Rhubarb Cake Recipe
This Rhubarb Cake Recipe is a tender, warmly spiced cake packed with tart rhubarb and crowned with the most irresistible buttery, cinnamon crumble topping. It’s the perfect way to use up fresh rhubarb and guaranteed to become your new favorite springtime bake!
Sweet and Tart Rhubarb Cake
There is just something about rhubarb that I absolutely love – part nostalgia from my childhood, and part that incredible sweet and tart flavor that I find completely irresistible. The complexity it adds to baked goods is truly unlike anything else!
Finding it is always a bit of a seasonal treasure hunt. I put my friends on alert every spring, and when I finally spot it I grab almost every last stalk I can – as politely as possible! I would love to grow my own, but sadly our warm Texas climate has other plans.
Why This Recipe Works:
- Simple and straightforward – comes together quickly with basic pantry staples
- The perfect balance of tart and sweet – rhubarb’s natural tanginess shines beautifully against the warm, spiced batter
- That streusel topping – buttery, cinnamon, and impossibly crunchy – honestly the best part of the whole cake
- Tastes even better the next day – the flavors deepen overnight making it the perfect make-ahead dessert
What You’ll Need:
Most of these ingredients are pantry staples in my kitchen. I just have to hunt down rhubarb which can be tricky in this neck of the woods. I’m going to try freezing some this year so I can use it during the winter months too!
- Wet Ingredients – butter, brown sugar, egg, sour cream, milk, vanilla extract
- Dry Ingredients – all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, cinnamon
- Rhubarb – the star of the show
- Streusel Topping – flour, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and butter
How to make Rhubarb Cake Recipe:
Step 1
Prep. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9×9 cake pan with parchment paper so that some of it can be used as handles after baking. If preferred, you can skip the parchment paper and coat the pan with baking spray and just cut the cake directly in the pan.
Step 2
Prep rhubarb. Only the stalks are safe to eat – simply trim off and discard the leaves, which are toxic. Then clean and chop the rhubarb into small pieces for use in the cake.
Step 3
Combine wet ingredients. In the bowl of a large stand mixer, combine the softened butter and brown sugar. Start mixer with a paddle attachment and mix until well combined. Add egg, sour cream light, milk, and vanilla – and mix again.
Step 4
Combine dry ingredients. In another bowl, combine the dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Stir to combine and then add to the wet ingredients. Start mixer again until just combined. Then add the chopped rhubarb to the mixing bowl and fold in gently with a spatula.
Step 5
Make streusel topping. Combine the topping ingredients in a small bowl – the flour, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and the softened, chopped butter. Use your hands to press the butter into the other ingredients.
Step 6
Add cake batter to pan. Spoon the rhubarb batter into the prepared pan, smoothing gently to all sides. Then add the streusel topping over top, sprinkling evenly throughout. I also like to add a few extra pieces of rhubarb on top as well.
Step 7
Bake. Bake rhubarb cake for 48-50 minutes in preheated 350-degree oven. The cake is thick so it will take a little bit longer than expected. I check it closely towards the end and once it’s no longer jiggly in the center, I remove it.
Step 8
Cool. Set cake pan on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes. Then use the parchment paper as handles and carefully lift the cake out of the pan and on to the wire rack.
Enjoy cake warm or at room temperature with a cup of coffee or a glass of milk. So good!
Store leftover rhubarb cake in an airtight container on your countertop for 3-4 days. You can also freeze it. Wrap the cake tightly in cling wrap and then place in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 2-3 months.
A Few Interesting Facts about Rhubarb:
- Rhubarb is actually a vegetable, not a fruit – though it’s almost always used in sweet dishes.
- Only the stalks are edible. The leaves are toxic and should never be eaten.
- Rhubarb is a perennial plant, meaning it comes back year after year without replanting.
- It thrives in cool climates and actually needs a cold winter to produce well.
- A well-established rhubarb plant can produce for 20 years or more.
- You should never harvest all the stalks at once – always leave some to keep the plant healthy.
Recipe FAQs:
Absolutely! Frozen rhubarb works fine in this cake. Just thaw it completely and pat it dry with paper towels before adding it to the batter – excess moisture can affect the texture of the cake.
Definitely! Rhubarb pairs beautifully with strawberries, raspberries, or apples. Simply swap out a cup of rhubarb for your fruit of choice or add it in addition for extra flavor.
Insert a toothpick into the center of the cake – if it comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs, it’s ready. The edges should also be pulling away slightly from the sides of the pan.
Yes! Wrap individual slices tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2-3 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm gently in the oven before serving.
Other Delicious Rhubarb Recipes:
I’m trying to improve my rhubarb recipe collection. Here are a few that you should try next!
Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)
xoxo ~Sue
Rhubarb Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter – softened to room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar (220 grams)
- 1 large egg – at room temperature
- 1/2 cup light sour cream – or full-fat sour cream is fine
- 1/4 cup milk – I use 2% or whole milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (240 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 cups rhubarb (about 7.5 oz.) – chopped
Streusel Topping:
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (60 grams)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (110 grams)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter – cut into small cubes and slightly softened
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9×9 cake pan with parchment paper so that some of it can be used as handles after baking. If preferred, you can skip the parchment paper and coat the pan with baking spray and just cut the cake directly in the pan.
- Prep rhubarb. Only the stalks are safe to eat – simply trim off and discard the leaves, which are toxic. Then clean and chop the rhubarb into small pieces for use in the cake.2 cups rhubarb (about 7.5 oz.)
- Combine wet ingredients. In the bowl of a large stand mixer, combine the softened butter and brown sugar. Start mixer with a paddle attachment and mix until well combined. Add egg, sour cream light, milk, and vanilla – and mix again.1/2 cup unsalted butter, 1 cup brown sugar (220 grams), 1 large egg, 1/2 cup light sour cream, 1/4 cup milk, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Combine dry ingredients. In another bowl, combine the dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Stir to combine and then add to the wet ingredients. Start mixer again until just combined. Then add the chopped rhubarb to the mixing bowl and fold in gently with a spatula.2 cups all-purpose flour (240 grams), 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Make streusel topping. Combine the topping ingredients in a small bowl – the flour, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and the chopped butter. Use your hands to press the slightly softened butter into the other ingredients to combine.1/2 cup all-purpose flour (60 grams), 1/2 cup brown sugar (110 grams), 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- Add cake batter to pan. Spoon the rhubarb batter into the prepared pan, smoothing gently to all sides. Then add the streusel topping over top, sprinkling evenly throughout. I also like to add a few extra pieces of rhubarb on top as well.
- Bake. Bake rhubarb cake for 48-50 minutes in preheated 350-degree oven. The cake is thick so it will take a little bit longer than expected. I check it closely towards the end and once it’s no longer jiggly in the center, I remove it. You can also test with a toothpick but avoid over-baking.
- Cool. Set cake pan on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes. Then use the parchment paper as handles and carefully lift the cake out of the pan and on to the wire rack. If you'd rather skip the parchment paper, just add baking spray to pan and cut the cake directly in the pan.
- Enjoy cake warm or at room temperature with a cup of coffee or a glass of milk. So good!
Notes
- Frozen rhubarb works fine in this cake. Just thaw it completely and pat it dry with paper towels before adding it to the batter – excess moisture can affect the texture of the cake.
- Store leftover rhubarb cake in an airtight container on your countertop for 3-4 days.
-
You can also freeze it. Wrap the cake tightly in cling wrap and then place in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 2-3 months.