Rhubarb-Almond Cake

If you’re looking for a summer dessert this is it. I love rhubarb & have traditionally enjoyed it most in a strawberry rhubarb pie (mmmm). My aunt is allergic to strawberries so when deciding on what to bring for (Easter) dessert at my Grandma’s house I opted for this Rhubarb-Almond Cake. It’s light but moist. It’s sweet, but not too sweet. The rhubarb offers the right amount of tartness to make you want seconds.
Ingredients:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
• ¾ cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar, plus more for pan
• 1 pound rhubarb stalks, trimmed (cut off those leaves - they’re poisonous!)
• 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup blanched almonds (or ¾ cup + 3 tablespoons almond flour/meal)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• 2 large eggs
• ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream

Make it! (recipe via Bon Appetit)

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Butter tart pan & sprinkle with sugar, tapping out excess. (I used a round pan but the original recipe calls for a rectangle one - use what you have!)
3. Slice rhubarb in half lengthwise (quarter if very large).
4. Set 8 of the prettiest pieces aside for the top of the cake; chop remaining rhubarb into ½" pieces.
5. Pulse flour, almonds, baking powder, & salt in a food processor until almonds are finely ground (texture should be sandy). (If using almond flour/meal you can skip the food processor & just mix by hand.)
6. Place 1 cup butter & ¾ cup sugar in a large bowl.
7. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; reserve pod for another use.
8. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat until light & fluffy, about 4 minutes. 
9. Add eggs, one at a time, beating to blend first egg before adding second. 
10. Beat until mixture is pale & fluffy, about 4 minutes.
11. Reduce speed to low & gradually add dry ingredients, followed by yogurt. 
12. Beat, scraping down the sides of bowl as needed, just to combine (batter will be thick). 
13. Fold in chopped rhubarb and scrape batter into prepared pan. 
14. Smooth batter & arrange reserved rhubarb over top; sprinkle with remaining 3 Tbsp. sugar.
15. Place tart pan on a large rimmed baking sheet (to catch any rogue juices) and bake, rotating once, until cake is golden brown & rhubarb on top is soft and beginning to brown, 70–80 minutes. 
16. Transfer to a wire rack and let cake cool before removing from pan.