Rhubarb-Strawberry Cake With Cinnamon and Nut Topping

Many years ago, more than I want to admit, I made a rhubarb and strawberry pie. My daughter raves about the pie to this day. Yes, it was good, but I think it was the pairing of rhubarb and strawberries that made it good. Grocery stores in my town don't have any fresh rhubarb yet, but produce stands do. Since I don't have time to drive around to these stands, I use frozen rhubarb for this recipe.
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This is a seasonal product and you may wish to buy several packages and stash them in the freezer. A one-pound package will make two dessert cakes or one large pie. One cup of these fleshy leaf stalks contains 25 percent of your daily calcium and only 30 calories. To reduce calories, you may wish to make this recipe with half sugar and half sugar substitute.
The original recipe came from a local grocery store. The store used to give away free recipe cards to its customers and every recipe I tried was excellent. Still, I thought the recipe could use some updating, so I used half white and half wheat flour. A true vanilla fan (vanilla ice cream is my favorite), I doubled the amount. I also used reduced fat buttermilk. But the best change is adding sliced, fresh strawberries.
I keep meeting people who are allergic to walnuts. Pecans or almonds may be substituted for the walnuts. Hankering for a taste of summer? Make this cake. Although it may seem like "gilding the lily," as the saying goes, you may garnish the cake with lightly sweetened whipped cream.
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup butter flavored Crisco (half a stick)
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar (or dark)
1 large egg, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup pre-sifted white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt (or reduced sodium salt)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup reduced fat buttermilk
1 1/2 cups rhubarb, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup strawberries, quartered
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (or pecans, or sliced almonds)
METHOD
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat 13 x 9 baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl cream Crisco and brown sugar together with electric mixer.
3. Add egg and vanilla. Beat until fluffy.
4. In a large bowl whisk together white flour, wheat flour, salt, and baking soda.
5. Add dry ingredients to wet in batches, alternating between buttermilk and flour.
6. Fold in rhubarb and strawberries.
7. Transfer cake batter to prepared pan.
8. Set pan on center oven rack and bake for 45 minutes, until cake starts to pull away from sides of pan. Makes 12 servings.
Note: Test center of cake with toothpick before you turn off the oven. If batter sticks to the toothpick, bake a few more minutes.



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