Strawberry Rhubarb Coffee Cake

For filling:
In a large saucepan add rhubarb, strawberries and lemon juice. Cook on low heat for about 5 minutes until the rhubarb and the strawberries start to soften. While stirring the fruit mash it so it starts to breakdown and become smooth.

In a small bowl mix together browns sugar and cornstarch. Pour into the hot fruit mixture, stir constantly and bring to a boil. Keep stirring until the mixture is thick and then remove from heat and set aside.

For topping:
In a small microwave safe mixing bowl add butter and melt. Once melted stir in the flour and brown sugar until it looks like coarse crumbs, set aside.

For cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line the bottom a 8-inch cake pan with parchment paper and then spray the pan with non-stick spray, set aside.

In a large mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using a pastry blender cut in butter until mixture resembles wet sand and has some pea size crumbles.

In a small bowl whisk together buttermilk, eggs and vanilla extract.

Pour buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture and stir till combined.

Spread half the batter into the prepared pan making sure to cover the bottom. Carefully spread the cooled filling on top of the batter in the pan. Gently drop the remaining batter on top of the filling and if you can gently spread it over the filling.

Sprinkle crumbly topping over top the cake and add to the oven.

Bake for about 35-45 minutes until the cake is fully cooked. The jam will bake up around the edges and be slightly jiggly but you should be able to see that the top is browned and the top layer is fully cooked.

Once cooked remove from the oven and let cool completely. This is an important step - if you do not let the cake completely cook and attempt to cut a slice or remove from the pan the jam will run. The cooling process helps the jam set up so it cuts nicely with the cake.

Sprinkle the top with powdered sugar if desired.