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German Rhubarb Streusel Cake

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This delicious German rhubarb streusel cake recipe features a wonderful moist and tender crumb with the sweet and tangy flavor of fresh rhubarb.ย  Delicious on its own, with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, or vanilla sauce!

rhubarb streusel cake recipe buttermilk crumb german

I grew up in Germany eating rhubarb every year when it was in season.ย  My mom would bring it home from the farmer’s market and would make things like rhubarb compote, rhubarb crisp, rhubarb jam, and rhubarb cakes.ย  Whatever she made with it, we loved it!ย  The last several years we have been growing rhubarb in our garden and I look forward to it every season.

This German Rhubarb Streusel Cake, as with most German cakes, isn’t overly sweet and the tanginess of the rhubarb provides a nice contrast and balance.ย  The buttermilk adds a nice bit of additional tang and makes the crumb so wonderfully moist and tender.ย  Serve it with some vanilla ice cream or whipped cream and you’ll be in rhubarb cake heaven.

Where Did Rhubarb Originate?

Here’s just a little rhubarb history for those of you who, like me, are fascinated by this kind of stuff.ย  Rhubarb goes back a long way. ย It has been used in Chinese medicine for thousands of years. ย Over the centuries the rhubarb trade increased and in Medieval Europe its value exceeded that of fine spices such as cinnamon and saffron! Rhubarb entered the U.S. in the 1820’s and has been enjoyed in the popular form of pies, crumbles, compote, and preserves ever since.

By the way, did you know that rhubarb is technically a vegetable?ย  Yet interestingly it was designated as a fruit in the U.S. in a 1947 court ruling for the purposes of regulations and duties.

What’s interesting is that even though rhubarb is a vegetable, it’s generally only used in sweet dishes as a fruit.ย  Yet tomatoes, which are technically fruits, are generally only used in savory dishes as vegetables.ย  Have any of you ever made or seen rhubarb served as a vegetable or tomatoes served as fruits? ย Chime in if you have!

One last interest tidbit about rhubarb from Wiki: ย “In British theater and early radio drama, the words “rhubarb, rhubarb” were repeated for the effect of unintelligible conversation in the background.” ย Pretty amusing, huh?

So grab some rhubarb and make this fantabulous German Rhubarb Buttermilk Streusel Cake! ย A tender and moist crumb with a delightful buttery streusel topping (which, incidentally, comes from the German verb “streuen,” which means to sprinkle or scatter) . ย This cake is truly lovely and it’s easy to make.

rhubarb streusel cake recipe buttermilk crumb german

German Rhubarb Streusel Cake Recipe

Let’s get started!

Cream the butter and sugar in large mixing bowl with an electric mixer.

Add the eggs and vanilla extract.ย  Beat until combined.

creaming butter and sugar and eggs

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.ย  Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour, alternating the flour and buttermilk.

Be careful not to over-stir. ย Some lumps of flour will remain, and that’s okay.

adding dry ingredients

Wash the rhubarb. ย Peel off the outer skin if it’s too tough.ย  Dice the rhubarb and add it to the batter.ย  Fold the rhubarb into the batter.

adding the fruit

Spread the batter into a greased 8×8 inch square baking pan. ย I use the hand-forged aluminum pan by Magic Line, made in the USA. ย Love it!

place cake batter in baking pan

To make the streusel, combine the butter, sugar and flour in a bowl.ย  Crumb the mixture between your fingers.

preparing streusel topping

Evenly crumble the streusel over the batter.

Bake in an oven preheated to 350 degrees F for 35-45 minutes or until the streusel is a light golden brown in places and a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

rhubarb streusel cake recipe buttermilk crumb

Let the cake cool before slicing it.

rhubarb streusel cake recipe buttermilk crumb

Serve with some ice cream, whipped cream, or our homemade German Vanilla Sauce, and you’re all set!

Enjoy!

rhubarb streusel cake recipe buttermilk crumb

For more delicious delicious rhubarb treats and more fruity cakes be sure to try our:

rhubarb streusel cake recipe best moist

German Rhubarb Streusel Cake

This German rhubarb streusel cake has a wonderfully moist and tender crumb and features the sweet and tangy flavor of fresh rhubarb!
4.85 from 13 votes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine German
Servings 9 servings
Calories 378 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 2 1/2 cups rhubarb diced
  • For the streusel topping:
  • 1/4 cup butter melted
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 8x8 inch square baking pan.
  • Cream the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the vanilla extract and egg and beat until combined.
    In a small bowl, combine the flour with the baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
    Using a rubber spatula, fold the flour mixture into the wet mixture, alternating with the buttermilk. Be careful not to over-stir. Some flour lumps will remain and that is okay. Stir in the rhubarb.
    Spoon the batter into the greased baking pan.
  • To make the streusel topping, combine all the ingredients and crumble with your fingers. Evenly sprinkle the streusel topping over the cake batter.
    Bake the cake for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
    Let the cake cool before cutting into squares. Serve with ice cream, whipped cream, or homemade German vanilla sauce.

Nutrition

Calories: 378kcalCarbohydrates: 63gProtein: 5gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 48mgSodium: 273mgPotassium: 222mgFiber: 2gSugar: 35gVitamin A: 420IUVitamin C: 2.7mgCalcium: 89mgIron: 1.8mg
Keyword Rhubarb Streusel Cake
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

 

kimberly killebrew the daring gourmet

Hi, Iโ€™m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!

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Recipe Rating




4.85 from 13 votes (2 ratings without comment)

66 Comments

  1. Thanks for the recipe. It’s very good.

    One question… I was skeptical about using a 8 X 8 cake pan for it, with that much batter and three leavening agents. And it did end up rising a few centimetres above the pan and eventually collapsed a bit in the middle when cooled. Would this recipe not work better in a 9 X 13 pan?

    1. Thank you for the feedback, Christo, I’m happy you enjoyed it! I haven’t had that problem using an 8×8 pan and I’m wondering if the issue was the weight of the rhubarb, the solution maybe being to cut the rhubarb chunks smaller? I think a 9×13 pan would result in a cake that’s pretty flat.

  2. This is a great recipe. I have been making this for several years now and have had many requests for the recipe. Even my son who doesn’t eat cake ( he prefers pies) has a big piece when I serve this. Thanks for such a wonderful recipe that has become a fan favourite in our large family.

  3. Please note that although the recipe states to cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy this is impossible due to ratio of sugar and butter used so instead should state beat well as I thought I was doing something wrong and started over. Otherwise, cake turned out really well, very moist and I’d make it again.

    1. I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Kay, and thank you for the feedback! I looked and noticed that the written instructions in the blog post did not mention beating the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy but somehow that verbiage was added to the recipe card. Thanks for catching that, I’ve updated it.

  4. This is a delicious way to use rhubarb. I will use a bit more rhubarb next time I make it. Do you know if it freezes well? Iโ€™m worried the rhubarb will get watery.