tre Rivali. It’s his first time creating an olive oil cake like this, and with the help of our incredibly talented bakeshop team—Daniella, Scott, and Anna—he brought it to life.
We’ve served rhubarb in a few ways over the years—cobblers, tarts, and always with strawberry ice cream. But this year, we took a leap. Bright, local rhubarb is folded into a plush olive oil cake, enriched with citrus and just the right amount of tang. Paired with a scoop of Lonnie’s house-made goat cheese sorbet, it’s both unexpected and perfectly balanced.
And now—because you asked—we’re sharing the full recipe.
Rhubarb Olive Oil Cake
Ingredients:
- 8.5 oz Rhubarb (diced)
- 1 cup Sugar (divided ¼ / ¾)
- Orange juice
- Buttermilk
- 3 large Eggs
- ⅔ cup Olive oil
- 1 Tbsp Vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cup All-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp Baking powder
- ¼ tsp Baking soda
- ¼ tsp Salt
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 335 degrees. Grease a 9” round cake pan.
- Dice the rhubarb and transfer to a bowl with ¼ cup of sugar. Toss to coat, set aside. Zest your orange and add the zest to the remaining ¾ cup of sugar in a mixing bowl. Rub the sugar and zest together by hand until combined. Add the eggs, olive oil, and vanilla extract. Whisk together until fully combined.
- Squeeze the zested orange into a measuring cup and add enough buttermilk to total ⅔ cup of liquid. Pour this mixture into the bowl with the sugar, olive oil, and eggs and whisk until combined.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gently stir the dry ingredients into the wet. Fold in the rhubarb, scraping the bowl to get all the juice. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake 60-65 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Goat Cheese Sorbet
Ingredients:
- 2 cups Whole milk
- 1 Tbsp Cornstarch
- 8 oz Fresh goat cheese
- ½ tsp Kosher salt
- ⅔ cup Sugar
- 3 Tbsp Honey
Instructions:
- Combine 2 Tbsp of milk with cornstarch in a bowl to make a slurry.
- In another bowl, combine goat cheese and kosher salt.
- Bring remaining milk, sugar and honey to a boil. Boil for 4 minutes and do not let the liquid boil over.
- Whisk in the cornstarch slurry and bring back to a simmer. Cook mixture for an additional 2 minutes to ensure it has emulsified.
- Remove mixture from the stove and slowly pour over the goat cheese mixture, whisking to combine them.
- Once fully incorporated, cool the mixture overnight.
- Run the mixture through an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions.
- Transfer to another container to freeze for at least 2 hours before serving.
This dessert is available for a limited time only, and we’re proud to showcase it as part of our ongoing effort to highlight the creativity of our in-house talent.
Congratulations again to Lonnie—and thanks to the entire pastry team for bringing this one to life.
We hope you enjoy every bite.
