Strawberry-Rhubarb Coffee Cake

*No buttermilk on hand; put 1 teaspoon vinegar in a 1-cup measuring >cup; add milk to make 1-cup. Stir and let stand a few minutes.

Ingredients

• I freeze rhubarb in 3-cup portions to make this in the winter.
• Filling:
• 3 cups fresh sliced rhubarb or 13-ounce package frozen
• 1 16-ounce package frozen, sliced, sweetened strawberries
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• Topping:
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 cup margarine, softened
• Batter:
• 3 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup margarine, softened
• 1 cup buttermilk*
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9 x 13 baking dish.

For filling: combine rhubarb and strawberries in saucepan; simmer, covered, about 5 minutes. Add lemon juice. Combine sugar and cornstarch; stir into fruit mixture. Cook and stir until thickened. Set aside to cool.

For topping: combine all ingredients until crumbly; set aside. For batter: combine dry ingredients. Cut in margarine until mixture makes fine crumbs. Beat together the buttermilk, eggs and vanilla. Add to dry ingredients and stir just until moistened.

To complete: spoon half of batter into prepared pan. Spoon cooled filling over batter. Spread remaining batter in mounds on top of filling. Sprinkle topping over batter. Bake at 350 degrees fo 40 - 45 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool slightly before cutting.

Submitted 6/13/05.
Source: My recipe files
Submitted By: Joy Bowers
ebowers@matnet.com
Strawberry-Rhubarb Coffee Cake