Rhubarb Streusel Coffee Cake

During the weekend, I love to indulge in a Saturday morning brunch complete with poached eggs, smoked salmon on bagels, waffles, and coffee cake. Coffee cake is the main focus of this week's recipe. I love coffee cake but it can be very boring at times so I'm using seasonal rhubarb and a pinch of cinnamon to liven up this classic breakfast treat. Rhubarb is very tart and sour so when it's in a dessert or anything sweet, it really cuts through the some of the sweetness and richness. I also personally think that rhubarb is very underrated because it's super versatile; it's excellent in desserts but it's also delicious with meat, fish, & pork as well as on top of oatmeal for breakfast. And while it's in the oven, the rhubarb and its juices leak into the cake so it keeps it nice and moist. 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs, room temperature

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup milk

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder 

1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 sticks of rhubarb, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 tbsp. light brown sugar

Streusel Topping:
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cubed
2 tbsp. light brown sugar
pinch of cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 350ºF

In a bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy then add the eggs, one at a time, along with the vanilla extract

Mix the flour and baking powder into the mixture then pour in the milk and stir until a cake batter forms

Spoon the cake batter into a buttered and parchment-paper lined 9 in. square pan

Toss the rhubarb in the brown sugar in a small bowl and scatter it on top of the cake batter

Rub the flour and butter together in a bowl, add the brown sugar and cinnamon, then sprinkle it ontop of the rhubarb and cake batter

Bake it in the oven for 25-30 minutes until it's golden brown and when a toothpick is inserted into the center it comes out clean

Let it cool for 10-15 minutes and serve it with coffee and tea