Tuesday, May 28, 2019

Rhubarb-Strawberry Coffee Cake


Do you love rhubarb as much as I do?  Growing up in Wisconsin, it was a rite of spring for my mother to bake rhubarb pie or serve fresh rhubarb sauce.  My father used to call rhubarb the "Pie Plant".  Rhubarb thrives during the cool first months of spring and is one of the first food crops to be harvested. Our May has been unusually cool and wet so it is very happy this year!  Once summer begins, it's usually time to stop harvesting rhubarb to allow it to save it's strength for next year's growing season.  

Did you know that rhubarb is actually a vegetable?  


Each year, I like to try at least two new rhubarb recipes.  This year, the first recipe on my 'list' was this rhubarb-strawberry coffee cake. While it was a little more cake-like because of the pan I baked it in, you could use a wider pan to have less cake-to-filling ratio in each serving.  Go ahead and have a bite!


Or two!  It's delicious and just the kind of cake I love with a streusel topping and no frosting.  


I've mentioned how our weather here has been chilly and rainy this month and my The Lilies of the Valley were battered from the storms, wind and rain, but they still smell divine!  Just like the leaves of the rhubarb plant, they are also poisonous so don't let little ones put them in their mouth.


In spite of our weather, it's been a fun-filled May! I had a wonderful Mother's Day at daughter's home and, over Memorial Day, we were able to attend a Brewers baseball game with one of our grandsons and our daughter ♥  3 Home runs and a win for the Brewers last Sunday! A great game to see.


And, on a recent trip downtown, I spied these adorable swan paddleboats sitting empty in the lagoon near Lake Michigan.  Soon, it will be June and hopefully, sunny and warm again, so this sweet flock will be paddling all around making people smile.    

Here's to June and warmer weather!! 

Rhubarb-Strawberry Coffee Cake

Makes 8 Servings


Filling (cook and cool before proceeding with cake):
1/3 cup sugar 
1/8 cup + 1 Tablespoon cornstarch 
1 cup chopped fresh rhubarb 
1 cup chopped fresh strawberries  

Cake:
1-1/2 cups flour 
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder 
1/4 teaspoon baking soda 
1/2 cup (1 sticks) cold butter 
1 eggs 
1/2 cup buttermilk 
1/2 teaspoon vanilla 

Topping:
1/4 cup brown sugar 
1/4 cup all-purpose flour 
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1-1/2 tablespoons cold butter
1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8 or 9 non-stick springform pan. You may also use an 8 or 9-inch square Pyrex baking dish. If you are using an aluminum pan that doesn't have a non-stick coating, line the pan with parchment paper or the rhubarb will turn gray. 

In saucepan, combine 1/3 cup sugar and cornstarch. Stir in rhubarb and strawberries. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook for 2 minutes, or until thickened. Remove from heat and let cool. 

In a large bowl, combine flour, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder and baking soda. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. In another bowl, beat eggs, buttermilk and vanilla. Stir quickly into flour mixture until just combined. Don't over-mix. Spoon about 2/3 of cake batter into prepared pan. Top with fruit mixture. Cover with remaining batter. 

Mix together topping ingredients and blend with a fork or your fingers until crumbling.  Sprinkle over top of batter. 

Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 45 minutes (depending on your oven and the depth of your pan), or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean and cake top is golden brown. 

Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. Then remove cake from pan and cook completely.

38 comments:

  1. I confess I've never tasted rhubarb! I hope to find it and make this delicious cake, thanks for sharing ! Beautiful photos Susan! A hug from rainy Trieste, never seen a rainy May like this!

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    1. For someone who has never tasted rhubarb, I think I would compare it to very sour, green apples. Not to be eaten without baking with sugar or made into a sauce with sugar. When it combines with sugar it tastes savory and delicious! Some day I hope you can try it :) I am so tired of damp cloudy weather! Warm hugs, Chiara ♥

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  2. Rhubarb is sooooo expensive to buy here in Texas, Susan. I wish I could taste your fabulous cake. I love streusel topping, just like you. Your daughters are as beautiful as you, and I loved the photo with you, your hubby and grandson. I hope your weather warms up and you can get on one of those swan 🦢 paddle boats!

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    1. What a shame it is so expensive there, Kitty. You could make the cake with just fresh strawberries and it would be delicious too :) Thank you for your kind wishes ♥

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  3. Dear Susan what beautiful recipe, I love coffe cakes, I love these pictures especially that you with your daugthers , You looks beautiful and happy , hugs

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    1. Thank you, Gloria, Dear. I do love my family as I know you do too ♥

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  4. Looks like that you have been busy and had lots of fun with the family, Susan. The cake looks so good with seasonal fruits and streusel. I just love anything with streusel...absolutely irresistible!

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    1. We have had a fun May, Angie. I adore streusel topping too :) Thank you!

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  5. I love that the filling is cooked first! Looks beautiful..as well as your lily of the valley..mine should be ready soon in this awful May..Love your family pics ALWAYS♥Bonne journée Pea:)

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    1. It's delicious too :) You always catch up quickly and can't wait to see you LOTV as mine are fading fast. Brighter days to come, Ma Pea ♥

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  6. That looks wonderful. My rhubarb has enjoyed similar weather, but is not doing so well. I am concerned about it actually.

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    1. Oh-oh! My rhubarb is in a well-drained area so perhaps yours is getting a little too much water, Vee? We lost several boxwood bushes during the brutal cold snap and I'm also afraid I've lost a treasured Japanese Maple tree :( The rhubarb cake is delicious and hope you have enough rhubarb to give it a try!

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  7. An absolutely gorgeous slice of cake that is.

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  8. Susan, over here as in Michigan, the harvesting of the rhubarb is the first fresh local farm goods we see in the market. In the spring it is always on the table in some form or fashion, so your Rhubarb-Strawberry Coffee Cake would fit right into our fika tradition.

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    1. Thank you, Ron! I planted a small rhubarb patch in my yard about 8 years ago and am always thrilled to have the gift of fresh rhubarb every spring with minimum effort on my part :) I love it!

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  9. I like strawberry & I think it was a special cake

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  10. Such a beautiful cake, Susan! Love the combination of rhubarb and strawberry and the streusel topping looks delicious!

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    1. Thank you, Kelly! Sorry, I'm in a little late in thanking your for your comment but I've been out in the garden...a lot :)

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  11. Your coffee cake looks great with its bright red center.

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  12. I've just poured myself a cup of coffee and in my mind's eye it comes with a slice of this beautiful cake. Looks delicious.
    Amalia
    xo

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    1. Thank you, Amalia. I'm sure the filling could be made with many different types of fruit too!

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  13. What a great cake, Susan! It has to be delicious with all those good flavors. Sounds like you had a great time with your family and the ball game. It's finally getting a little warm here, and probably is your way too. Take care

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    1. We still haven't had a heat wave, that's for sure. Today is rainy and only highs in the 60s. The garden seems to be happy so I won't complain :)

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  14. Oh Susan, your coffee cake looks delicious...I have not baked with rhubarb in ages...and yes, strawberries and rhubarb are the best combination...thanks for the recipe. Have a lovely rest of the week!

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  15. I'm intrigued by the coffee and rhubarb combination, it's not something I've seen before. I would definitely want to try it though. The cake looks really good.
    Those swan paddleboats are so cute! It must be lovely to go on the lake in the summer with them.

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    1. Thank you, Anca! There is no coffee in the cake itself but it is an English term for a cake to eat with coffee. So sorry for the confusion.

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  16. I still have yet to try making anything with rhubarb. This cake looks wonderful and perfectly moist. Great recipe!

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    1. I know there are many places where rhubarb doesn't grow or is even available in stores. I've read the best thing similar in taste would be a very tart apple used in dessert.

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  17. I love this post with the photo of your beautiful daughter's! And this coffee cake is another reason we have to try some of that rhubarb. Thanks Susan! Hope you are having a great summer!

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  18. This streusel cake with strawberry and rhubarb is definitely worth a revisit, Susan. I have been meaning to bake a streusel cake with just rhubarb since it's in season right now. I really love the tender crumb of this recipe and that sweet nutty cinnamony topping is absolutely irresistible. The Lilies of the Valley looks so beautiful that I can't believe that they are poisonous.

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  19. The recipe doesn’t match the written instructions for the amount of sugar. I haven’t tasted it yet but I just split the difference

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    1. You are right! Thank you for letting me know. I had cut the original recipe in half as I didn't want such a large cake but then I forgot to adapt the instructions from 1 cup to 1/2 cup. I hope it turned out well!

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