Old Fashioned Rhubarb Cake Recipe
A quick and easy rhubarb cake that's been handed down generation to generation in our family. Your rhubarb-loving friends and family will definitely be requesting the recipe!
Servings: 9 Servings
Equipment
- 9x9 Metal Baking Pan (8x8" will also work!)
- Medium Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
For the Cake
- ¼ Cup salted butter, softened
- ½ Cup brown sugar (light or dark)
- ¼ Cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- ½ Cup buttermilk*
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 Cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 Cup chopped rhubarb (roots and leaves removed, then rinsed and dried before chopping. I like to cut the stalks the long way then dice into small bite-sized pieces)
For the Topping
- ¼ Cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F, grease a 9x9 baking pan and set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugars.¼ Cup salted butter, softened, ½ Cup brown sugar, ¼ Cup granulated sugar
- Beat in the egg.1 large egg
- Stir in the buttermilk and vanilla extract until uniform.½ Cup buttermilk*, 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Slowly stir in the dry ingredients the ingredients are just combined (a few lumps are ok, avoid overmixing for the most tender cake).½ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 Cup all-purpose flour
- Gently fold in the rhubarb pieces to distribute throughout the batter.1 Cup chopped rhubarb
- Transfer the cake batter to the prepared pan, spreading it into an even layer.
- Stir the cinnamon and sugar together and sprinkle over the top of the cake.¼ Cup granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- Bake for 28-32 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (a few crumbs are ok).
- Place the cakepan onto a wire rack and allow it to cool for at least 10-minutes before serving (cooling it fully for easiest slicing and serving, about 1-hour).
- Slice and enjoy!
Video
Notes
*don't have buttermilk? no problem! Grandma's hand-written recipe calls for "sour milk", which you can make using regular dairy milk + either white vinegar or lemon juice! For the ½ Cup of buttermilk called for in the recipe, simply add ½ Tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to ½ Cup of dairy milk, give it a stir, and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. Give it another stir and then it's ready to use.
Storage: Allow the cake to cool fully, then either cover it with plastic wrap (or transfer it to an airtight container) and store it at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week.
2x it for a 9x13" pan. If you're making this for a crowd, 2x the recipe and use a 9x13" baking pan. Watch the bake time, it will need to cook for closer to 32-40 minutes. Do the toothpick test to ensure the middle is done.
