Author Adapted by Pam - For the Love of Cooking / Original by A Farmgirl's Dabbles
Equipment
8 x 8-inch Baking Dish
Ingredients
Crumb Topping:
½cupunsalted butter, melted
¾cupbrown sugar
¼tspground cinnamon
¼tspsalt
1¼cupflour
Fruit & Bars:
½lbfresh strawberries, hulled & sliced
½lbrhubarb, cut into small 1/2-inch pieces
2tbsp brown sugar
1½cupsflour, divided
¾tspbaking powder
½tspsalt
¼tspground cinnamon
¾cupunsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1½cupspowdered sugar
3largeeggs, room temperature
1tspvanilla
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 8 x 8 baking dish with butter or cooking spray then line with parchment paper leaving a 2-inch overhang on 2 sides.
Make the crumb topping by combining the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt together until well combined. Add the flour and cut with a pastry cutter or fork until large crumbles form. Refrigerate until needed.
Prepare the fruit by combining the strawberries, rhubarb, brown sugar, and 1/4 cup of flour; mix well and set aside until needed.
Make the bars by combining the remaining flour with the baking powder, salt, and cinnamon; mix well.
With a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the softened butter with the powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time along with the vanilla until creamy and smooth.
Add the flour mixture and mix until combined.
Spread into the prepared baking dish then top with the strawberry rhubarb mixture. Next, top with the prepared crumb topping. Side Note: Poke a few pieces of strawberries & rhubarb through the crumb topping so you'll have pops of red, if desired.
Bake for 50-55 minutes, turning halfway through the baking time, or until a tester inserted inside the center comes out with just a few crumbs. Remove from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack.
Once cool, use the parchment overhangs to carefully remove the cake from the pan. Slice into bars then top with powdered sugar, if desired. Serve & enjoy.