Crazy, I know, to post a recipe calling for rhubarb in November, but two things: One, this is really a post about crumb cake, and you can sub berries or cherries or sort of anything your heart desires for the rhubarb (you could even leave the fruit out altogether and make a straight-up, fab-o, crumb cake). And two, we found rhubarb growing (against all odds) in the garden about a month ago and I sort of/kind of had to make something with it.
At first I was thinking buckle, cause I love the name so much. Then I was thinking coffee cake, cause I love this crumb cake so much (and have actually made it kind of a lot in the 8 years since I first stumbled upon it in the newspaper). and so, not surprisingly, my first version of this crumb cake (made with creme fraiche), was very much a member of the buckle/coffee cake family. it was awfully yummy, with warm pockets of tart/sweet, rhubarb, and yet awfully dense (due to the creme fraiche, I’m thinking). 
And then it hit me: I wanted a lighter, fluffier — dare i say moister — cake than a buckle or coffee cake, but one that still had a big-ole topping of crumb. In other words, I wanted a crumb cake. As a kid, my first exposure to crumb cakes (incorrectly labeled “coffee cakes”) was to the packaged (and need I say delicious) variety. But more recently, I had crossed paths with this particular crumb cake. The crumbs of a crumb cake all seem to call for melted butter, but I wasn’t going in that direction (smooshing cold cubes of butter into flour and sugar with your fingers is what crumb topping is all about for me). Plus the cakes of a crumb cake run the gamut. I knew mine would have oil for moistness and cake flour in place of some of the all-purpose, as well as buttermilk, rather than the aforementioned creme fraiche, for the light and fluffy cake-qualities I was after.
My resulting cake? The crumb cake of my dreams: A super moist, soft and fluffy cake with chunks of rhubarb suspended throughout, and the most buttery of crumb toppings, complete with a combo of sugars and just a touch of spice (ie: cinnamon). I’m not going to lie, the packaged mini crumb cakes of my childhood did cross my mind as I polished off my first piece of rhubarb crumb tastiness, but only in the best of ways, as I was ever so pleased that my not-so-seasonal, but oh-so-tasty cake, brought back memories of the packaged yumminess of my childhood.
[yumprint-recipe id=’73’]
6 replies on “Rhubarb Crumb Cake”
Hi Jessie,
Do you think this would work with frozen rhubarb? None growing in my garden, sadly.
If so, would you defrost it and drain it, then toss with the arrowroot and rechill, or just toss the frozen pieces?
The cake looks irresistible!
Yes! It will totally work with frozen (I made it once with frozen and once with fresh – and there was no difference). Just toss it with the arrowroot, as stated in the recipe, and then stick back into the freezer. Let me know how it turns out!!
Hi Jessie,
Do you think this would work with frozen rhubarb? None growing in my garden, sadly.
If so, would you defrost it and drain it, then toss with the arrowroot and rechill, or just toss the frozen pieces?
The cake looks irresistible!
Yes! It will totally work with frozen (I made it once with frozen and once with fresh – and there was no difference). Just toss it with the arrowroot, as stated in the recipe, and then stick back into the freezer. Let me know how it turns out!!
Hi Jessie,
Do you think this would work with frozen rhubarb? None growing in my garden, sadly.
If so, would you defrost it and drain it, then toss with the arrowroot and rechill, or just toss the frozen pieces?
The cake looks irresistible!
Yes! It will totally work with frozen (I made it once with frozen and once with fresh – and there was no difference). Just toss it with the arrowroot, as stated in the recipe, and then stick back into the freezer. Let me know how it turns out!!