By Week 434. Year 9. Tommy is 42. Summer heat. The kind that makes the attic work brutal and the evening grill essential and the cold beer a medical necessity. Rémy (13) in school, cooking and fishing. Fishing trips continue — the bayou, the marsh, the same water that Joey fished and that Rémy fishes now with the same cast and the same patience and the different hands that hold the same rod.
Made grilled andouille this week — the kind of food that fills the house with the smell of Louisiana and the knowledge that whoever walks through the door is walking into a home where the stove is on and the food is ready and the welcome is unconditional. The meal was the day. The day was the meal. Both were good. Always enough.
The andouille was the main event, but Rémy has been learning that a real meal doesn’t end at the grill — it ends at the table, and the table deserves something sweet. Rhubarb was coming in strong from the garden this week, and a coffee cake felt right: something that fills the kitchen with warmth while the evening cools down, something that cuts into squares and disappears fast without a word, which is the only review that matters. Week 434 deserved a proper ending.
Rhubarb Coffee Cake
Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes | Servings: 12
Ingredients
- Streusel Topping:
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Cake:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 2 cups fresh rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Instructions
- Preheat oven. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan and set aside.
- Make the streusel. In a small bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in cold butter using a fork or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Refrigerate until needed.
- Mix dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Cream butter and sugar. In a large bowl, beat softened butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla.
- Combine wet and dry. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour. Mix just until combined — do not overmix.
- Fold in rhubarb. Gently fold the chopped rhubarb into the batter.
- Assemble and top. Spread batter evenly into the prepared pan. Scatter the streusel topping over the surface in an even layer.
- Bake. Bake for 40–45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the streusel is golden brown.
- Cool and serve. Let cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes before cutting into squares. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 285 | Protein: 4g | Fat: 11g | Carbs: 43g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 215mg