This week's work ·
Rhubarb, a crumb topping, and the first cake of spring
The rhubarb was pink and sour and perfect, so we did the only reasonable thing: baked it into a coffee cake with a serious crumb top. It lasted two days. It was that good.
We found rhubarb at the market with stalks the color of coral, thick and crisp, and we carried it home like a trophy. Rhubarb is a spring thing, a short window, and we weren't about to let it pass without a cake.
We kept the cake simple — a tender vanilla crumb, folded with chunks of rhubarb that turned jammy and tart as they baked — and then we went heavy on the topping, because a crumb cake without a serious crumb is just a cake with ideas. Brown sugar, butter, a little cinnamon, worked into clumps the size of gravel.
It came out of the oven bronzed and faintly pink where the rhubarb bled through, and we cut into it before it was properly cool, the way you're supposed to. Sour fruit, sweet crumb, tender middle. We had it for breakfast the next morning too, and it was maybe even better.
The lesson was about not letting a short season slip by. Rhubarb is here for a few weeks — bake it while you can, and eat it warm.
Rhubarb is here for a few weeks — bake it while you can, and eat it warm.
02 · The recipe
Rhubarb Crumb Cake
A tender vanilla cake folded with tart rhubarb chunks and buried under a serious brown-sugar crumb topping — the first cake of spring.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 55 min
- Total
- 85 min
- Yield
- One 9-inch cake, 8 servings
What you'll need
Non-perishable
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon raw honey, for drizzling
Perishable
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened, plus more for the pan
- 1 large egg
- 2/3 cup buttermilk
- 3 cups chopped rhubarb (about 4 stalks), in 1/2-inch pieces
- 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
Useful equipment
Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment.
- Make the topping first: rub the brown sugar, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 3/4 cup flour, and 6 tablespoons cold butter together with your fingertips until clumps form. Set aside.
- Whisk the 2 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. In a larger bowl, cream the softened butter and 3/4 cup sugar until light, then beat in the egg and vanilla.
- Add the dry ingredients and buttermilk alternately, mixing just until smooth. Fold in the rhubarb.
- Scrape the batter into the pan, scatter the crumb topping over the top in an even, thick layer, and bake 50–55 minutes, until a tester comes out clean and the crumb is deep golden. Cool in the pan 20 minutes, then drizzle with the honey and cut — if you can wait.
03 · Linked objects
The things worth mentioning.
King Arthur 100% Organic All-Purpose Flour
Almost three cups of flour work here — this is the one flour that never lets you down.
Why we loved it: The gold standard for home bakers — consistent protein, no bleaching, and a crumb that behaves itself every single time. The cake and the crumb both depend on it.
Worth knowing: Costs a little more than store-brand flour, but the consistency is worth it for baking.
See the exact item on Amazon
Bakewell Cream Double Acting Baking Powder
One teaspoon is all the cake needs, and it's the difference between tall and flat.
Why we loved it: Bakers who've switched say the same thing: no metallic aftertaste, and the rise is noticeably taller. It's been made the same way since the 1930s for a reason.
Worth knowing: Costs more than the supermarket can, but a single can lasts through dozens of batches.
See the exact item on Amazon
Bob's Red Mill Baking Soda
Half a teaspoon alongside the baking powder keeps the crumb tender; this pantry staple is the right scale for the cake.
Why we loved it: It's the plain, dependable kind — no additives, no aftertaste, and it does exactly what baking soda should do alongside the buttermilk.
Worth knowing: It's a big box, but baking soda keeps for a long time and you'll use it in pancakes all year.
See the exact item on Amazon
Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
A little salt is what makes the rhubarb taste more like itself — this is the selected option.
Why we loved it: The crystals are light and grabby, so you can season by feel, and it dissolves evenly through the batter. It's the salt selected for everyday use.
Worth knowing: It's a bigger box than you need at first, but it keeps forever and you'll use it daily.
See the exact item on Amazon
India Tree Superfine Caster Cane Sugar
For a tender crumb, fine sugar is the move — this is the one bakers reach for.
Why we loved it: Superfine sugar creams faster and dissolves more evenly, which means a smoother cake crumb. It's the little upgrade that shows up in the texture.
Worth knowing: Costs more than standard sugar, but you use it for baking, where it matters most.
See the exact item on Amazon
Nielsen-Massey Pure Vanilla Extract
One teaspoon of real vanilla is what makes the cake taste like a bakery cake.
Why we loved it: We love vanilla with a round, floral aroma rather than a sharp one; it carries through the cook without fading and gives pancake batter, cake, or cream a clear vanilla finish.
Worth knowing: It costs more than imitation, but a bottle lasts through a season of baking.
See the exact item on Amazon
Wholesome Organic Light Brown Sugar
A crumb topping is a brown-sugar thing — this is the one that clumps the way you want.
Why we loved it: The molasses in brown sugar is what gives the crumb its color and its slightly chewy texture — and this one stays soft in the bag, which matters for clumping.
Worth knowing: Organic and fair-trade costs a little more, but it's the sugar you'll use all year.
See the exact item on Amazon
Fischer's Raw Unfiltered Honey
A little honey on warm cake is the finishing touch that makes it feel like the farmers market.
Why we loved it: It's thick, unfiltered, and tastes like the flowers it came from. Drizzled over the warm crumb, it sinks in just enough to leave a sticky, fragrant top.
Worth knowing: Raw honey crystallizes over time — warm the jar gently and it flows again.
See the exact item on Amazon
Glazed Stoneware Baking Dish, Rectangular with Handles
The stoneware baking dish gives the crumb cake its even oven bake and carries it to the table.
Why we loved it: We love even browning, little sticking, and a stoneware dish that stays hot at the table after the oven is off. The glazed finish gives it the calm, durable feel a weekly baking dish needs.
Worth knowing: It's heavy, and it's not for the stovetop — no searing, and cold dishes must warm up before the oven. Skip it if you need a skillet.
See the exact item on Amazon
ZWILLING Prep 3-Piece Brushed Stainless Steel Nesting Bowls Set
The nesting bowls hold the whisked dry goods and the crumb topping while the cake comes together.
Why we loved it: We love bowls that stay put on the counter, rims that pour cleanly, and a brushed stainless finish that hides routine scratches. They nest neatly, replacing a whole stack of stained plastic without making the cupboard feel crowded.
Worth knowing: Stainless is cold to the touch and not for the microwave, and the big bowl is heavy when full. Skip them if you need microwave-safe prep bowls.
See the exact item on Amazon
USA Pan Bakeware Nonstick Round Cake Pan, 9-Inch
The 9-inch pan matches the recipe's bake and releases the cake cleanly.
Why we loved it: We love cakes that release cleanly, brown evenly, and come out of a pan built for years of weekly baking.
Worth knowing: The nonstick finish needs gentle handling; hand washing keeps it performing.
See the exact item on Amazon
Zulay Kitchen Stainless Steel Balloon Whisk, 11-Inch
The balloon head reaches the bottom of the bowl and incorporates air quickly.
Why we loved it: We love the sturdy build, comfortable handle, and balloon wires that hold their shape through heavy whisking.
Worth knowing: Hand washing is recommended; the large head needs drawer space.
See the exact item on Amazon
C&H Premium Pure Cane Granulated Sugar, 20 oz
Pure cane sugar measures and bakes exactly as the recipe expects.
Why we loved it: Plain granulated cane sugar in the crystal size used for baking.
Worth knowing: The canister is convenient but not the smallest pantry format.
See the exact item on Amazon
