Strawberry-Rhubarb & Cardamom Coffee Cake

Sweet and tart Summertime flavours topped with a lightly spiced crumble

Prep & Cooking: 35-40 minutes
Makes: 9x9 cake
Pairs well with: Coconut Whipped Topping

Main Ingredients:
1 ½ cup whole wheat flour – if you require or prefer a gluten free recipe use a flour blend
2 tsp cinnamon
1-2 tsp cardamom
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
3 medium ripe bananas – I freeze my bananas and quickly microwave them before use, see below for more tips
¼ cup liquid coconut or vegetable oil
¼ cup coconut sugar – if you don’t have coconut, sugar light brown sugar can be substituted
1 cup diced rhubarb
1 cup diced strawberries

Crumble Topping:
¼ cup whole wheat flour – or flour of your choice
¼ cup old fashioned rolled oats – If you don’t have old fashioned oats, you can substitute quick oats
1/3 cup coconut or light brown sugar
2 tbsp liquid coconut oil or plant-based butter
1-2 tsp cardamom
1 tsp powdered ginger

Method:
Pre-heat oven to 400°F and prepare a 9x9 baking dish.

Banana Tip: I use frozen bananas. Freezing ripe bananas is a great way to avoid waste and to have a stash of fruit ready for baking. I remove the banana stem prior to thawing; this creates a nice little opening for the ripe and often very soft fruit to travel through. I then place the bananas, peel on, flat on a plate and microwave them for 1-2 minutes; usually checking every 30 seconds after the first minute. By removing the stem prior to thawing, you will also avoid any bits of burnt banana peel (not a pleasant smell). When the bananas are thawed they can be easily squeezed from their peel right into your mixing bowl. If you have high-powered microwave you may wish to use a low or medium power setting or use the defrost feature instead; this may add a few minutes.

In a large bowl, combine oil, sugar, and bananas. Stir to combine and use the back of your mixing spoon to break up the bananas until the mixture is smooth with few to no lumps. If your bananas are still firm you may wish to use a fork or a whisk to mash them.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, cardamom, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. After the dry ingredients are mixed, add them to the wet ingredients and stir to combine. Add the diced fruit to the batter and gently fold the batter until incorporated.

In an additional small bowl, add all of the crumble topping ingredients until combined.

Transfer the batter to your baking dish, top with the crumble mixtures and bake for 25-35 minutes.

Allow the cake to cool before serving. Serve alone or with fresh fruit, whipped topping, or plant-based ice cream.