The rhubarb love fest continues in my kitchen with a crumbly bite of goodness. My three-year-old niece reports this cake is so “ma-li-shush”; a fitting name for a cake, one threatening to buckle any spring fitness plans. Buttermilk batter with tangy rhubarb in a candied ginger crumb top. Yup. “Malicious.”

Rhubarb Buckle with Ginger Crumb adapted from “Rustic Fruit Desserts”

What you need:

for Ginger Crumb Topping

• ⅓ cup granulated sugar

• ¼ cup all purpose flour

• ⅓  cup finely chopped candied ginger

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

for cake

• 1¾ cup all purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon dried ginger

• ½ teaspoon baking soda

• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt

• ¾ cups unsalted butter, at room temp

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 2 eggs

• ¾ cups buttermilk, at room temp

• 1 pound rhubarb, thinly sliced and cut in 1/2 inch dice

1  9-inch cake pan

What you do:

Grease a 9-inch round cake pan. Preheat oven to 350 F.

Make the topping by combining sugar, flour and candied ginger in a bowl, then stirring in melted butter.

FREEZE the topping while you mix up the cake. Even better, give it an extra 10 minutes before you start making cake batter. If it’s frozen, it will stay on top and not melt into the cake.

For the cake: whisk flour, baking powder, ginger, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.

Cream butter and sugar in mixer on medium high speed until light and fluffy, approximately 4 minutes.

Add eggs, one at a time, scraping down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula after each addition.

Stir in the flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk, in three additions, ending with the flour.

Scrape down bowl between additions. Don’t over mix.

Gently fold in diced rhubarb.

Spread batter into the greased cake pan. Sprinkle the cold crumb topping over the cake.

Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until lightly golden and firm on top.

The buckle is yummy when warm but even better cold. It will keep wrapped in plastic for 2 days. Yes, it’s named for the buckled appearance from a streusel topping.

Or maybe because your resolve to moderate sugar might weaken when this flirty number comes your way.

Rhubarb lovers might also enjoy making these kisses.