This is one of my favorite cakes to make as the days turn warm. The batter is mixed by hand, soft and rustic, with fruit tucked through the center and a buttery sugar streusel scattered generously on top. Spring welcomes rhubarb, tart and rosy, with cherries and apricots close behind, and stone fruit waiting for late summer.
I love this with rhubarb in early spring, but you can swap in whatever the season brings — cherries, peaches, plums, even berries. Rhubarb is tart, so I like to macerate it in a little sugar first to soften it and pull out some of its juices before baking, though I skip this with the other fruit.
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Rhubarb Crumb Cake
Description
8 × 8-inch cake
Ingredients
Cake
1¼ cups (155 g) all-purpose flour
½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
1½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk
¼ cup (60 g) whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Rhubarb
2½–3 cups (300–360 g) rhubarb, sliced into 1-inch pieces
1½ tablespoons granulated sugar
Crumb Topping
¼ cup (57 g) unsalted butter, softened
½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
½ cup (62 g) all-purpose flour
⅛ teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter an 8 × 8-inch pan and line with parchment, leaving an overhang on two sides.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the softened butter and work it in with a pastry cutter or fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Add the egg, egg yolk, milk, and vanilla. Stir gently until just combined, scraping the bowl to ensure no dry flour remains. The batter will be slightly lumpy. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
- In a separate bowl, toss the rhubarb with the sugar until lightly coated. Scatter evenly over the batter, packing the pieces close together.
- To make the crumb topping, combine the butter, sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt. Gently rub the mixture together until it forms soft, clumped crumbs. Scatter over the rhubarb.
- Bake for 40–45 minutes, until the crumbs are lightly golden and the center is just set. The rhubarb should be soft and settled into the cake.
- Cool slightly before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature, dusted with powdered sugar.
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