Breakfast and Brunch Recipes
Rhubarb Ripple Coffee Cake
Elegant and easy, this crumb-topped, moist, dense coffeecake does triple duty as a breakfast sweet, coffeecake snack, or springtime dessert; for something a bit more elaborate, warm the cake before serving and top it with vanilla ice cream. I like the way the rose-colored filling is hidden inside, only appearing at the first cut, when it oozes just a bit from either edge of the cake slice.
Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients
Basic Rhubarb Puree
- 3 1/2 cups rhubarb, cut in 1-inch dice
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
Cake
- 1 1/3 cups rhubarb puree or sauce (see rhubarb puree recipe)
- 2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon orange zest, finely minced, or 1/4 teaspoon orange oil
- A heaping 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 beaten egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup buttermilk or sour milk*
- Confectioners' sugar for dusting
Instructions
Rhubarb Puree - Microwave Instructions
- Place the rhubarb in a glass dish or other microwave-safe 2-quart dish. Toss it with the sugar and cornstarch.
- Cover the dish and microwave on HIGH power for 5 minutes.
- Stir the fruit, cover it again, and microwave on HIGH power for an additional 5 minutes, or until the
fruit is completely softened. Stir until you have a fairly smooth puree. Let cool.
Rhubarb Puree - Stove Top Instructions
- Place the rhubarb in a 1 1/2-quart, heavy-bottom saucepan. Toss with sugar and cornstarch. Cook on low heat, covered, for about 5 minutes.
Remove the cover, and cook on medium-low heat to cook down the fruit, stirring occasionally, about 10 to 15 minutes, until the fruit is very soft, and the sauce is smooth and thickened. Let cool.
- Spray a 9-inch removable-bottom tart or quiche pan, or 9-inch springform pan, with vegetable oil spray.
Cake
- In a large bowl, combine the flour and sugar. Using a mixer, your hands, a fork or a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly and mealy. Set aside 1/2 cup for topping.
- To the remaining flour/sugar mixture, add the baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, orange zest or oil, and salt.
- Stir in the egg, vanilla extract and buttermilk or sour milk.
- Spread two-thirds of the batter over the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pan.
- Spread the rhubarb on top of the batter, and spoon or dollop the remaining batter over the rhubarb.
- Sprinkle with the reserved sugar/flour mixture.
- Bake the cake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the top crust is golden brown around the edges, and slightly brown in the center.
- Cool thoroughly. Dust with confectioners' sugar just before serving.
Notes
* To sour milk, place one tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar in a glass 1-cup measure. Pour milk to the 1-cup mark. Allow the mixture to stand for 5 minutes to curdle. (Don't use old milk that's gone bad; that's spoiled milk, not soured.)
Posted by Olga at Recipe Goldmine 5/9/02 1:07:08 pm.