Rhubarb season has passed its peak. The glossiness and juices start to disappear from the pinkish-crimson stalks. To celebrate the beginning of the summer that astronomically started yesterday I thought a cake with a suitably seasonal vegetable like rhubarb would crown the coffee table well.
In the UK crumble is a dessert where the baking form is filled with fruit or berries, topped with the crumble and baked in the oven. Pages of recipes for rhubarb crumble can be found.
In Estonia a crumble is traditionally a sort of tart, a cake with a dough at the bottom, fruit, berries or in this case rhubarb in the middle, topped with crumble and baked until crispy.
Ingredients for a baking form of 12 x 35 cm
Dough
100g butter
50g sugar
a pinch of salt
0.5 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
125g flour
200g rhubarb, cleaned and cut
Crumble
75g flour
4 tbsp sugar (brown or white)
a pinch of baking powder
a pinch of cinnamon
40g melted butter, cooled
Baking beans and a sheet of foil
For the dough whisk the butter, sugar, salt and vanilla together until creamy and pale. Add the egg and whisk until combined, then sift in the flour and mix into a smooth dough quickly.
Form the dough into a ball and cover with clingfilm. Refrigerate for an hour or longer.
Preheat the oven to 200C.
Depending on the form you are using it may be necessary to butter the form before spreading the dough on it to avoid sticking.
After the dough is in place, make a few holes with a fork in the dough and cover it with the aluminium foil. Then place the baking beans on the foil and precook the base of the cake for 10-12 minutes.
In the meanwhile prepare the crumble.
Melt the butter.
In a bowl combine all dry ingredients.
Pour the slightly cooled melted butter on the flour mix and with a spoon or spatula mix the ingredients until a crumble forms.
Remove the beans and foil.
Arrange the rhubarb on the dough and the crumble on top of rhubarb.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until the sides start to brown and the crumble feels crisp.
Serve slightly cooled or cold with whipped or ice cream or some icing sugar on top.
You may also like Estonian apple crumble cake or Estonian classic rhubarb cake