Rhubarb-Strawberry Coffee Cake

Springtime and early summer is a wonderful time for those who can’t get enough of fresh strawberries. This coffee cake recipe calls for frozen fruit, but don’t be shy about using fresh.

Serves 12-15

Filling:

• 3 cups frozen rhubarb
• 1 16 oz. package frozen sliced strawberries
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup cornstarch

Cake:

• 3 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 eggs – beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping:

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 cup butter

In a saucepan, combine rhubarb, cut in 1-inch pieces and add sliced strawberries. Cook covered about five minutes. Add lemon juice. Combine sugar and cornstarch. Add to rhubarb mixture. Cook and stir 4 – 5 minutes more until thick. Cool.

In mixing bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter until it resembles fine crumbs. Beat together buttermilk, eggs and vanilla. Add to dry ingredients. Stir to moisten. Spread half of the batter in a greased 13×9x2-inch pan. Spread the cooled filling over the batter in pan. Spoon remaining batter in small mounds on top of the filling.

Make the topping by combining the sugar and flour. Cut in butter or margarine to make fine crumbs. Sprinkle over the batter in the pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 – 50 minutes.

Shortcakes for strawberry shortcake

This is a biscuit-type shortcake that I found in the May/June 1997 issue of “Cook’s Illustrated.” This recipe makes a sweet-flavored biscuit, not savory, so it matches quite nicely as a dessert.

Makes 6-8 shortcakes

• 2 cups all purpose flour plus more for the working surface
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 3 tablespoons sugar plus 1 for sprinkling on top of the shortcakes
• 1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon half-and-half
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten

Adjust oven rack to lower 1/3, preheat oven to 425-degrees. Mix four salt, baking powder, and 3 tbsp sugar. Cut butter into the dry mixture using a pastry blender, knives, etc… until the dough resembles course meal. Mis beaten egg with half-and-half; pour into flour mixture. Blend with fork then turn out onto a floured work surface and knead just until the dough comes together.  Pat the dough into a 6″ x 9″ rectangle about 3/4-inch thick. Cut biscuits with a 2-3/4″ cutter, this should yield 6 biscuits, place on ungreased cookie sheet.  Gently work the scraps together and cut and additional biscuit or two. Brush the tops of each biscuit with egg white, sprinkle remaining tbsp of sugar on top. Bake until golden brown, 12-14 minutes. Place cookie sheet on a wire rack to cool, 10 minutes. Spit biscuits and serve with strawberries, whipped cream, ice cream, etc.