This dessert belongs in everyone’s “outdoor entertaining” file. The cake squares, embellished with moist fruit and a crunchy topping, are meant to be eaten out of hand.
Photo: Dana Gallagher
| For the Cake | |
| Vegetable-oil cooking spray, for cake pans | |
| 1 | pound plus 10 ounces rhubarb, trimmed and cut ½ inch thick on the bias |
| 2 | cups sugar, divided |
| 2 | cups all-purpose flour |
| 1¼ | teaspoons baking powder |
| 1 | teaspoon coarse salt |
| 1½ | sticks unsalted butter, softened |
| 1 | teaspoon finely grated lemon zest |
| 3 | large eggs |
| 1 | teaspoon pure vanilla extract |
| ½ | cup sour cream |
| For the Crumb Topping | |
| 1 | cup all-purpose flour |
| ¼ | cup light-brown sugar |
| ¼ | teaspoon coarse salt |
| ½ | stick unsalted butter, melted |
Make the cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with rack in center position. Coat two 9-inch square cake pans with cooking spray, and line with parchment, leaving an overhang on 2 sides. Stir together rhubarb and 1 cup sugar; set aside to macerate.
Whisk together flour, bak ing powder, and salt. Beat together butter, remaining cup sugar, and the lemon zest until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, then beat in vanilla. Beat in flour mixture in 2 additions, alternating with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
Make the crumb topping: Stir together flour, brown sugar, and salt. Add melted butter; stir to combine.
Divide batter between pans. Top with rhubarb mixture, and sprinkle with crumb topping. Bake until golden on top and cooked through, about 1 hour 5 minutes. Let cool completely in pans on wire racks, then lift cakes from pans using parchment. Remove parchment. Before serving, cut buckle into 2-inch squares.
Cakes can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for 1 day