rhubarb cake
I got a request for a coffee cake recipe a little while ago, and while I’ve never labeled this as a coffee cake before, I think it fits the role quite nicely. Simple, crumbly cake, topped with a sugar and cinnamon crust. Perfect for breakfast with a nice cup of coffee, fresh out of the press. And this recipe is extra special. It’s a family recipe that I have the pleasure of sharing with you all from the kitchen of my papa. He gave permission to post it for the world to see. (Or probably more accurately, for the 10 or so people who may be reading this to see.) It is one of my favorite springtime recipes and I hope you like it too.
It was only three weeks ago that the rhubarb in my backyard garden was beginning to break through the soil and now it is huge! This particular plant was a piece of one of the plants at my grandpa’s cabin. I think that this is super cool, especially because not only do I have a piece of this plant, but so do my parents and my dad’s two brothers. So it’s a little piece of my family from Minnesota, growing at my home in Montana. I can (and will) nerd out on this kind of stuff that I derive great sentimental value from all day.
So, Miss Michelle, this is a “coffee cake” for you (sorry it’s on the late side!) with hopes that baby will come soon.
Rhubarb is just so bright and pretty. And apparently it works as a laxative. But just don’t eat the leaves (unless you have found your life has become a tragic love story à la Romeo and Juliet); they are poisonous.
RHUBARB CAKE (from my dad, Ron Anderson)
1/2 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup sour milk (warm 1 cup milk and add 1 Tbsp. white vinegar)
2+ cups rhubarb, diced
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and brown sugar. Add eggs, salt, and vanilla. Alternately stir in flour/baking soda mixture and sour milk. Fold in rhubarb. Pour into a greased and floured 9×13 inch pan. Mix the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl and sprinkle evenly over the cake. Bake for 45+ minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
*A word of advice from the expert and creator: You can add more flour, if you need, to make sure the batter is a nice thick consistency to avoid the dreaded soggy bottom cake. Also, cook the heck out of it to get rid of excess moisture.
THANKS! it’s been a whirlwind month +. I got to celebrate my last few days of overdue pregnancy enjoying this fabulous cake! I really appreciate it! So does Meadow! you Rock Kiki! :)
Glad you liked it! Your little girl is beautiful. Congratulations!