Rhubarb Topping
Hands-on time: 45 minutes Total time: 1½ hours Makes: 12 servings
With its cross-hatch pattern, this ruby-red cake makes a striking finale to brunch. Spring through early summer is the ideal time to shop for fresh rhubarb (and harvest it from your garden). Choose long crisp stalks that are blemish-free.
Rhubarb Topping:
350 g fresh rhubarb
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup dark rum
Cake:
half vanilla bean
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
⅓ cup each granulated sugar and packed brown sugar
2 eggs
½ cup sour cream
1⅓ cups all-purpose flour
1½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
⅛ tsp salt
¼ cup buttermilk
Rhubarb Topping: Using ruler as guide, cut rhubarb into 54 to 63 strips, each about 2½ inches long. In large bowl, toss together rhubarb, sugar and rum. Let stand at room temperature until softened, about 30 minutes. Mixture will turn syrupy. Cake: Grease 8-inch (2 L) square cake pan and line bottom with parchment paper; lightly grease parchment paper. Arrange rhubarb horizontally and vertically in bottom of pan to make grid of 9 alternating squares of 6 or 7 strips each. Pour leftover sugar mixture into small saucepan. Set aside. Using paring knife, halve vanilla bean lengthwise; scrape out seeds. Set aside; discard pod.
In large bowl, beat butter with granulated sugar and brown sugar until fluffy; beat in eggs, sour cream and vanilla seeds. In separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; stir into butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, making 2 additions of flour mixture and 1 of buttermilk. Scrape over rhubarb, smoothing batter to edges of pan.
Bake in 350°F oven until cake tester inserted in centre comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Invert onto serving plate: remove parchment paper. Let cool completely. (Make-ahead: Wrap in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 1 day.)
Meanwhile, gently boil reserved sugar mixture until thick, about 10 minutes. Brush over top of cooled cake to glaze.
PER SERVING: about 282 cal, 4 g pro, 10 g total fat (6 g sat. fat), 41 g carb (1 g dietary fibre, 29 g sugar), 56 mg chol, 142 mg sodium, 141 mg potassium. % RDI: 7% calcium, 7% iron, 10% vit A, 3% vit C, 13% folate.