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Rhubarb Snacking Cake

Julia's delicious coffee cake, from https://smittenkitchen.com/2012/05/rhubarb-snacking-cake/ 1/2
Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: baking, breakfast, cakes, desserts
Servings: 24 pieces

Equipment

  • 1 13x9 baking dish
  • Parchment paper

Ingredients

RHUBARB

  • 1 1/4 pound 565 grams rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch lengths on the diagonal
  • 2/3 cup 130 grams granulated sugar
  • Juice of half a lemon psst, skip ahead and zest it for the cake before you juice

CAKE

  • 1/2 cup 4 ounces or 115 grams unsalted butter, softened
  • 2/3 cup 130 grams granulated sugar
  • Finely grated zest of half a lemon
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/3 cup 80 grams sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon table salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 1/3 cups 165 grams all-purpose flour
  • 4 tablespoons 2 ounces or 55 grams unsalted butter, melted

TOPPING

  • 1/4 cup 50 grams light brown sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon table salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

  • Heat your oven: To 350°F. Line the bottom and sides of a 9×13-inch baking pan with a large piece of parchment paper, extending the four sides and pressing it into the corners. (It will look like a sling).
  • Prepare the rhubarb: Stir together rhubarb, lemon juice and granulated sugar and set aside.
  • Make the cake: Beat butter, granulated sugar and lemon zest with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides after each addition. Beat in sour cream. Sprinkle baking powder, salt, and ginger over the batter and beat thoroughly to disperse into the batter. Add flour and beat just until it disappears.
  • Make the crumbs: Whisk the brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon into the melted butter until smooth, then add flour all at once. Stir together with a fork, creating large and small crumbs.
  • Assemble the cake: Dollop cake batter across the bottom of the prepared pan in spoonfuls then use a spatula — offset, if you have one, makes this easiest — to spread the cake into an even, thin layer. Pour the rhubarb mixture, including any liquid accumulated in the bowl (this is essential for cake moisture) over the cake, spreading it into an even layer. Scatter the crumbs evenly over the rhubarb layer.
  • Bake the cake: In your preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes. The cake is done when a tester comes out free of the wet cake batter below. It will be golden on top. Cool completely in the pan on a rack.
  • To serve: Use the parchment paper to transfer the cake from the pan to a cutting board. Cut into 2-inch squares and go ahead and eat the first one standing up. [It’s called a “snacking” cake for a reason.]
  • Leftovers keep at room temperature for 3 days, and up to one week in the fridge.

Notes

SERVINGS: 24 TIME: 25 TO ASSEMBLE; 60 TO BAKE SOURCE: SMITTEN KITCHEN
FYI: We theorize that substituting fruit for the rhubarb would make for a delicious breakfast/snack cake!