Of all the things in Wisconsin, I will share rhubarb coffee cake

I am at Mark and Laura's with the family (except for my sister) this week to celebrate Rachel's graduation from Hurley High School. We are having a great time and I made rhubarb coffee cake for breakfast today (Memorial Day) to general approbation. Here's the recipe so I have it later and I can share it with you.

Rhubarb Coffee Cake

Adapted from this one on Epicurious

For the cake
2 c flour

2 c whole-wheat flour
1 t salt
2 t baking soda
2 c sugar
1 stick (4 oz.) butter, softened

1/2 c oil
3 eggs

2 T molasses (or 1 T blackstrap)
1 t vanilla extract

1 T vinegar
2 c yogurt (I used part Greek yogurt, could also use buttermilk)
5 c diced rhubarb (or maybe 6 c...)

For the topping
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 T cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 deg. F. Grease a large sheet pan (9x13 might be too small, 11x17 probably better) or line it with parchment paper. Or use a 9x13 and a smaller pan for the overflow. 

Whisk together flour, salt, soda, and set aside. 

Mix the topping, set aside.

Beat sugar and butter until light with a mixer in a large bowl. Add oil and beat smooth. Add eggs one at a time and beat well each time. Beat in molasses, vanilla, and vinegar. Beat in yogurt and continue mixing until smooth (a couple minutes). 

Mix in the flour blend a third at a time. Fold gently. Add rhubarb while there are still many flour lumps and fold together until evenly mixed and most visible flour is gone. This helps prevent overmixing. Pour/spoon (it is thick) the batter into prepared pan(s). Sprinkle with topping. 

Bake 40 to 45 minutes. Less time if you have spread it thinner. Maybe only 30 minutes in two pans.

Notes: I reduced the sugar in the original recipe and you could even cut back more. I used small rhubarb stalks and diced them finely so they melted into the cake. Very good that way but if you wanted distinct rhubarb chunks you would need bigger pieces of rhubarb. Next time I would try a streusel topping instead of plain cinnamon sugar.

Here's the last half-pan of coffee cake. The rest was gone before I got to my camera!