Easy Rhubarb Cake

Tender, tart chunks of fresh rhubarb hugged by sweet vanilla cake and topped with a crunchy cinnamon sugar layer. This rhubarb cake recipe is a family heirloom!

My dad’s mom, Norma Jean Hunt Feik, made this cake every Fourth of July and Memorial Day because her mother had done the same. It’s the cake everyone expects to hate, but my mom said it was always the first thing gone off of the table no matter what. Everyone was obsessed whether they were new to the party or old friends and family. That’s the power of rhubarb done right!

Recommended Equipment

• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• Mixing Bowls

Before You Begin…

Before you start doing anything, get some water boiling on the stove. While that is heating up, chop your rhubarb. You will pour the boiling water over the rhubarb and let it sit for a minute or so and then drain it and dry the rhubarb a much as you can. This will soften the rhubarb and reduce its bitterness.

Ingredients for Rhubarb Cake

One of the things I love about older, heirloom recipes is that they usually have very simple ingredients. I love the simplicity! Here is what you will need:

For the Cake

• Wet Ingredients: Brown Sugar, Vegetable Oil, Egg, Vanilla, Buttermilk
• Dry Ingredients: Baking Soda, Salt, Flour
• Rhubarb

For the Topping

• Sugar
• Cinnamon
• Nuts (optional) – walnuts or pecans

Your likely to have most, if not all, of these ingredients in your pantry. That’s always a win! So if you grow rhubarb or if you grab some at the grocery store, you can whip up this cake recipe with little effort! Scroll down to the end of the post to see the measurements needed for each ingredient.

How to Make Rhubarb Cake

I mentioned above about prepping the rhubarb, and you’ll want to do that very first. Here is an overview of the steps:

• Preheat the oven and prep the rhubarb.
• Combine the wet ingredients in a bowl.
• In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir them together until just combined and a few streaks of flour remain.
• Add the softened rhubarb and fold it into the batter.
• Grease a square baking pan and sprinkle the bottom of the pan with cinnamon sugar.
• Add the batter to the pan and sprinkle the top with more cinnamon sugar.
• Bake.

The complete instructions in full detail can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

Do You Need to Cook Rhubarb Before Baking?

Rhubarb doesn’t need to be cooked before using it in baking, but I do recommend so

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

This strawberry rhubarb crisp is pure comfort with the perfect balance of sweetness and tartness and a buttery oat topping. I always eat it a la mode!

I grew up with a rhubarb obsessed father. Is it a generational thing? I’m going to bet most people these days have never even tried rhubarb yet everyone’s Mom and Dad seem to love it. I hated it. I mean, wouldn’t even touch the stuff! I’m still a bit weird about it depending on how it is used, but cook it down with sweet berries and sugar and I don’t even know how to explain it, it becomes a whole new creature! It’s so good!!

Recommended Equipment

• Sure Gel Ultra Gel
• Pastry Blender

Before You Begin…

Get about 3 cups of water boiling over high heat. You’ll use the boiling water to soften and prep the rhubarb for the crisp. Rhubarb can be quite bitter but letting in sit in boiling water for a couple of minutes will dull the bitterness.

Ingredients for Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

For the Filling

• Rhubarb: A vegetable that has edible stalks that are usually pink in color. It is quite sour like a lemon but it becomes sweeter as it cooks. It is a great source of antioxidants, fiber and vitamin K.
• Strawberries: You will want to wash and hull the strawberries before cutting them up.
• Sugar: Helps sweeten the filling.
• Brown Sugar: Adds richness and sweetness to the filling.
• Sure Gel Ultra Gel: Thickens the filling so that the filling isn’t water. You can also use flour or cornstarch.
• Lemon Zest: Adds an extra pop of flavor and brightness
• Cardamom: A spice commonly used in Indian food that has a complex flavor that is floral but also citrusy.

For the Topping

• Old Fashioned Rolled Oats: You can use quick oats too but I love the texture and chewiness the old fashioned oats add.
• Brown Sugar: Adds sweetness to the topping
• Flour: Adds structure to the topping
• Cinnamon: Adds warmth and flavor
• Salt: Enhances all the flavors of the topping
• Unsalted Butter: Adds flavor and binds all the ingredients together

The measurements for all the ingredients can be found in the recipe card down below. This is just meant to be an overview of the ingredients so keep on scrolling down for all the details.

What are Substitutes for Ultra Gel?

I prefer ultra gel over flour or cornstarch for thickening. I feel like there’s a flavor that accompanies both whereas the ultra gel is flavorless. But if you don’t have ultra gel or you don’t want to buy it, you can use flour or cornstarch.

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