Pearly Pink Rhubarb Cake

I get so excited when I start to see rhubarb in the grocery store.  It means that spring is definitely on its way.  Last week I was shopping and much to my surprise there it was.   A basket of beautiful, thin, pink rhubarb.  Now it is important to mention that this winter was particularly long and cold.  I was so ready for spring that just holding the rhubarb made me feel like things were going to be okay.  In the end, I bought the rhubarb with the intention of going home and making a rhubarb custard cake.  Well, fast forward and a week and a half goes by and the rhubarb was still in my fridge getting ready to go bad.  I do this ALL the time!  I want to make things, I buy the ingredients and then I let them spoil.  Well, not last night.  Even though it was 10:30 (well past my bed time) I would not thrown the rhubarb that gave me such hope away.  I started looking through my cookbooks but couldn't find what I wanted so I went to Pinterest and there is was.  The perfect, late night, not too fussy recipe.  I scanned to make sure I had everything (I did except the sour cream) and off I went.  I mixed, I crumbled and I chopped.  I did it all so well I surprised myself (anyone who know me knows that I turn into a pumpkin at 8:30 pm and so my motivation and attention to detail were rather miraculous).  I put the cake in the oven and checked the recipe for the baking length and then I see it... "put foil in the inside of the pan."  As I turned to look in the oven, I saw the rhubarb juice ooze.  Thankfully, my cake was on a baking sheet.  This cake oozed from the spring-form seams like I had put water instead of cake batter.  My exhausted frustration threatened to take over but I stopped myself.  I quickly thought, I would spoon the now syrupy ooze into a bowl and pour it over the finished cake.  I spooned out syrup three times and wonder of wonders - it worked.  My cake baked beautifully and the syrup was quickly absorbed in the cake.  I was thoroughly surprised with my success.  Historically, my last night baking adventures are far from successful.  

This cake was delicious.  The rhubarb was fragrant, the cake moist and the crumb topping- crunchy.  I will definitely put it in my make again pile BUT it will go in a tall cake tin with parchment on the bottom instead of the recommended spring-form pan.   

Pearly Pink Rhubarb Cake

Crunchy Topping

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, very soft
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Cake 

• 1½ sticks (12 tablespoons,) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for buttering pan
• 1 pound rhubarb, trimmed and cut on a very sharp diagonal about ½ inch thick
• 1½ cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1½ teaspoon salt
• zest of 1 lemon
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup sour cream or buttermilk (or a combination of the two amounting to 1 cup)

Preheat oven to 350F.

For the topping:

1. Use a fork to stir together the soft butter, flour, sugar and ¼ teaspoon salt until crumbly. Set aside.

For the cake:

1. Butter and flour your 9 inch pan (that is at least 3 inches tall). Cut 4 tablespoons of butter into bits and dot the bottom of the pan. Toss the rhubarb with ¾ cup sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste. Let it sit for a couple minutes. Spread rhubarb into the bottom of the pan.
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and 1½ teaspoons salt, set aside. Cream the remaining stick of butter and ¾ cup sugar with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy.
3. Add in zest and vanilla. Add eggs, 1 at a time, until incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl.
4. Add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with sour cream, until smooth. (Don't overmix!) Spread evenly over rhubarb. Sprinkle the topping over the batter.
5. Bake in the middle rack on top of a cookie sheet, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and top springs back when touched, about 1 hour, depending on pan size.
6. Let cool for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge and invert cake.

Recipe adapted from Marthat Stewart and The Baker Chick.