Rhubarb Cake

Among other things, my Grandma Helen was a fantastic gardener.

When I think about her as a gardener I think of: Lilacs, Kahlrabi, and Rhubarb.

Lilacs - can you smell them?

Kahlrabi - sliced with some salt, YUM!

I have so many good memories of being at Grandma Helen's house with my brother and cousins, running around like the crazy kids that we were. I really do have an awesome family. I'm so thankful for them.

When we were kids, we would pick fresh rhubarb from Grandma's garden, wash it (if we were feeling like civilized human beings or an adult made us,) grab a bowl of sugar and start eating. The key, you see, is to cut (or bite) off the end and then dip the wet part in the sugar and repeat. Fun times. 

Rhubarb!

Last summer I was on a bit of a rhubarb kick. It had been years since I had the stuff. Stacy was selling some from her family's farm and I knew I had to have some. Once I had it, I didn't really know what to do with it!  Stacy was kind enough to give me a Rhubarb Crisp recipe (I'll share that another time) and it tasted fabulous. Then my friend Brenna posted on Facebook that she was making a Rhubarb cake. I asked and she was kind enough to share the recipe.

Here is how it turned out:

The batter

Batter with topping

Cooling

I added some powdered sugar, for the heck of it.

Ratings:

Mom - A
This cake is moist and delicious! It reminds me of summer!

R2 - D
It smells really good but I don't like the taste.

Hank - A
(He's a little bird, looking to steal a bite.)
Can I have another bite, please?

Without further ado, here is the recipe:

Rhubarb Cake

Cake Ingredients

1\2 cup butter
1 1\2 cups white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups of all purpose flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1\4 teaspoon of salt
1 cup buttermilk (you can substitute with regular milk here, the cake will be less tangy)
2 cups rhubarb chopped
1 tablespoon flour

Topping Ingredients

1\4 cup butter
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup packed brown sugar

Directions

1. In a large bowl, cream together butter or margarine and sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla.
2. In another bowl, sift together 2 cups of flour, soda, and salt. Add sifted ingredients alternately with buttermilk to creamed mixture.
3. Toss rhubarb with 1 tablespoon of flour, and stir into batter. Spoon batter into buttered 9x13 inch pan, and smooth the surface.
4. Blend together 1/4 cup butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar, sprinkle evenly over batter.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes. It should be golden brown.

Suggestions

• This cake can stand alone and is fantastic warm or completely cooled.
• Add some powdered sugar to the top, after it has cooled.
• To cut some of the tartness you could serve it with vanilla (or cinnamon) ice cream or some whipped topping.