Author Notes
Rhubarb is a relatively new introduction into my culinary life. My favorite incarnation so far is this classic crumb cake with tangy pieces of pink rhubarb studding the sweet, cinnamon-y cake. It’s great for breakfast, with a good English cup of tea or as dessert. —TheRunawaySpoon
Ingredients
- For the Crumb Topping
-
1 cup
all-purpose flour
-
1/2 cup
packed light brown sugar
-
1 teaspoon
ground cinnamon
-
1/2 cup
cold butter
- For the Cake
-
12 ounces
fresh rhubarb, to produce 4 cups, chopped
-
2 cups
all-purpose flour
-
2 teaspoons
ground cinnamon
-
1 teaspoon
baking soda
-
1/2 teaspoon
ground nutmeg
-
1/2 cup
butter, softened
-
1 1/2 cups
sugar
-
2
eggs
-
1 teaspoon
vanilla extract
-
1 cup
buttermilk
Directions
-
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch round cake pan.
-
Cut off the dried ends of the rhubarb and cut the stalks into chunks about a ½ inch thick. If the rhubarb is fat, cut them in half lengthwise first. A quick note: rhubarb will turn what it touches pink, so use a washable cutting board and wash your hands immediately. Wear gloves if you have just had a manicure so you don’t ruin your polish.
-
For the crumb topping: In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Transfer to another bowl and set aside. Wipe out the mixer bowl.
-
For the cake: Combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and baking powder in a small bowl.
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In the bowl of the mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk and mix until combined.
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Stir in the chopped rhubarb. Spread the batter in the prepared pan.
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Sprinkle the reserved crumb over the cake batter and spread out to an even layer. It may look like an awful lot of topping, but that’s what makes this so good.
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Bake the cake for 40 – 45 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the middle come out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack.
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