A perfect start to a Vermont farm breakfast — not too sweet, soft cake and wonderfully tart rhubarb.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup half and half, cream, or buttermillk
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar plus 2 tsp for sprinkling
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour, saving out 1 tablespoon to toss with rhubarb
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups thinly sliced rhubarb
Instructions
- Set oven to 350F. Lightly butter a 9×9 square baking pan. You can line the pan with parchment paper with overhanging ends so you can easily lift out the cooled cake for cutting.
- Stir the lemon juice into the half-and-half and set aside.
- Cream the soft butter and sugar in a stand mixer, or with electric beaters, until fluffy and pale yellow. Beat in the egg and vanilla, scraping down the bowl as necessary.
- Add 1 tablespoon of the flour to the rhubarb and toss well.
- Whisk together the remaining flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Add half of the flour mixture to the bowl and blend in. Add all of the half-and-half, and blend in. Finally add the rest of the flour and blend just until combined, don't over mix. Fold in the rhubarb. Note: the batter is on the thick side.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle the top evenly with a little sugar. Bake for about 40-45 minutes, or until the cake is turning golden and a toothpick in the center comes out without wet batter clinging to it (moist crumbs are fine.)
- Let the cake cool slightly before cutting.