“Part of the secret of success in life is to eat what you like.” -Mark Twain
A classic combination of flavors, strawberry and rhubarb, creates a beautiful harmony of sweet and tart. This bundt cake is extremely moist and is a good treat for a dessert or to have as breakfast. This recipe is inspired by a cupcake recipe by Betty Crocker, it's the perfect spring-time bake with fresh rhubarb becoming ripe for picking.
This cake's main features include a streusel, which is on the top, adding a nice crunchy texture. Pieces of rhubarb give a strong flavor and something to chew. By creating the milk and strawberries into a puree gives this cake it’s color and a dense moist sponge.
To add some decoration, you may want to use red food coloring. Putting a few drops in when half the batter is in the tin and giving the color a nice swirl will add a nice effect.
The last thing to note about this cake is that the topping is the first thing to go into the tin since this is a bundt cake and will be turned out when baked. This will ensure that the streusel is crisp, but still should be crumbly when bitten into.
This cake has become a classic for my family, everyone starts to get excited when the rhubarb starts to sprout. I hope that this cake will bring as much joy as it does in my household.
Inspired by Betty Croker Recipe from The Big Book of Cupcakes
Ingredients for Cake
15 strawberries
¼ cup milk
2 ¾ flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup butter
1 ½ cups sugar
5 egg whites
2 ½ teaspoons vanilla
1 cup finely chopped rhubarb
Ingredients for Streusel Topping
½ cup flour
3 Tablespoons sugar
¼ cup butter, cut into small pieces
Steps:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl prepare the streusel topping by combining the flour and sugar. Add in the butter pieces and mix with a fork, creating a crumbly mixture. Set aside.
In a blender combine the strawberries and milk and puree until almost smooth. The mixture should equal about 1 ¼ cup. If there is not enough mixture, puree a couple more strawberries. Set aside.
In a large bowl beat butter in a mixer with a paddle attachment. Gradually add in the sugar and beat until well incorporated. Then add in the egg whites, one at a time and vanilla.
Lower the speed of the mixer and gradually add in the baking powder and salt. Then gradually add the flour alternating with the milk and strawberry puree. Mix until everything is incorporated, then stir in the rhubarb.
Grease a bundt pan with vegetable shortening and dust with flour. Then put the streusel mixture first, generously covering the bottom of the pan. Add in the batter.
Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Remove from the pan and let cool on a rack.
If desired garnish with some strawberry slices. Enjoy.