There are two of my recipes, classics, that I can’t live without. I constantly adapt and change them according to the seasons and there isn’t a month without them. I’m talking about my beloved quiche and my crumble cake, filled with seasonal fruit and topped with the most amazing crumbles, buttery and crunchy! In winter I filled it with apples, now it’s time for rhubarb and there will be more to follow. I have no preference, I love all of them!

For this cake, I like to choose fruit with a strong texture, the dough rises around these moist pockets and stays juicy without becoming soggy. I use lots of cinnamon for the crumbles, one of my favourite spices for baking which refines the fruit’s flavours perfectly. The rhubarb brings in a bit more sourness than the apples, it fits to the fresh feeling of this season. In the post about my apple crumble I’ve praised the cake’s light and spongy base, the perfect composition of soft, juicy and crunchy and its dessert and teatime qualities. Now it’s time to bake rhubarb crumble, but be prepared, this cake is truly addictive!

 Rhubarb Crumble Cake

Prepare the dough for the base first, the rhubarb afterwards and the crumbles at the end.

For a 26cm /10″ springform pan you need

butter 125g / 4.5 ounces
sugar 125g / 4.5 ounces
a pinch of fresh vanilla
organic eggs 3
plain flour 250g / 9 ounces
baking powder 2 teaspoons
a pinch of salt
rhubarb, cut into 4cm / 1.5″ pieces, 800g / 28 ounces

For the crumbles

plain flour 200g / 7 ounces (you might need some more if the crumbles are too sticky)
sugar 125g / 4.5 ounces
a pinch of fresh vanilla
cinnamon 2 teaspoons
butter, melted, 125g / 4.5 ounces (plus more if the crumbles are too fine)

Set the oven to 180°C / 355°F.

For the base, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla till fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time and continue mixing for a few minutes. Add the flour mixed with the baking powder and salt and continue mixing until well combined. Scrape the dough into a buttered springform pan and arrange the rhubarb vertically in circles pushing it into the dough.

The crumbles need good preparation as you have to make sure that the mixture is neither too moist nor too dry. Have some extra flour and melted butter close at hand so that you can add some immediately if necessary.

Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Pour the melted butter on top and mix quickly with the hooks of your mixer, stop as soon as it crumbles. If the crumbles are too moist and sticky add a bit more flour (1-2 tablespoons). If they are too fine and don’t form bigger crumbles add more melted butter. Spread quickly on top of the rhubarb. If you have bigger lumps of crumbles you may have to separate and spread them.

Bake in the oven for 55 minutes or until golden. Check with a skewer, it should come out clean, and let it cool.

You can serve the cake with sweet whipped cream or vanilla or cinnamon ice cream.