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A slice of golden-brown homemade rhubarb cake on a white plate, topped with powdered sugar and filled with soft, pink rhubarb chunks. The crumb looks moist, fluffy, and slightly crisp around the edges.

Rhubarb Cake

5 from 1 vote
A tender, buttery cake infused with tart Rhubarb Cake and hints of lemon and vanilla. Grandma’s secret layering technique ensures a perfectly balanced texture, while a turbinado sugar topping adds a delightful crunch.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Resting Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 9
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 310
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups rhubarb - Chopped into ½-inch pieces
  • 1 tablespoon sugar - For tossing with rhubarb
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon - Optional
  • ½ cup butter - Softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs - Room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest - Freshly grated
  • 1 cup sour cream - Or buttermilk
  • 2 tablespoon turbinado sugar - For topping
  • powdered sugar - Optional, for dusting after baking
  • sliced almonds - Optional, for topping

Equipment

  • 9-inch cake pan (Lined with parchment paper)
  • Mixing bowls (1 medium, 1 large)
  • Electric mixer (Or hand mixer)
  • Measuring tools (Cups and spoons)
  • Silicone spatula (For folding ingredients)
  • Knife (Sharp, for chopping rhubarb)
  • Cooling rack (Optional but helpful)
  • Microplane zester (For fresh lemon zest)
  • Whisk (For dry ingredients)

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper.
  2. Wash, trim, and chop 2 cups of rhubarb. Toss with 1 tablespoon sugar and let rest.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
  4. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).
  5. Add eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla and lemon zest.
  6. Alternately add dry ingredients and sour cream to the butter mixture.
  7. Gently stir in most of the rhubarb.
  8. Pour batter into pan. Top with remaining rhubarb and turbinado sugar.
  9. Bake for 50–55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  10. Cool in pan 15 minutes, then transfer to rack.

Nutrition

Serving: 90gCalories: 310kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 4gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 3.5gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 220mgPotassium: 160mgFiber: 1gSugar: 21gVitamin A: 450IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 80mgIron: 1.5mg

Notes

Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be considered an approximation. Actual values may vary based on specific ingredients used and portion sizes.

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