Sunday, September 02, 2007

Rhubarb Crumble Cake

Rhubarb CrumbleRhubarb is a vegetable that grows like a weed here in Alaska and having two large rhubarb plants in my backyard I'm always looking for things to do with the sour stalks.

This is a really wonderful recipe that turns out a moist and sweet cake that is great not only as a dessert but as a good breakfast coffee cake.

You can bake this in a greased springform pan and it makes a slightly shallow cake or you can double the recipe (as I do) and plump up your cake a bit and use the extra for individual servings in cute little ramekins (that's a word Andrew doesn't even know exists: ramekins). But if you do, don't forget to adjust the cooking times accordingly.

1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
3 tablespoons corn starch
3 cups rhubarb, finely chopped
3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped
1 beaten egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, Combine 3/4 cup sugar and corn starch in a medium saucepan and stir in the rhubarb. Cook over a medium heat, stirring frequently, until mixture comes to a boil and thickens. Cool and set aside. In a small bowl, stir together the milk and lemon juice and set aside. In a large bowl, combine the flour and remaining 3/4 cup sugar. Cut the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or pulse it in a food processor until the mixture is crumbly. Removed 1/2 cup of the flour mixture and set aside. To remaining flour mixture add the baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and pecans. Combine the egg and milk mixture and pour over the flour mixture. Stir until just moistened. Spread 2/3 of the batter over the bottom and sides of a greased 9-inch springform pan. Spoon the rhubarb filling over the batter. Drop the remaining batter over the rhubarb by spoonfuls. Sprinkle with reserved flour mixture. Bake for 50 minutes (longer if you've doubled the recipe and shorter if it's in individual dishes). Let it cool in the pan on a wire rack. Cut into slices and serve at room temperature with whipped cream on top if desired.

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25 comments:

Heffalump said...

My Mom loves rhubarb. I will have to send her this recipe. Thanks!

Qtpies7 said...

My son works for a little cafe that makes the most amazing rhubarb/blackberry pie ever. There are no words.
We've been struggling to grow a little sickly rhubarb plant that came with our house. But Donnie's parents moved to our town and they gave us their rhubarb that was from their parents, and I think their parents, even. Its been moved a couple of times. I can't wait to see how it does here and to be able to pass it on to our kids!

Anonymous said...

We don't have much in the way of rhubarb around here, but we are overrun with blackberries - Looks like the recipe would work nicely with blackberries too!

Terri said...

It looks and sounds delicious. I haven't cooked much with rhubarbs, but I may just have to try this recipe.

Joyful Days said...

I will have to give this a shot.

Unknown said...

Oh I miss rubarb! One of the things I loved about living in AK the most, was Rubarb everything : )

janet copenhaver said...

I've grown rhubarb successfully for years, great accomplishment, huh?

Thanks for the recipe, I always hate to see it go to waste.

An Ordinary Mom said...

You need to write a post about how to take excellent photographs, especially when food is the subject :) !!

Unknown said...

That sounds TASTY! My inlaws have been trying to push rhubarb my way and I finally have recipe to use for it!

Belladonna said...

MMMM - sounds and looks ever so yummy!

My husband is the baker in our family. He makes to-die-for strawberry-rhubarb pie. A couple years ago we had a bunch of rhubarb but were out of strawberries, so he used the same recipe but substituted blueberries we happened to have on hand instead. That version is now a real favorite at our house. He calls it Bluebarb!

Shelby said...

do you know I've never seen rhubarb - but I have heard of it.. great sounding recipe :)

Theresa said...

Now we're talking. Rhubarb, berries, the whole fall harvest. That's why this is my favorite time of the year.
I'm definately going to try this recipe. Thanks.
Theresa

Unknown said...

YUM. I love rhubarb, but alas it doesn't grow here worth a hoot :-( I can buy it at the grocery for 3.99/lb. :-(

Musings of a Housewife said...

Oooooohhhhhhh, YUM.

Anonymous said...

Oh man this sounds good!!! My rhubarb plants didn't do much of nothing this year. We got hit with a late frost and it killed a lot of my plants.


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Daisy said...

Mmmm. I have a rhubarb upside-down cake recipe that I haven't made in a while. I'll get it out -- right after I do something with the four sizable zucchini sitting on my kitchen counter.

Trenting said...

My dad is a rhubarb lovah OMG, he would probably die, I have to make this!

Jen said...

I.am.in.awe. You have TWO rhubarb plants??? Holy Pieplant, Batman! We only have Roger the Wonder Shrub (the rhubarb plant hell-bent on world domination) and we can't keep up. I can't begin to tell you how much rhubarb we have in our freezer, waiting for the dark days of winter. I'll have to make this; I certainly have all the ingredients.

Bridget said...

That looks fantastic. My dad loves rhubarb. I should make this for him sometime.

Anonymous said...

I love the punch of rhubarb with the creaminess of a little vanilla icecream. This recipe ought to go nicely with IC. Yum!

Sunny Ellis said...

I just moved into an apartment with some rhubarb planted in the yard. I would love to read a little rhubarb primer...How late can I harvest it or is it just a spring plant? How do I harvest it? and most importantly...How can I split the plants and take some with me when I move?

Almost Vegetarian said...

I made a peach crumble the other day that was good. Not divine, mind you, but good. But, then, it is hard to really screw up anything with peaches. But I think I'll take a crack at your rhubarb crumble next. I don't know what it is - perhaps the amazing color of the rhubarb - but it just looks so much tastier than mine.

Cheers!

Amy said...

These look delicious and I love them in the little ramekins! Too cute!

Kate said...

Yum - I love rhubarb!

PunditMom said...

MMMMmmmmm! :)