We always get excited when in early Spring our two rhubarb plants start pushing up the first leaves. The leaves turn into stalks and the plants start to become huge. When we bought the plants last year, I wasn't really paying attention and bought two green rhubarb plants. So instead of the bright read color we are all accustomed to, our rhubarb desserts are always green. Somehow I feel cheated out of having bright red desserts and decided to buy a red rhubarb so next year I could have more colorful dishes.

Every year, I go to a nursery in Wildensbuch, a small village near Schaffhausen and not too far from the boarder to Germany. Last year and this year I went with friends. We always turn the day into a big outing, stopping at other towns on the way back and driving though areas none of us has ever been to. Yesterday we stopped in Eglisau and had a delicious light lunch on the Rhine river at the Gasthof Hirschen. We spent a couple of hours eating, talking and enjoying the river in the shade of sycamore trees. Apart from some various herbs, I bought a red rhubarb and a beautiful, sweet smelling rose.

While browsing though some of my favorite blogs, I noticed that Martha Stewart's Rhubarb Crumb Bars have been quite popular the past few weeks. Aran of Cannelle & Vanille adapted the recipe and made beautiful mulberry and rhubarb bars and Tom and Diane's of White on Rice Couple strawberry and rhubarb version is no less mouthwatering.

But I was stuck with the green rhubarb problem. Open the freezer and enter a bag of raspberries.

With the red raspberries, I was able to at least pretend my rhubarb was red! But not only that- the sour rhubarb and the tart berries were perfect with the sweet streusel cake.

It was hard to wait for the cake to cool off so it was easier cut. But the wait was worth it and we enjoyed it still warm. Heaven. And to think that up until about 2 years ago, I really didn't care about rhubarb at all!

Rhubarb-Raspberry Streusel Cake

For the streusel

• 115 g butter, melted
• 140 g cane sugar
• 140 g flour
• 20 g ground almonds
• pinch of salt
• 1 Tbs sliced almonds

For the cake

• 450 g rhubarb, peeled and cut into 1.5 cm pieces
• 175 g frozen raspberries
• 15 g cane sugar
• 200 g flour
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 170 g butter, softened
• 140 g powdered sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
• sliced almonds

1. Preheat oven to 190° C. Line the bottom of a springform pan with parchment paper.
2. Streusel: Whisk together butter, sugar. Stir in flour, nuts and salt until big crumbs are made. Refrigerate while making the rest of the cake.
3. Cake: In a medium bowl, combine rhubarb, raspberries, sugar and 50 g of flour.
4. In a mixer, beat butter and confectioners’ sugar until light and fluffy. Slowly add eggs and vanilla extract. Stir in remaining 150 g flour and baking powder and mix.
5. Spread batter in prepared pan, top with fruit and crumble streusel over the top. Scatter some sliced almonds over the top.
6. Bake for 50-55 minutes until golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in pan.