Rhubarb, Like it or hate it

Are you a rhubarb lover or a rhubarb hater? Rhubarb is a kind of issues that individuals have robust emotions about. Personally, I can’t get sufficient rhubarb when it’s in season. Whether or not it’s rhubarb sauce, rhubarb bars, strawberry rhubarb crisp, or this rhubarb cake, I’m all the time going to take a second serving to!

Whereas rhubarb appears to be like a bit bit like celery with a reddish tinge, the flavour is mouthpuckeringly (is {that a} phrase?!) tart. That’s why you’ll virtually all the time discover it in desserts or accompanied by plenty of sugar—it must be tamed a bit!

Reasonably than the tartness, I feel the factor about rhubarb that’s so polarizing could also be its texture. Earlier than cooking, rhubarb stalks have the identical stringiness as celery stalks. Nevertheless, when cooked or baked, rhubarb will get meltingly tender.

The Greatest Rhubarb Cake

Good steadiness of candy and tart flavors. Some rhubarb recipes utterly drown out the tartness with sugar, however I discover this rhubarb cake has simply the best steadiness.  I really like the tart chew of rhubarb all through. It’s a deal with!

Moist, tender crumb. This cake has a young crumb and streusel topping, giving it espresso cake vibes. Rhubarb releases moisture whereas baking, conserving the cake supremely smooth and moist. The batter is made with butter, egg, and milk, guaranteeing that the cake shall be wealthy and scrumptious.

Irresistible streusel topping. The buttery cinnamon-sugar streusel on high provides a incredible crunch and comfortable taste to each chew. After all, you may skip the streusel topping however wouldn’t you agree that streusel makes every part higher? (Make sure to strive my pumpkin streusel bread and cinnamon streusel espresso cake, too.)

A Couple Ingredient Notes

• Recent rhubarb: Search for recent rhubarb stalks within the spring. You might realize it as pie plant. I don’t like utilizing store-bought frozen rhubarb for baking; I’ve examined it extensively and it by no means works out nicely. However should you freeze your personal rhubarb, that may work, and I examined it right here. I thawed it barely within the fridge, however really, you may in all probability get away with not thawing it, and simply including just a few further minutes to the baking time.
• All-purpose flour: It’s vital to measure the flour appropriately. Evenly spoon it into the measuring cup to maintain from compacting the flour.

Easy methods to Make Rhubarb Cake

Put together. Preheat your oven to 375°F and coat an 8 x 8 inch baking pan with cooking spray. (I additionally examined a 9 x 9 inch pan, which works nicely too.)

Make the streusel. Use a pastry cutter or fork (or your fingers!) to work collectively the streusel substances in a bowl. It’s vital to make the streusel earlier than you combine the batter. As soon as the baking powder is mixed with the milk, it begins the rising course of. If you happen to wait too lengthy to place the cake within the oven (whilst you make streusel), the chemical response could have already taken place and your cake could not rise correctly.

Toss the rhubarb with flour. Place the rhubarb in a bowl. Add 1 ½ cups of flour to a different bowl and take away 2 tablespoons. Toss the rhubarb with these 2 tablespoons of flour. Tossing the sliced rhubarb with flour helps to maintain it from sinking to the underside of the cake.

Combine the dry substances. Whisk the baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg into the bowl with the flour.

Cream the butter and sugar. In one other bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar utilizing a hand mixer. As soon as it’s creamy, fluffy, and clean, beat within the egg and vanilla.

End the batter. Combine half of the dry substances into the moist substances. Add ¼ cup of milk, adopted by the remaining half of the flour combination, after which the remaining ¼ cup of milk. Fold within the rhubarb.

Assemble. Unfold the batter evenly into the pan and sprinkle the streusel excessive.

Bake. Place the pan on a middle rack within the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or till a toothpick inserted within the heart comes out largely clear.

Cool and serve. Let the cake cool on a wire rack. The cake might be served heat or at room temperature. Add our non-compulsory glaze if you need!

Recipe Variations

Add a glaze. If you happen to’d like, you may make a easy glaze with powdered sugar and milk to drizzle excessive of the cake (as pictured).

Make it gluten-free. Use a measure-for-measure gluten-free flour mix rather than all-purpose flour for a gluten-free rhubarb cake.

Swap up the fruit. If rhubarb isn’t in season, be at liberty to substitute different fruits like blueberries, apples, or plums, and so forth. Simply maintain the general proportions the identical. You too can mix the rhubarb with one other fruit. Strawberries and raspberries each pair nicely with rhubarb!

Room temperature: As soon as it has cooled utterly, cowl the cake and retailer it at room temperature for as much as 3 days.

Fridge: The cake will last as long as 5 days when saved within the fridge. Word that though the storage life is longer within the fridge, the rhubarb cake tends to dry out extra when refrigerated. 

Freezer: Wrap particular person slices or the entire cake tightly in plastic wrap after which foil earlier than freezing for as much as 3 months. Thaw within the fridge in a single day earlier than serving.

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Evenly spray an 8 x 8 inch baking pan with cooking spray. (A 9 x 9 inch pan works effective, too.)

• Make the streusel. In a small bowl, combine collectively ½ cup sugar, ⅓ cup all objective flour, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ cup softened butter till nicely blended. Use a pastry cutter, a fork, or your fingers. Put aside.

  ½ cup sugar, ⅓ cup all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ cup butter, softened

• Put the sliced rhubarb in a small bowl. In one other medium-sized bowl, measure out 1 ½ cups flour. Take away 2 tablespoons of the flour and blend it with the rhubarb till the rhubarb is coated with flour. Set the rhubarb apart.

  2 cups sliced recent rhubarb, ¼ inch slices, 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

• Whisk the baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg into the bowl with the flour; put aside.

  2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon floor cinnamon, ⅛ teaspoon floor nutmeg

• In one other medium bowl, cream ¼ cup butter and ¾ cup sugar, utilizing a hand mixer, till blended, fluffy, and clean. Beat in egg and vanilla extract.

  ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened, ¾ cup granulated sugar, 1 massive egg, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• Add in half of the dry substances, mixing to mix. Add ¼ cup of milk, mixing to mix. Repeat with remaining half of flour combination and remaining ¼ cup of milk.

  ½ cup milk

• Fold the rhubarb into the batter.

• Unfold the batter evenly within the ready pan. Sprinkle streusel evenly over cake batter earlier than baking.

• Bake 30 to 35 minutes or till a toothpick inserted within the heart comes out clear or with just a few crumbs clinging. Cool on a wire rack.

• Lower into squares when able to serve. Cake might be served heat or at room temperature.

• About rhubarb: When testing this recipe, we discovered that recent rhubarb labored the most effective. Commercially frozen rhubarb doesn’t soften correctly. If you happen to freeze your personal rhubarb within the spring, that works effective. There’s no have to thaw it first, merely add a few minutes to the baking time.
• Variations: Different fruits might be substituted for the rhubarb. Attempt blueberries, apples, apricots, plums, or nectarines. If the fruit is massive, chop or slice it into smaller items; you’ll want 2 cups.
• Optionally available icing drizzle (as pictured): In a small bowl, mix 1 cup powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon milk. Regulate consistency if obligatory by including extra powdered sugar or milk. Drizzle over baked cake.
• Recipe retested and revised 3/2025. Beforehand printed as Rhubarb and Nutmeg Layer Cake.

Serving: 1sq., Energy: 313kcal, Carbohydrates: 50g, Protein: 4g, Fats: 11g, Saturated Fats: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fats: 1g, Monounsaturated Fats: 3g, Trans Fats: 0.4g, Ldl cholesterol: 49mg, Sodium: 281mg, Potassium: 137mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 29g, Vitamin A: 387IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 104mg, Iron: 1mg

Vitamin data is mechanically calculated, so ought to solely be used as an approximation.

Share a remark and score beneath! I really like listening to what you assume!