“Thank you for this lovely, simple recipe! Made the rhubarb cake according to instructions and knew right away that I should have made two. ~Nancy
an easy rhubarb cake for breakfast and beyond
The texture of this cake is just perfect, it’s not too sweet, and the tart rhubarb gives it a unique flavor. There’s a nice background note of vanilla in the batter which plays really well with the rhubarb. And then there’s that slightly crunchy sugary crust ~ this rhubarb cake is divine whether you have it for breakfast, snack on it all day, or save it for dessert.
ingredients for rhubarb cake
You’ll just need a few stalks of rhubarb for this breakfast cake recipe, enough to make 2 cups of thin slices. The red color is beautiful, but green rhubarb will give you wonderful flavor too.
- rhubarb
- fresh is best but you can use frozen sliced rhubarb if you have it. If you do use frozen rhubarb, don’t thaw it first or it can become soggy.
- butter
- I always bake with unsalted butter. If you only have salted on hand, just leave out the extra salt in the recipe.
- granulated sugar
- I sprinkle a little extra over the cake before baking which creates a light crunch to the crust.
- egg
- half & half, cream, or buttermilk
- use them interchangeably according to what you have in the fridge.
- all purpose flour
- baking powder
- salt
- lemon juice
- vanilla
- the vanilla and tart rhubarb make a wonderful flavor combo, but I also love it with almond extract, so use your favorite.
Rhubarb FAQs
Is rhubarb a fruit or a vegetable?
- Rhubarb is a tart vegetable (it’s part of the buckwheat family!) that we treat as a fruit in cooking. It grows in long leafy stalks, and kind of looks like red celery. The stalks can be harvested when very young, or when large and mature. Do not eat rhubarb leaves, they are poisonous. They contain oxalic acid, which is toxic to humans.
When is rhubarb season?
- Rhubarb season is April through June, but you’ll see if sooner and later in some areas. Rhubarb is one of the first veggies of spring.
Is rhubarb healthy?
According to Healthline…“Rhubarb is a good source of fiber and antioxidants. Studies show that rhubarb fiber may lower cholesterol.”
Rhubarb is low in calories and high in fiber, making it a great choice for those watching their weight or looking to improve their digestive health. It is also a good source of vitamin K, which is important for bone health.
Why is my rhubarb green?
- Rhubarb varies in color from deep crimson to pale green. Newer varieties, like my Cherry Red rhubarb, is bred for its sweet flavor and intense color, which is nice because that’s one of the things we love about rhubarb and it’s a big drag when the color doesn’t bloom in recipes. There is little difference in flavor between the green and red, but red rhubarb can be stunning when cooked.
How to cook rhubarb?
- Rhubarb can be cooked in a variety of ways, including stewing, baking, and poaching. It is often used in pies, crisps, and crumbles, as well as in sauces and jams. To cook rhubarb, simply cut off the leaves and the tough bottom end of the stalks, then chop them into small pieces and cook them with sugar until they are soft and tender. For cakes and muffins you use raw rhubarb, just slice the stalks to the size needed for your recipe.
Can you freeze rhubarb?
- Rhubarb freezes beautifully. Slice it and lay it out on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Put the pan in the freezer and freeze until solid. Then transfer the rhubarb to a freezer style zip lock baggie or airtight container.
Do I need to thaw rhubarb before using?
- In most cases there’s no need to thaw the rhubarb when you want to use it for cooking, or baking, just use it frozen.
more rhubarb, please!
Rhubarb is such an unusual ingredient, and strictly seasonal, so I recommend grabbing it while you can.
- Perfect Rhubarb Muffins ~ these fabulous muffins have a light streusel topping.
- Rhubarb Bread ~ a tender quick bread loaded with rhubarb.
- Rhubarb Vanilla Bean Jelly ~ this easy jelly is a stunning color and makes a great gift for friends and neighbors!
- Old Fashioned Rhubarb Crunch ~ one of my faves!
- Ginger Rhubarb Crisp ~ the unique flavor and color of rhubarb is showcased in this easy dessert.
- Norwegian Rhubarb and Almond Cake ~ a lovely tea cake from Scandinavia.
“This recipe is perfection. We had it last night for dessert with ice-cream. This morning we had it with butter for breakfast. It was so fast and easy to put together. You have given me another keeper. Thank you for sharing it with us.” ~Leslie
Rhubarb Cake
My Rhubarb Cake recipe is a classic ~ the kind your grandma made, if you were lucky. It's packed with jammy bits of sweet/tart rhubarb and it's officially my favorite way to start the day.
Servings: 12 servings
Video
Equipment
- 9×9 square baking pan
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup half and half, cream, or buttermilk
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar plus 2 tsp for sprinkling
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour, saving out 1 Tbsp to toss with rhubarb
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cups thinly sliced rhubarb
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F Lightly butter a 9×9 square baking pan. I like to line the pan with parchment paper with overhanging ends so I can easily lift out the cooled cake for cutting. That's optional.
- Stir the lemon juice into the half and half and set aside.
- Cream the soft butter and sugar in a stand mixer, or with electric beaters, until fluffy and pale yellow. Beat in the egg and vanilla, scraping down the bowl as necessary.
- Take 1 Tbsp of the flour to the rhubarb and toss well.
- In a separate bowl whisk together the remaining flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Add half of the flour mixture to the bowl and blend in. Add all of the half and half, and blend in. Finally add the rest of the flour and blend just until combined, don't over mix. Fold in the rhubarb. Note: the batter is on the thick side.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle the top evenly with a little sugar. Bake for about 40-45 minutes, or until the cake is turning golden and a toothpick in the center comes out without wet batter clinging to it (moist crumbs are fine.)
- Let the cake cool slightly before cutting.
Notes
- Other fruit like berries work beautifully in this rhubarb breakfast cake. Also try chopped banana.
- Mix the topping sugar with a touch of cinnamon for a hint of spice.
- For a lower fat option try buttermilk in place of the half and half and lemon. Half Greek yogurt and half milk would work, too.
Nutrition
Calories: 226 kcal · Carbohydrates: 34 g · Protein: 3 g · Fat: 9 g · Saturated Fat: 5 g · Cholesterol: 35 mg · Sodium: 213 mg · Potassium: 167 mg · Fiber: 1 g · Sugar: 17 g · Vitamin A: 293 IU · Vitamin C: 2 mg · Calcium: 65 mg · Iron: 1 mg
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although The View from Great Island attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
Did You Make This?We love seeing what you’ve made! Tag us on social media at @theviewfromgreatisland for a chance to be featured.
Sue, Do you think this would work with almond flour? Thanks!
You could use some almond flour, but just almond flour wouldn’t have enough structure, I don’t think.
This is amazingly yummy. . It still is warm and I have eaten about 4 pieces.! I used Hemp milk, not cow milk , but I did add the lemon juice, even though the milk would not curdle. It was fluffy and soft. I did use real butter. I also added some chopped candied ginger. To finish off, I had some extra rhubarb which I stewed ( with minimal water) with vanilla bean and a tiny bit of sugar. I put this beside the cake on my plate. Extra yummy. Thanks for the recipe.
This is fantastic. So glad I found it when looking for something to do with the rhubarb in the garden. I made it “healthier”: gluten free with 1/2 brown rice flour and 1/2 oat flower, less fat with 60 gm coconut oil and 30 gm butter/ghee, and less sweet with just 100 gm sugar, and I think I could even cut down more on that since I’m not a big sweets person, but I realize the rhubarb needs something. Sprinkled the top with 1 tsp sugar and some cinnamon. I think the buttermilk is a key ingredient (just as it is making the best pancakes.) Thank you, Sue!
Hi I made this rhubarb cake last weekend and thought it was delicious. My rhubarb patch is poking up out in the garden right now and I still had a bag or two in the freezer – the frozen worked perfectly in this recipe.
New to your site and really enjoying both the recipes and background information. Thanks!
Welcome in Nancy! Have fun with your rhubarb this season 🙂
made this recipe for the first time and it is delicious! Thank you. The family loved it too. Added crushed hazelnuts just because we had some. Will make it again for sure.
Love the hazelnut addition!
hello there… this looks interesting but whatdo you mean by half and half in the ingriediants? thank you
Half and half is an American product, it’s half milk, and half cream. So you can mix your own, or use light cream, or whole milk.
Neighbour gave me some rhubarb so looked for a simple recipe to start with and found this one.
Absolutely delicious & moist, thought with that amount of sugar it would be a little too sweet but the rhubarb tartness makes it just perfect. Did add 30g of sultanas as well.
As previous questions was confused with the half and half so made some buttermilk 116ml full fat milk & 1tbsp lemon juice leave to stand for 30 minutes then use.
Thanks will be looking at a few more recipes now cheers.
I’m new to this. Wondering about the 2 cups of “thinly sliced rhubarb.” What does thinly sliced look like? Do you slice them long way or cut them every half inch or so the other way?
Thanks.
Hey Kevin ~ you’ll slice the rhubarb just like you would celery stalks, but if the rhubarb is very big and wide, you can slice it lengthwise before chopping. Hope this makes sense.
Yes, it does. Thank you! We are making it now.
Kevin
I’m confused. You say 1 cup of sugar is 214 grams, then 2 cups of flour is 256 grams. That doesn’t seem right.
214 grms is about 8 ounces, so should I use 1 lb of flour? Or is the sugar measurement wrong?
Each ingredient has a different weight, for instance a cup of sugar weighs more than a cup of flour.
So how much is 2 cups of rhubarb? Sorry, I’m English, we do everything by weight.
Roughly 200 grams, give or take, depending on the size of your pieces of rhubarb.
What do you do with the half and half and lemon juice? It does not say…..
Hey Mayna ~ you mix them together in step 2, and add them in step 6.