Easy Rhubarb Cake Recipe (2024)

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ThisEASY RHUBARB CAKEis SO moist and delicious! Serve it cold as a snacking cake, or warm with ice cream or whipped cream. It’s a perfect go-to dessertfor family gatherings or decadent mid-morning treat with a cup of coffee!

I do love rhubarb season, but it’s short so I try to make most of my favourite rhubarb recipes while it’s here.

This old-fashioned rhubarb cake is my favourite rhubarb recipe ever. Along with my buttermilk-rhubarb muffins, it’s one of the first things I make it every year as soon as the rhubarb is ripe.

Easy Rhubarb Cake Recipe (1)

Several years ago, a good friend of mine was transplanting her grandmother’s rhubarb patch, and she gave me a chunk of the root for my garden.I popped it into the ground beside our tool-shed, and every year, it yields a bigger crop than the year before. Then, last year, when it was on its way to producing a decent harvest, someoneran over it with the lawnmower. I’m still not sure who that was. No-one here is owning up to it..

THIS year, after a very warm and sunny spring, my rhubarb patch has finally flourished! HOORAY!

It’s bursting with ruby-red stalks of fruit, topped with gigantic green leaves, and it’s been just begging to be harvested.

Easy Rhubarb Cake Recipe (2)

The other day, I pulled a bunch of it, and made a couple of my all-time favourite rhubarb recipes; one of them being this simple, from-scratch rhubarb cake that’s been in our family for years.

Easy Rhubarb Cake Recipe (3)

How to Make This Easy Rhubarb Cake

Ingredients:

(printable recipe at bottom of post)

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 and 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup softened butter
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 and 1/2 cups chopped, fresh rhubarb (3 large stalks or 5-6 med stalks)
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Topping:

  • 1/3 cup white sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
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To Make Your Cake:

Sift flour, baking soda, salt into a small bowl and set aside.

In a larger bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar until well-blended. I do this by hand with a wooden spoon.

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Add egg and continue to beat, by hand, until well-mixed.

Stir in vanilla.

Now, ALTERNATE between adding the 1 cup of milk and the flour/baking soda/salt mixture that you had set aside:Add about a 1/4 of the milk and stir well. Then add about 1/4 of the flour mixture, and stir well.
Continue until all is added to the batter.

Stir in chopped rhubarb.

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Spoon into a sprayed (or greased and floured) 9 x 13 baking dish or cake pan.

Adding the cinnamon-sugar topping:

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Mix the white sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and mix well. Sprinkle over the batter until cake is entirely covered.

Shake the pan from side to side to evenly distribute the sugar if necessary.

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Bake at 350º F for 40 minutes (or until knife comes out clean).

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Remove from oven and allow to cool a little before serving.

Serve your rhubarb cake warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or top with real whipped cream. Alternatively, you could top it with fresh fruit and berries.

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I hope you enjoy this simple summertime cake as much as we do! The tart, tangy rhubarb combined with the sweet, sugary topping is simply amazing.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can you make this cake with frozen rhubarb?

Yes! Just thaw and drain your rhubarb before adding it to the batter.

How many people does this rhubarb cake serve?
It’s a super dessert for family, but large enough to serve when you have company for dinner. You’ll get 12 good sized-pieces out of your 9×13 pan.

How to store this cake:
To store leftover cake, simply cover baking dish with plastic wrap and keep at room temperature.

Want to grow your own rhubarb at home or at school with your students? Check out Megan Zeni’sguide for growing, caring for and harvesting rhubarb with kids.

Easy Rhubarb Cake Recipe (12)

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4.98 from 35 votes

Easy Rhubarb Cake – a Delicious Summertime Treat

This easy Rhubarb cake is moist and delicious every time. Tart, garden-fresh rhubarb and a sweet sugary topping make this cake perfection. Great served cold as a snacking cake, or warm from the oven with a scoop of ice cream.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time40 minutes mins

10 minutes mins

Total Time55 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: fresh rhubarb, rhubarb cake, rhubarb recipes

Servings: 12 pieces

Calories: 406kcal

Author: Happy Hooligans

Ingredients

  • 2 cups All-Purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1.25 cups brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup softened butter
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2.5 cups chopped approx 3 large stalks or 6 small-med stalks, fresh rhubarb
  • TOPPING: 1/3 cup white sugar mixed well with 1 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

  • In small bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

  • In larger bowl, by hand, cream together brown sugar and butter.

  • Add egg and continue to beat by hand until well-blended.

  • Stir in vanilla.

  • Now, ALTERNATE between adding the 1 cup of milk and the flour mixture that you’d set aside.

  • Add about a 1/4 of the milk and stir well. Then add about 1/4 of the flour mixture, and stir well.

  • Continue until all is added to the batter.

  • Stir in the chopped rhubarb.

  • Spoon into sprayed (or greased and floured) 9 x 13 baking dish or cake pan.

  • Sprinkle with white sugar/cinnamon topping.

  • Bake 40 minutes at 350º F. (or until knife comes out clean)

  • Shake pan from side to side to evenly distribute sugar topping if necessary.

  • Serve warm with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream.

Nutrition

Calories: 406kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 241mg | Potassium: 177mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 300IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 1.8mg

Tried this recipe?Mention @happyhooligansblog or tag #happyhooligansblog!

More of our best cake recipes:

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  • Crazy Good Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
  • Easiest Coffee Cake Ever
  • Easy Buttermilk-Rhubarb Muffins

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Easy Rhubarb Cake Recipe (14)

Jackie Currie

Jackie is a mom, wife, home daycare provider, and the creative spirit behind Happy Hooligans. She specializes in kids’ crafts and activities, easy recipes, and parenting. She began blogging in 2011, and today, Happy Hooligans inspires more than 2 million parents, caregivers and Early Years Professionals all over the globe.

Easy Rhubarb Cake Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is a secret ingredient for cakes? ›

Vinegar is a secret ingredient that can make your cakes light and fluffy.” One of the great things about using vinegar in cakes is that it's versatile.

How much baking soda do I put in rhubarb? ›

Neutralizing Rhubarb's Acidity

Once the rhubarb has given up its juices, pull it from the oven and stir in a quarter teaspoon of baking soda using a heat-resistant spatula.

How to prepare rhubarb? ›

To prepare: Wash the stems and cut off the leaves and the ends. Cut into 2cm lengths, removing any strings if necessary. Stew or poach in some water and a little sugar. When making a crumble or a pie, the rhubarb does not need to be cooked first.

What is the main ingredient that makes a cake moist? ›

USE VEGETABLE OIL. While butter undoubtedly imparts excellent flavor, vegetable oil can really elevate a cake when it comes to moisture. Replacing butter with vegetable oil in your cake recipes typically yields moist results.

What are the tips and tricks for rhubarb? ›

Rhubarb grows best in an open, sunny site with fertile, moist but free-draining soil. It will also cope in light shade. Avoid ground that gets waterlogged, as plants are liable to rot. If your soil is heavy, plant in raised beds or large containers.

How do you enhance rhubarb? ›

Both fresh and ground ginger bring a spicy kick that puts astringent rhubarb in its place. While the pair is great in sweet applications, it might be even better in savory recipes. They can be stewed together with onions and a bit of soy sauce to create a tangy sauce for braised meat.

How do you get the most Flavour out of rhubarb? ›

Not only does rhubarb need sweetness to temper its tart flavor, the sugar helps break down the fibrous, stringy stalks. A good starting point is to use a scant 1 cup granulated sugar for 4 cups of chopped rhubarb. Adjust according to your preferences.

Does rhubarb need to be cooked before baking? ›

There are required ingredients, like something to thicken the juices that come out when the rhubarb cooks. There are many recipes available for free online. Absolutely not. I have never pre-cooked the rhubarb.

Should you peel rhubarb before baking? ›

Some rhubarb varieties are prone to being stringy, and rhubarb which has been left too long on the plant can also develop a 'stringiness' – if this occurs, pull away any thick, fibrous strands before cooking. Peeling rhubarb is rarely necessary. Most recipes require the rhubarb to be cut into batons.

What happens if you don't peel rhubarb? ›

So, in conclusion: You don't have to peel rhubarb before eating it. Of course, you can if you want to. But doing it means that some of the lovely red flavor is going to disappear. I usually just prepare rhubarb by rinsing it and then cutting it into thin slices!

Can I eat raw rhubarb? ›

Its stalks are deeper red and tinged with green, while its leaves are bright green. It has a more intense flavour and robust texture than the forced variety. Although it can be eaten raw, rhubarb tends to be too tart this way, and it's usually best when cooked with plenty of sugar.

What are the rules for rhubarb? ›

Rhubarb thrives in full sun but will yield to light shade. Select a location that gives plants ample room; individual rhubarb plants can measure up to four feet wide and tall. Plant crowns in spring as soon as soil is workable.

How to cook rhubarb without it going mushy? ›

Method. Put the rhubarb into a saucepan with the orange zest, juice, sugar and 2 tbsp water. Bring to the boil then simmer for 8 mins until the rhubarb is cooked but still holds its shape.

What is the secret of a delicious cake? ›

Success of a cake depends on the correct blending of ingredients, the careful creaming of butter and sugar, as well as the gentle folding of egg whites (if added separately) to maintain maximum aeration. Please read Basic Rules For Baking. Fold or Folding: A method of gently mixing ingredients.

What is your best baking secret? ›

Combine ingredients as gently as possible without overmixing. Creamed butter and sugar should be pale and fluffy, never yellow and gritty. Butter temperature is a vital detail that should not be overlooked. Don't open the oven door until goods are done baking.

Which 2 ingredients help the cake to rise? ›

Firstly, you need to mix your baking powder/bicarbonate of soda through your flour before you add this to the mixture. These two ingredients are the most common raising agents in baking, so I've focused on them here (also make sure they are in date!).

What is the most important ingredient in a cake? ›

Flour is perhaps the most important ingredient in a cake mix, as it creates the basic structure of the entire cake. A major component of flour is gluten, which is a protein that provides a way for the cake to bind to itself.

References

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