Rhubarb is easy to grow and spreads rapidly, yielding a generous harvest. That said, we’ve attempted on at least a couple of occasions to grow rhubarb, but without success. It’s never been able to survive the antics of the family dog! Fortunately, I was able to reap some of the harvest of my grandpa’s rhubarb. We drove down for his 90th birthday a week ago and I came back with a nice stash of fresh rhubarb from his garden. I love rhubarb. I like it made into a compote and served with ice cream or whipped cream. I also enjoy it in the form of strawberry rhubarb pie or jam. This time I decided to incorporate it into a tender and moist cake. Not too sweet and not too tart – just the right balance. It was a big hit and I immediately received requests to bake a second cake. My husband, who neither likes cake nor rhubarb (strange man), really liked this one and cast in his vote for another one. So I’ll be making this again tomorrow. How about you?
Let’s have a little rhubarb chat. Rhubarb is technically a vegetable but was designated as a fruit in the U.S. in a 1947 court ruling for the purposes of regulations and duties. Rhubarb enjoys a long history. It has been used in Chinese medicine for thousands of years. 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.
What’s interesting to me is that even though rhubarb is a vegetable, its generally only used as a fruit, in sweet dishes, (and for that matter, though tomatoes are technically fruits, they’re really only used in savory dishes). Have any of you ever made or seen rhubarb served as a vegetable? Chime in if you have!
One last factual tidbit from Wiki: “In British theater and early radio drama, the words “rhubarb, rhubarb” were repeated for the effect of unintelligible conversation in the background.” Pretty amusing, huh? For your further entertainment, try repeating “rhubarb” at least 5 times.
Go grab some rhubarb while it’s still available and make this fantabulous Rhubarb Buttermilk Streusel Cake! 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) . This cake is truly lovely and it’s easy to make. Serve it up with some ice cream and you’re all set. And even if you think you don’t like rhubarb like my husband (who prior to eating this said he couldn’t stand it), give it a try – you won’t be disappointed!
Let’s get started!
Cream the butter and sugar in large mixing bowl with an electric mixer.
Add the eggs and vanilla extract.
Beat until combined.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour, alternating the flour and buttermilk.
Be careful not to over-stir. Some lumps of flour will remain, and that’s okay.
Wash the rhubarb. Peel off the outer skin if it’s too tough.
Dice the rhubarb and add it to the batter.
Fold the rhubarb into the batter.
Spread the batter into a greased 8×8 inch square baking pan. I use the hand-forged aluminum pan by Magic Line, made in the USA. Love it!
To make the streusel, combine the butter, sugar and flour in a bowl.
Crumb the mixture between your fingers.
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.
Let the cake cool before slicing it.
Serve with some ice cream and you’re all set! Enjoy!
- ¼ 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
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2½ cups rhubarb, diced
- For the streusel topping:
- ¼ cup butter, melted
- ½ cup flour
- ½ cup sugar
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 8x8 inch square baking pan.
- Cream the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl until pale and fluffy. 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.
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Laura Dembowski (@piesandplots) says
Rhubarb is such a great thing to bake with! This cake looks and sounds like such a great treat!
huntfortheverybest says
this looks delicious. great idea!
The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you, huntfortheverybest!
Serena @Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch says
This looks delicious! My husbands favorite is rhubarb pie with crumb topping so I’ll have to pin this for later! I found you through MB things I know on Facebook. Have a wonderful night!
The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks, Serena, and thank you so much for stopping by! I checked out your lovely Facebook page and am headed over to your blog now!
Ariane says
This sounds so good! Any recommendations if I use frozen rhubarb? Wondering if I should thaw it or just put it in frozen?
The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Ariane! Thank you! Yes, you can absolutely use frozen rhubarb. Just thaw it completely. Don’t squeeze out the liquid -just let it drain in a colander. It will turn out beautifully!
abby says
I was a little afraid to try this recipe, but really wanted to get rid of my frozen rhubarb so I gave it a go. Long story short, made it, added cinnamon to the strudel, and it was amazing. My husband loved it and it was both of ours first time trying rhubarb. Thanks for the recipe! !!!
The Daring Gourmet says
Awesome, I’m so happy to hear that, Abby! And I’m happy that this recipe made rhubarb lovers out of both of you :) Thanks for the feedback! Best, Kimberly
Angie says
Hi I just tried this! Switching the white sugar to brown sugar for the streusel topping. I must say its one of the best cake I have ever made! Thank you for the recipe!
The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you for making it, Angie, and for your feedback!
Katie says
Made this recipe yesterday. Well it’s all gone today! It was very good. So moist. Glad I got a chance to use my garden rhubarb.
The Daring Gourmet says
That’s wonderful, Katie, I’m so happy you enjoyed it! We really love it, too. And you’re so lucky that you have your own rhubarb! By the way, frozen rhubarb (left to thaw and drain before added – but not squeezed dry) works really well in this cake, too, in case you have some left at the end of the Summer you want to freeze.
Anonymous says
Could you double it and put it in a 9×13 pan?
The Daring Gourmet says
I haven’t tried that yet, but I can’t think of a single reason why it wouldn’t work. Go for it, happy baking, and enjoy! :)
Miranda says
Wonder how this would be as cupcakes/muffins. Anyone try it yet?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Miranda, we just got back from vacation and I apologize for the delayed response. I haven’t tried making it in cupcake form and wonder if it might be a little to moist for that. If you give it a try let us know how it goes!
Nancy says
I’m pretty sure the rhubarb season is over, but I lucked into some rhubarb at the organic store. I made this cake this afternoon and it was perfect! I normally reduce sugar in most recipes, but I followed yours exactly as you wrote it and it’s a keeper!
Several hours later and the house still smells fabulous.
Many thanks!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s terrific, Nancy, thank you! We still have a lot of rhubarb left in our garden that’s situated in the shade where it managed to escaped the heat wave this Summer. I was just thinking that I need to harvest some and make this streusel cake this week :)
Rita says
Hi! Do you think you could also make this recipe with red currants?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Definitely, Rita! You can really substitute most fruits and berries. I love red currants. They’re really popular in Germany where I’m from but are virtually impossible to find here in the U.S.. We planted some red currant bushes in our garden last year and are eagerly awaiting the harvest :)
Margaret says
Hi, made this cake several times now and I can’t get enough of it. For the first time, I substituted white sugar for brown, but the cake it’s in the oven, so I can’t tell yet which streuseI I like better. Another thing I do differently is that I put tiny layer of cake batter, rhubarb on top and the rest of the batter on top. It’s so delicious and I always make a double batch and just bake it in rectangular glass cake pan. It turns out perfect each time I make it. My family keep on asking for more and more.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, thanks so much, Margaret!
Kitty says
I am making it a 2nd time….Just a few changes: instead of 1/4 cup butter in the cake, I accidentally used 3/4… ! I will let you know how it turns out. I also used a little over 3 cups rhubarb, because I had extra. I also made a rhubarb sauce to be served with it.
Barbara Holly says
If I don’t have buttermilk can I still make it?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Barbara, to ensure the proper acidity level to get a tender crumb, you can make your own “buttermilk” by stirring 1 tablespoon of white vinegar into the milk and letting it sit for 5 minutes.