Strawberry-Rhubarb Buttermilk Pudding Cake

My friend Susie & I headed back to the Minneapolis Farmer’s Market this morning.  This time we chose a Saturday so we could breakfast on a bratwurst (relish, mustard, thank you) while scoping out the bounty.  We snagged pea pods, green beans, okra, cherry tomatoes, asparagus, dried black lentils, kale, and pork sausage.  Suz was hoping to buy duck eggs as well, but we got there too late.  Early bird gets the…eggs!

 

 

 

 

 

 

We of course (re)loaded up on strawberries.  Can’t get enough of the sweet, syrupy beauties, utterly spectacular right now.  I picked up some more rhubarb too, thinking I’d try my hand at strawberry-rhubarb ice cream (later this weekend).  And this strawberry-rhubarb buttermilk pudding cake, which I’ve had on my mind since I saw the recipe a couple of weeks ago on one of my favorite blogs, Sassy Radish.  What’s not to love about strawberries + rhubarb + CAKE?  Good Lord.  Yeah.

It’s a simple little cake, just enough to fill out an 8-inch square pan (or a 9-inch round pan, which is what I used).  I love small cakes – enough to share with guests without leaving dangerous leftovers lying around the house.  This tender cake would be gorgeous for breakfast or brunch as well as dessert.  It’s as soft, juicy, and delicious as it looks.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Buttermilk Pudding Cake
From www.sassyradish.com
Serves 6

Stephanie’s note: I baked my cake in a 9-inch round pan.  Since the pan was dark, I lowered the oven temperature to 375F, which worked nicely.  I also needed an extra 2 Tbsp. of sugar with the rhubarb to achieve a pleasant sweet/tart, so taste the cooked fruit and adjust as necessary.

1/4 c. water
1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
1/2 c. plus 1/3 c. sugar (perhaps a bit more)
2 c. chopped rhubarb (about 3-4 stalks)
1 c. chopped strawberries
1 c. all-purpose flour
1 3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 large egg
1/2 c. buttermilk
1 stick butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat oven to 400F.  Butter an 8-inch square glass or ceramic baking dish, using the butter wrapper from your stick of butter if possible.

In a small saucepan, stir together water, cornstarch, and 1/2 c. sugar, then stir in rhubarb to coat evenly.  Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly.  Once simmering, stir occasionally and let cook for about 3 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in strawberries.  Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and remaining 1/3 c. sugar.

In a large bowl, whisk together egg, buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla.  Whisk in the flour mixture until just combined – do not overmix.

Add 1/2 c. of the fruit mixture to the baking dish, spreading it evenly over the bottom of the dish.  Pour batter over fruit, spreading it evenly.  Spoon the rest of the fruit evenly over the batter.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a wooden toothpick or a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake (not fruit) comes out clean.  Cool on a rack.

Serve the cake warm or at room temperature.