Rhubarb Coffee Cake

Compared to last weekend, this weekend has been downright quiet.  Today was a quiet day at home.  Amazing.  Now, if only it weren't quite so hot and humid.  But I guess it's part of summer.

Yesterday, NES and I had the privilege of watching JMA and MLA (formerly MLF) get married!!  

It was a beautiful wedding, and great to see friends!  We had a mini-apartment reunion for our senior year apartment (think where this blog has its roots).  

It was so much fun.  We were glad for AC though!  

It makes me want to go to more weddings.  Soon enough.  The next one on the list is in a month.

We had to make a little road trip to get to the wedding, and that meant leaving home early.  I was glad that I had made some coffee cake on Friday, so we could bring it as a snack!  

Well, I guess, technically, the story started on Thursday.  I had been planning on baking Thursday evening after running errands, cleaning and potentially working on my current project for a while.  It ended up that errands took longer than expected.  So, I didn't start baking till after dinner.  

And then, well, I put together the batter.  I still had leftover rhubarb from the S's crazy rhubarb plant a couple weekends ago, and that's why I decided on a rhubarb coffee cake. 

It's a very thick batter.  I was surprised.  I stole the recipe from mom, so she was the one who had made it before.  Apparently it's supposed to be like that, because it came out fine. 

Then it came time to make the topping.  I had just finished the very last of my flour.  I figured I'd be fine to make a whole cake, since I had the perfect amount for the batter.  Oops.  Not so much.  

So, that was that for Thursday night.  It was rainy and late, and I didn't want to go out.

On Friday morning, I went on a wedding card/gift/flour buying expedition.  Boy, do I love having places to get all three within walking distance.  And a tea latte, too! 

Then it was time to come home and make the topping.  

That's the best part!

I was a little concerned that the batter didn't make enough to fill the pan.  Especially with the chunks of rhubarb, it was hard to spread.  But it is enough.  And it will be a full cake.  Apparently.

Then the topping, and time to bake. 

Mmmm, coffee cake!  And now that I've eaten a few pieces, it's time to send it to work with NES.  His coworkers must think I'm crazy.  

Rhubarb Coffee Cake

from Lillian Farr 

2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. allspice

1/4 tsp. cloves

2 eggs

1/2 cup oil

1/3 cup milk

2 cups rhubarb, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

Topping:

2/3 cup flour

4 tbsp. butter, melted

1/2 cup brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  

Combine the dry ingredients for the cake (flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice, cloves).

Mix the eggs, oil and milk in another bowl until well combined.  Add to the dry ingredients.  Fold in the rhubarb chunks.

Spread in a greased 9x13 pan.  

Mix the topping ingredients in a small bowl until crumbly.  Sprinkle over cake batter.

Bake for 50 minutes.