Rhubarb Snacking Cake

Ah, summer. This is when I feel the most in my element. I went strawberry picking this weekend and canned some preserves. I also got my hands on some garlic scapes and made a pesto.


Several weeks ago, I was eating asparagus to my heart's content. The first sign of spring is always exciting, even if it was a bit delayed this year.



Rhubarb is the other trigger that spring has arrived. I've had a colleague tell me that rhubarb grows like weed in her backyard. It's not the first I've heard of this wonderful problem, but unfortunately it's not an issue I run into.


So out I went to purchase a few pounds of rhubarb. I turned half of the bunch into this compote; the other half I baked into a snacking cake. The cake is not overly sweet - the tartness of the rhubarb still shines through.

Rhubarb Snacking Cake
Slightly adapted from Smitten Kitchen

1 1/4 pound (about 5 stalks) rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch lengths on the diagonal
1 1/3 cup granulated sugar, divided in half
1 tablespoon lemon juice (skip ahead and zest it for the cake before you cut it)
1/2 cup (1 stick or 115 grams) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
2 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup plain yoghurt or sour cream

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup demerera-style or brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup (1/2 stick or 55 grams) unsalted butter, melted

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Coat the bottom and sides of a 9×13-inch baking pan with butter or a nonstick cooking spray, then line the bottom with parchment paper, extending the lengths up two sides. Stir together rhubarb, lemon juice and 2/3 cup sugar and set aside. Beat butter, remaining sugar and lemon zest with an electric mixer (or by hand) until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at at time, scraping down the sides after each addition. Whisk together flour, baking powder and 3/4 teaspoon salt together in a small bowl. Add one-third of this mixture to the batter, mixing until just combined. Continue, adding half the yoghurt, the second third of the flour mixture, the remaining yoghurt, and then the remaining flour mixture, mixing between each addition until just combined.

Dollop batter over prepared pan, then use an offset spatula (or the back of a spoon, if you lack proper kitchen utensils like me) to spread the cake into an even, thin layer. Pour the rhubarb mixture over the cake, spreading it into an even layer (most pieces should fit in a tight, single layer).

Stir together the crumb mixture, first whisking the flour, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon together, then stirring in the melted butter with a spoon or fork. Scatter evenly over rhubarb layer. Bake cake in 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.

Cut the two exposed sides of the cake free of the pan, if needed, then use the parchment "sling" to remove the cake from the pan. Cut into 2-inch squares. Cake keeps at room temperature or in the fridge for a few days.