Rhubarb Buttermilk Cake

I love Rhubarb!! It has a short season, and that season is now. I have been getting rhubarb in my veggie share, and I have also been getting S's rhubarb because he claims he doesn't know what to do with it. His loss, is my gain! 

If you follow my pinterest  you will see that my "Recipes to try" board is just filled with Rhubarb recipes I want to try. So far, I have just made this cake, as I made it once, and everyone really liked it, so I made it again. I also wanted to use up the buttermilk I had bought for the cake.  The first time, I made it in an 8x8 brownie pan (I had a photo but it was a really bad one. i just wanted to eat it right away). the second time I used 2 small round pans and then made a nice layer cake with some fruit jam in the middle. I wanted to make something fancier, and elevate a plain coffee cake to the next level.. I think Master Chef is starting to really get to my head. I feel like I'm a contestant, trying to make only Master Chef quality dishes. That's a nice story.. and is partly true, but really I had forgotten my brownie pan at my parents, so had to improvise. The recipe is inspired by Taste of Home- Rhubarb buttermilk coffee cake. 

I also really like making recipes a few times, as they get exponentially easier with practice. For this cake, I left the butter out to soften before going to soccer, and when I got back, beating it with the sugar was so easy. 

Ingredients:

4 stalks diced fresh rhubarb with the ends cut off

1/4 cup plus 2/3 cup sugar, divided

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

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Directions

- In a large bowl, cream butter and remaining sugar until light and fluffy. This is easier if butter is softened. So put out the butter and sugar, go play soccer, and then come back. 

- preheat oven to 350 F, and grease an 8-in. square baking pan, or 2 small round pans

- Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla. 

- Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition. 

- Fold in rhubarb.

- Pour into pan.  Combine brown sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over batter.

- Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature (not straight out of the oven like I did the first time- It tastes a lot better cooled)

If you are making a layer cake, spread jam or icing in between the two levels.

Enjoy!!