I have had eyes on this crumb cake for almost 7 years (or maybe more). If you have the memory of an elephant (and have been reading all my posts) then you would probably remember me mentioning that Smitten Kitchen was one of the first blogs I started following. This was much before I started my own blog. Around the time I was introduced to her blog, I stumbled upon her rhubarb crumb cake post. With one third cake and two thirds streusel topping, I knew this was a cake for me.
It took Deb eight months to make the cake after getting her hands on the recipe. It has taken me 7 years. When I first saw the recipe I was still living in India. I am not sure if it is available now, but 7 years back rhubarb wasn’t a fruit you got in India. It did not strike me that I could just use strawberries and still have a big crumb coffee cake, or probably it did but I wanted a rhubarb crumb coffee cake and let the recipe be. So instead of going with another fruit, to get my fix of this big crumb coffee cake I would just open Deb’s site and drool over the pictures.
Even after moving to the US, being in a small town in Arizona I would always miss out on rhubarb season and the chance of baking this cake. When I saw rhubarb in the market in Dallas, I had no doubt that I would finally be making the cake I have dreamt of making for so many years now. And I am so glad I did. This cake did not disappoint.
The crumb is the best part and it does make a lot of the cake. When I was scraping the batter in the pan I was surprised at how little the quantity was and was afraid that it would be just crumb. Fortunately the cake does rise in the oven and I had a good ratio of cake to crumb.
This cake would be perfect for Mother’s Day this weekend. Can’t find rhubarb? Make it with strawberries. I would go ahead to suggest to add strawberries along with your rhubarb too if you wish. Deb suggests blueberry, raspberry, sour cherry or any other tangy fruit filling. In case using a different fruit, you will need to adjust the sugar level accordingly. Rhubarb being more tart needs more sugar.
Talking about Mother’s Day, I thought about doing a round up of a few recipes on the blog that are courtesy my mom.
My love for baking stems from the countless home made cakes my mom baked for us when we were growing up. Her constant experimentation in the kitchen and whipping up dishes we had never heard of but loved eating is why all of three of us (my dad, brother and I) have such a love for food. These are some of her most asked for recipes and I have rounded them up for Mother’s Day for you. They would be perfect for Mother’s Day brunch or for any other occasion or even for a weeknight meal. (Click on the picture or the title for the recipe)
