Rhubarb Summer Cake with Ginger

This cake is as easy as it gets. Use any seasonal fruit you have on hand.

I first made this cake in college, which is a testament to its ease. You barely need more than one bowl, and you can use any fruit you have on hand. Or, honestly, if you don’t have any fruit, just make the cake without and serve with whipped cream or jam. It’s super versatile: eat it for breakfast, lunch, dessert, a snack.

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients

6 tablespoons/85 grams 85 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for pie plate
1 1/2 cups/180 grams all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons/225 grams granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup/118 milliliters milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2"-piece ginger, grated
1 pound rhubarb, sliced diagonally (about 6 stalks)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter a 10-inch pie pan, cast iron, or 9-inch springform (what I used). 

Whisk flour, baking powder and salt together in a small bowl. In a larger bowl, beat butter and 1 cup sugar until pale and fluffy with an electric mixer, about 3 minutes. Mix in egg, milk, vanilla, and ginger until just combined. Add dry mixture gradually, mixing until just smooth.

Pour into prepared pie plate. Arrange rhubarb, cut side down, on top of batter, as closely as possible in a single layer. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons sugar over berries.

Bake cake for 10 minutes then reduce oven temperature to 325°F and bake cake until golden brown and a tester comes out free of wet batter, about 50 minutes to 60 minutes. Let cool in pan on a rack. Cut into wedges.

Do ahead: Cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days, loosely covered.