Grandma’s Rhubarb Cake
My grandma on my Dad’s side is an incredible woman. She managed to raise nine children, keeping them clothed, cared for, and fed. Now, as someone who can regularly be heard raving, “I give up! I! GIVE! UP!” trying to care for only two children, I really don’t know how she did it. I can’t even get one kid to wear pants, let alone nine.
Did I mention she’s an awesome baker? She’s one of those people who, when you’re staying over with her and wake up at say, 6 am with a small child, is already awake, has made coffee, a coffee cake for breakfast (unless you want eggs or a cheeseburger, which she would be happy to make for you), brownies for the church potluck and is peeling potatoes for something or other. If you know her, you wouldn’t be at all surprised that she was able to clothe, feed, and otherwise love 9 kids and then, subsequently, all their children. She is a force to be reckoned with.
Anywho, this rhubarb cake recipe is hers. Or, at least, a version of hers. I changed it just a bit to suit our tastes, but it’s mostly unchanged. I don’t know how to get across how perfect this cake is. It sounds so simple, and it is, I guess. But it’s so good at being what it is. The cake is sweet and moist, the perfect vehicle for puckery bits of rhubarb, which melt a bit and turn the cake around it a lovely shade of pink. A dusting of cinnamon sugar give the cake a crisp, flaky top that’s still not too sweet. I know I already said it, but it bears repeating: the cake stays unbelievably moist while not feeling heavy or dense. It’s one of my favorite things to do with rhubarb and I think it’ll become one of your favorites, too!
Ingredients
- Rhubarb:
- 2 cups sliced rhubarb
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- Cake:
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup whole-milk plain yogurt or sour cream
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups flour
- Topping:
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a small bowl, mix together rhubarb, 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar until creamy and light. Add in egg and beat until incorporated. Add in yogurt and vanilla and mix until smooth. Stir in flour and baking soda, and mix only until just incorporated, then stir in the rhubarb.
- Spread the batter into a greased 9 x 13 pan. In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl and then sprinkle this topping over the top of the batter.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan before slicing and serving.