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1
Preheat oven to 350u00b0F. Grease a 9x9 inch square baking pan and set it aside.
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2
For the topping: Place topping ingredients in a small bowl and rub together with your fingers until well blended. Set aside. (You could also make the topping when the cake is baking.)
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3
For the cake: In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
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4
In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream the shortening and sugars together on medium speed for 3-5 minutes. You could also do this with a hand mixer. Beat in the egg and vanilla until well combined.
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5
On medium-low speed, add the flour mixture to the shortening mixture in three batches, alternating with the buttermilk. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix well to combine with each addition. (Add it in the following order: dry, buttermilk, dry, buttermilk, dry.)
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6
Finally, mix the rhubarb in by hand.
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7
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 40-45 minutes. The original recipe calls for a bake time of 60 minutes but I haven't found it takes that long.
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8
You will find that the top of the cake browns before the end of the baking time. So to prevent over-browning place a sheet of tinfoil very lightly on top of the cake surface when the top is brown but some baking time still remains. I gently lay the tinfoil on top at about 25-30 minutes into the baking time.
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9
Remove from oven when cake tester comes out clean and immediately dot the surface with the topping. Then spread it around the top of the cake with as little pressure as possible. As the topping warms on the hot cake, it will become easier to spread.
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10
Allow to cool before cutting and devouring.
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11
Adapted from a family recipe handed down to me by Rose Dyer.
