Sweet

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb Cake

I’m just so glad strawberries and rhubarb are bffs. I’d be sad if they had a falling out.

It was hot yesterday. Hot and gross and my hair was wavy against it’s will. My fridge let out a gusty wind of cold air every time I opened it, just to show off the fact that it was nice and chilly in there and I was roasting out here. I wore a hat to cover my head and I baked this cake anyway.

The best pie my mom has ever made involved both rhubarb and strawberries. They are a duo that can do no wrong. That tasty pie memory gave me great confidence in this cake, since until now I’d never made anything with rhubarb!

I find crumb-topped anything very comforting, and since I recently came into some rhubarb, I knew I needed to do something with it … something involving strawberries.

And my hot kitchen was worth it! Even my bad hair! This cake is a crumb topped sweet + tart dream.

Just a few more of my favorite crumb-topped recipes for you:
Blueberry Streusel Pancakes +ย Mini Dutch Apple Galettes +ย Peach Crumble.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb Cake {serves 8}
Recipe from Sugar Plum

Ingredients:

cake –

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 t baking powder
  • 1/4 t salt
  • 6 T unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 1 t vanilla extract
  • 2/3 cup milk
  • 1 cup sliced strawberries
  • 2/3 cup chopped rhubarb

crumb topping –

  • 5 T unsalted butter, chilled
  • 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350ยบF. Grease a 9 inch round cake pan, tart pan, or springform pan. (If using a cake pan cut out a circle of parchment paper for the bottom and grease that.)
  2. In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.ย In another bowl beat the butter and granulated sugar until light and creamy. Add egg yolks and vanilla and beat until mixed completely. Gradually beat in flour, alternating with milk until combined. Spread cake batter evenly in prepared pan.
  3. Top batter with strawberries and rhubarb. Bake for 20 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, prepare the crumb topping by combining brown sugar, 1/2 cup flour and 5 tablespoons of butter. Knead together using fingertips or a fork until mixture starts to clump together. Set in the freezer until ready to use.
  5. When cake has baked 20 minutes, top evenly with crumb mixture. (I only used about 1/2 of the crumb mixture because I used a tart pan and the crumb would’ve fallen everywhere. I froze the left overs!) Continue baking for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean with a couple moist crumbs attached. Cool for 30 minutes before running a knife around the edges and carefully invert. Invert again onto a platter. Be careful! This cake is very delicate. If using a springform pan simply remove the sides and cool until ready to remove the bottom.

Note: I made this cake in a tart pan because I knew it would be a shorty. It was a bit tricky to get out of the pan though AND I couldn’t use all of the crumb topping because I used such a short pan. So you might want to use a springform pan or maybe a cake pan or even a pie pan! If you use a pie pan you won’t even need to bother with inverting. Just sayin’!

Take a bite that pairs both tart and sweet.
It’s all about coordination, not being matchy.

6 thoughts on “Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb Cake”

  1. I LOVE this combo.. and would really, really like a big piece of this. I read a quote by Alton Brown.. or whatever that cooks name is.. he said “the fact that rhubarb and strawberries come ripe at the same time is proof that there is a God”.. I like it!

  2. Oh, Mum. I would give you this whole cake if you were here. Alton Brown is a G. I’m glad strawberries and rhubarb become ripe at the same time!

    Oh, Katie. ๐Ÿ™‚

  3. Hi,

    I’ve stumbled across your blog from another one and only just started reading- but I love this recipe!! It sounds gorgeous, thank you so much for the inspiration, I’ve bookmarked it to make this weekend as a change from just eating strawberries from the tub! ๐Ÿ™‚

    Lucy

  4. Hey Lucy! I’m so glad you stopped by. I hope you love the cake. Personally, I wanted to eat the whole thing.

    I totally understand just eating the strawberries straight up. I had to contain myself for the sake of this cake. ๐Ÿ™‚

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