Cooky Cat

Rhubarb Coffee Cake

Product Stylist (Baker) Michele T. Fillion / MicheleDesigns

If you grow rhubarb in your own garden you probably have the same issue as the guy who planted too many zucchini plants. The adage is: If you grow zucchini, you know who your friends are. Those squash multiply and grow like rabbits. You're always trying to give it away. Get it now, the thing about the friends? (It means that they don't want it either.)

Rhubarb isn't quite the same, just that it grows profusely. Most folks you would try to give it to would probably not even know what to do with it. So, you can keep it as an ornamental, but the stalks are delicious cut into pieces and simply stewed and sweetened with sugar.

For another use, here is a most absolutely guaranteed to get raves recipe for rhubarb coffee cake. The cake itself is moist and crumbly, a fruity juicy burst in every bite.

Rhubarb Coffee Cake

Cream together in a bowl:

     1/2 Cup unsalted/sweet Butter
     1 1/4 Cup firm packed light or dark Brown Sugar
     2 whole Eggs
     1 tsp. Vanilla extract

Incorporate into above mixture:

     1/2 Cup Buttermilk
     2 Cups All Purpose Flour
     1 tsp. Baking Soda
     1/2 tsp. Salt

Add:

     2 1/2 Cups Rhubarb chopped in 1/2" pieces.

Pour batter into:

     9" buttered and floured square pan

Top with a mixture of:
    
     1/3 Cup Brown sugar
     1 tsp. Cinnamon
     1 T. melted sweet Butter
     1/2 Cup Walnuts chopped (optional)

Bake:

Preheated oven at 375 F
35-40 minutes

Serve:

     Warm or room temperature
     Dust with Powdered Sugar (optional)

There's more to this Cat on Rhubarb.