I love streusel. Fruit crumble (or crisp, depending on some regional variations, but we said crumble) was the dessert we made most often in my family when I was growing up. I'm not sure if it's the first thing I ever baked, but it was definitely right up there with my first baking experiences. I always wanted to make the crumbs and I really loved to eat a lot of crumb mixture before it made it anywhere near the fruit filling. Raw, buttery cinnamony streusel crumbs are a a rival to cookie dough in my opinion.
Streusel is pretty good after it has been cooked too. This cake features a very generous layer of streusel, so much that you could snack on quite a bit before you add it to the cake and no one will ever suspect a thing. Go on, give it a try.
We used to make all kinds of crumbles, but I always especially loved rhubarb. It's tart, pretty rosy pink and goes so well with toasty, cinnamony streusel. This cake reminds me of everything I loved about making rhubarb crumble as a kid, but now with a little base of vanilla cake. Crumble + cake!
On a not entirely rhubarby note: I have just started a Patreon page for The Verdigris! Patreon is a great way to help the people make things that you enjoy keep making those things. If you would like to help me out making The Verdigris, that would be really amazing and fantastic and I would be so grateful. If you aren't able to, I'm totally thrilled that you are here and I hope you are enjoying it.
rhubarb & crumb snack cake:
adapted from Smitten Kitchen
rhubarb layer:
- 1/2 pound rhubarb
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Toss all ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside.
crumb topping:
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch salt
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
Combine butter, sugars, cinnamon and salt and whisk until smooth. Stir in butter with a fork. Compact mixture into a solid lump of dough and crumble into pea sized clumps with your fingers.
cake:
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons softened butter, cut into 8 pieces
Preheat oven to 325°. Line an 8"x8" pan with parchment paper.
Stir together sour cream egg and egg yolk in a small bowl. Mix flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and a little sour cream mixture. Mix until flour is evenly moistened. Add remaining sour cream mixture in two additions, while mixing on low. Scrape down bowl and mix briefly again.
Spread 2/3 cake batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle rhubarb overtop and spoon remaining cake batter over top. Don't worry about covering all the rhubarb, just blob it on. Sprinkle crumbs over top.
Bake for 45-60 minutes (mine took closer to an hour) or until topping is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Cool cake before cutting into squares.
