Let me tell you a story about rhubarb. It’s a vegetable -- a stalk more specifically -- that grows every spring and has a piercing tart flavor and pretty ruby red hue. Some people don’t like the flavor, but those people don’t get what a special flavor and texture it has! In this rhubarb cake, Claire uses it three ways -- placed in decorative rows on top, cooked down into mush and incorporated into the batter, and chopped and folded into the cake. It’s a celebration of rhubarb, a harbinger of warm weather and an inspiration to dessert people everywhere.

• Claire Saffitz

• Claire Saffitz