Masala flavour: Rhubarb crumb cake

Since it is summer, what better way as to kick off this blog with a fruity cake. The sour-sweet taste of rhubarb reminds me of my childhood and when I came around it 2 days back at the grocery market, I could not resist to buy some. We hardly eat eggs so this cake is egg less.

Ingredients:

For dough:
- 2 ½ cups flour ( I used unbleached white flour)
- 1 packet active dry yeast
- 1 cup milk
- ¾ cup sugar + 2 Tbsp. reserved
- a pinch salt
- ¾ cup butter or margarine
- 1 Tbsp. grated lemon zest

For topping:
- 3 lb rhubarb
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1 Tsp. vanilla essence
- 1-2 Tbsp. grated lemon zest

For the crumbs:
- 1 cup melted butter
- 1 ¾ cups flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 Tsp. vanilla essence

Method:

For the dough mix milk and the reserved 2 Tbsp. sugar in a pot and heat till lukewarm. Take off from heat and mix in the yeast. Let it sit in a warm place for 10-15 minutes.
Sieve the flour in a bowl and mix with salt and lemon zest. With your fingers make a dell in the middle of the flour and sprinkle the butter in flakes on it. Also sprinkle the rest of the sugar over it. Pour the milk-yeast mixture in the dell and knead the dough with your hands to incorporate all the ingredients. Knead till the dough is smooth and make a ball. Cover the bowl and let rest for 30 minutes.
In the meantime peel the rhubarb and cut in about 1 inch size pieces. Rinse with water and let drain. Put the rhubarb in a bowl and sprinkle the sugar over it. Let soak for 30 minutes.
Check on your dough and knead it again for a minute. Cover again and let rest for 30 more minutes.
Preheat oven to 390 F/ 200 C.
Grease a baking sheet with butter and dust it slightly with flour. Then take the dough on a flour dusted surface and knead again well. Roll out and put on the baking sheet and make sure you spread it evenly. Cover the edges of the baking sheet as well. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the dough.
Mix the lemon zest and vanilla essence in the rhubarb and spread the rhubarb evenly on the dough.
For the crumbs mix the melted butter with the flour, sugar and vanilla essence. Make sure the butter is not warmer than lukewarm. The mixture should be almost dry with enough moisture in it to form crumbs. Sprinkle evenly over the cake. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Let cool and cut into desired sizes.