Ultimate Spring Baking Treat (Printable)
Tender lemon cake with tangy rhubarb, fresh strawberries, and crunchy almond streusel topping. A perfect spring celebration dessert.
# What You'll Need:
→ Cake Base
01 - 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
03 - ¼ teaspoon baking soda
04 - ½ teaspoon salt
05 - ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 1 cup granulated sugar
07 - 2 large eggs
08 - 1 tablespoon lemon zest
09 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
10 - ½ cup buttermilk
→ Fruit Filling
11 - 1 cup fresh rhubarb, diced
12 - 1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced
13 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
14 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice
→ Almond Streusel
15 - ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
16 - ¼ cup granulated sugar
17 - ¼ cup sliced almonds
18 - ¼ cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
19 - ¼ teaspoon salt
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper.
02 - Toss rhubarb and strawberries with 2 tablespoons sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl. Set aside to macerate.
03 - Combine flour, sugar, almonds, salt, and cold butter in a bowl. Rub with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Refrigerate until needed.
04 - Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
05 - Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in lemon zest and vanilla.
06 - Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, followed by buttermilk, then remaining dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
07 - Spread cake batter evenly into the prepared pan. Scatter rhubarb and strawberries over the batter. Sprinkle streusel topping evenly over the fruit.
08 - Bake for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the top is golden brown.
09 - Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack. Slice and serve.
# Cooking Tips:
01 -
- The tart fruit cuts through the buttery cake so every bite feels bright not heavy
- That almond streusel stays crunchy for days if you can resist eating it all first
- It makes your whole kitchen smell like lemon and hope which is exactly what spring needs
02 -
- Rhubarb releases a lot of liquid while baking which is why the streusel goes on top instead of being mixed into the batter
- Over mixing the cake batter makes it tough, stir until combined then walk away
- The streusel can burn if your oven runs hot so check at 35 minutes and tent with foil if needed
03 -
- Use room temperature ingredients for the cake batter to prevent curdling and ensure even baking
- Pat your fruit dry if it seems especially juicy before arranging it on the batter