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Easy Rhubarb Cake

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Slightly tangy & not overly sweet, light and fluffy Easy Rhubarb Cake with a hint of cinnamon! Perfect with a cup of tea or lashings of custard, you choose! Delicious and easy bake to make the most of seasonal rhubarb!

Rhubarb cake on a cooling rack.

Who doesn’t like quick, easy and delicious bakes using seasonal ingredients? Well, you know by now that I definitely do and my scrummy rhubarb cake is one of those bakes.

Easy Rhubarb Cake & Serving Suggestions

This cake is really delicious! It’s got a substantial amount of rhubarb in it so it’s slightly tangy and not overly sweet but once it’s baked and cooled you can adjust the sweetness with the appropriate amount of icing sugar to suit your taste. I personally really like this cake with a nice cup of ginger tea but any tea or coffee for that matter will do. If you’d like to make it more of a pudding or dessert simply serve it with lashings of custard and you’re in heaven! There is a good reason why rhubarb & custard are such a classic combination! Cream or ice-cream would also work really nicely here!

This humble yet delicious cake is perfect if you are planning on hosting any garden parties during the summer season but also a perfect offering for coffee mornings, bake sales and afternoon teas.

If you are less generous with your portions than me you could easily get 12 lovely slices out of it instead of 8!

Rhubarb cake slice on a plate.

Useful tips

As easy as this cake is, there are few things worth noting in order for it to be a success every single time.

  • Size of your baking tin is really important. I’ve been using my 25cm/10inches round spring form tin and my cake takes anything between 45-50 minutes to bake. If you are using a tin with smaller diameter it might take longer for the cake to bake as it will be taller. I would suggest that you do the skewer test at approx 45 min and every 5 minutes after that up until the skewer comes out clean meaning the cake is ready.
  • Skewer check is invaluable as it lets you establish whether your cake is baked or not. One word of warning though. When inserting the skewer into the cake bare in mind that there is quite a substantial amount of wet rhubarb in there and as long as there is no wet batter on your skewer but it is slightly moist, that would be an indicator that the cake is baked. If, however, there are still visible bits of batter on your skewer, then definitely pop it back in and then check again after 5 minutes and so on.
  • Browning of the top of the cake. If you notice that your cake is getting a bit too brown on top but there is still some time before it’s ready then simply cover it gently with a piece of aluminium foil to prevent it from colouring too much.

How to make Easy Rhubarb Cake?

1. Clean rhubarb and cut each stalk into small chunks. Prepare your cake tin by greasing it with oil or butter and lining the bottom with greaseproof paper. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark4.
2. Put eggs and sugar into the bowl of your food processor and mix on high speed until pale in colour and almost foamy like. Be patient as it will take a good while. You can also do it by hand using whisk.
3. Once you are happy with the consistency of your batter, very slowly start adding oil through the tube of your food processor mixing constantly.
4. Sieve flour, baking powder and baking soda together and add in 3 stages to liquid batter in food processor, mixing slowly and only until incorporated after each addition. You might prefer to do this part by folding the flour mixture in by hand using a spatula to avoid overmixing.
5. Pour the batter into prepared cake tin, spread chunks of rhubarb evenly over the top and sprinkle generously with cinnamon.
6. Bake for approx. 45-50 minutes until the stick inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean and top is nice and golden. Let it cool and serve sprinkled generously with icing sugar.
 

 

Rhubarb cake on a cooling rack.
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4.67 from 6 votes

Easy Rhubarb Cake

Slightly tangy and not overly sweet, light and fluffy rhubarb cake with hint of cinnamon! Perfect with a cup of tea! 
Course Afternoon Tea, Cake, Dessert, Pudding, Treat
Cuisine British, International
Keyword cinnamon, rhubarb cake
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 8 generous slices
Calories 401kcal
Author Jo Allison

Ingredients

Metric - US Customary
  • 240 g plain (all-purpose) flour sieved
  • 220 g vanilla sugar or regular caster (fine) sugar
  • 125 ml rapeseed/sunflower/olive oil
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 1 Tbsp cinnamon or to taste
  • 500 g rhubarb cleaned and sliced into small chunks
  • 4 large eggs in room temperature
  • icing sugar to serve

Round spring form cake tin (approx. 25cm/10inches in diameter or equivalent)

    Instructions

    • Clean rhubarb and cut each stalk into small chunks. Prepare your cake tin by greasing it with oil or butter and lining the bottom with greaseproof paper. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4.
    • Put eggs and sugar into the bowl of your food processor and mix on high speed until pale in colour and almost foamy like. Be patient as it will take a good while. 
    • Once you are happy with consistency very slowly start adding oil through the tube of your food processor mixing constantly.
    • Sieve flour, baking powder and baking soda together and add in 3 stages to liquid batter in food processor, mixing slowly and only until incorporated after each addition. You might prefer to do this part by folding the flour mixture in by hand using a spatula to avoid overmixing.
    • Pour the batter into prepared cake tin, spread chunks of rhubarb evenly over the top and sprinkle generously with cinnamon. 
    • Bake for approx. 45-50 minutes until the stick inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean and top is nice and golden. Let it cool and serve sprinkled generously with icing sugar. Enjoy!

    Notes

    • Nutritional information is approximate and per 1 slice of cake based on 8 servings.
    • If you don't have vanilla sugar you can add 1 tsp of vanilla paste or extract or seeds scraped out from half vanilla pod. Check out this post for details on how to make your own vanilla sugar.
    • Feel free to adjust the amount of cinnamon to your taste or leave it out completely if not a fan.
    • If using different size tin please see Tips in the post above on how to adjust baking time.
    • Keep in airtight container for up to 3 days but best eaten on the day.
    • Freezing not recommended. 

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Easy Rhubarb Cake
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 401 Calories from Fat 162
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 18g28%
    Saturated Fat 2g10%
    Cholesterol 82mg27%
    Sodium 114mg5%
    Potassium 306mg9%
    Carbohydrates 54g18%
    Fiber 2g8%
    Sugar 28g31%
    Protein 6g12%
    Vitamin A 185IU4%
    Vitamin C 5mg6%
    Calcium 107mg11%
    Iron 2.1mg12%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Tried this recipe?Tag me @Joskitchenlarder or use hashtag #joskitchenlarder!

    Update Notes: This post was originally published on 16 May 2018 and updated in May 2019 with some more useful info and updated recipe card.

    More rhubarb recipes

    Easy Rhubarb Tart (Vegan)

    Easy Rhubarb Crumble (Rhubarb Crisp)

    Rhubarb & Ginger Cooler with Mint & Lemon

    Homemade Rhubarb Cordial (Rhubarb Syrup)

    Rhubarb Ice Cream (No Churn)

    Stewed Rhubarb (Rhubarb Compote)

    Few more fruity bakes you might enjoy

    Easy Blood Orange Drizzle Cake

    Easy Strawberry & Yogurt Cake

    White Chocolate & Almond Blondies with Raspberries 

    Strawberry Muffins with White Chocolate Drizzle

    Easy Pear and Fresh Ginger Cake

    Gluten-Free Orange and Almond Cake

    Dorset Apple Cake (Traybake)

     

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    Have you tried my Easy Rhubarb Cake? Leave a comment at the bottom of this post, I love reading them!

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    Pin Easy Rhubarb Cake For Later!

    Rhubarb cake on a cooling rack.

    LINKIES

    Cook Blog Share hosted by Monika at Everyday Healthy Recipes and Jacqui at Recipes Made Easy

    Cook Once Eat Twice hosted by Corina at Searching for Spice

    Brilliant Blog Posts hosted by Vicki at Honest Mum Blog

    Bake of the Week by Helen at CasaCostello and Jenny at MummyMishaps

    Baking Crumbs guest hosted this month by me for lovely Angela of Only Crumbs Remain

    Fiesta Friday hosted by Angie and Diann @ Of Goats and Greens

     

     

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Magdalena Marsden says

      What a delicious recipe! I’ve tried it this afternoon as my friend gave me a lots of rhubarb and I wasn’t sure what to do with it. This is definitely one of the best rhubarb cakes I’ve baked and my family loved it too.

      Reply

      • joskitchenlarder says

        Hello Magdalena, Thank you so much for your kind words, I’m so pleased you’ve all enjoyed it! 🙂

        Reply

    2. Laura Chant says

      Was so excited to try this cake, but it hasn’t gone as well as I hoped. I followed the recipe and had all the ingredients apart from any vanilla paste/seeds – which the cake sponge definitely needs. I found though that I had to leave the cake in the oven longer than advised before my skewer came out clean. It ended up being in there for an hour and 20 mins and when we came to try it, the bottom and edges were pretty dry. Nothing a drowning in custard won’t solve! Will definitely be trying it again, but any tips would be welcome

      Reply

      • joskitchenlarder says

        Hi Laura, I’m sorry to hear that it hasn’t completely gone to plan with the cake. One thing that springs to mind regarding skewer not coming out clean is that perhaps it wasn’t the cake that wasn’t baked but perhaps moist rhubarb when you were checking? If the skewer is wet but there isn’t any visible cake batter on it and you are close to the baking time stated in the recipe the chance is it is baked so it’s good to check in few places. If it is indeed the cake I would put it back in for additional 5 minutes at a time and check again. Also was the size of your cake tin as stated in the recipe? I used spring form approx. 25cm in diameter so anything smaller and the baking time would need to be longer as the cake will be taller. Sometimes it also comes down to the oven I’m afraid. I hope that helps a bit and your next attempt will be less dry. I’m glad you ended up enjoying it with lashings of custard though :). All the best. Jo x

        Reply

        • Denise says

          Hi, I’ve made this today. The only difference was that I used a square tin as I don’t have a round tin of that size. It was cooked in exactly 45 minutes and it’s a success. Thank you.

          Reply

          • joskitchenlarder says

            Hi Denise 🙂 I’m so pleased to hear the cake has been a success! Thank you so much for stopping by and letting me know, it’s made my day! 🙂 xx

            Reply

    3. Amanda | Icing Insight says

      Wow what a stunning cake! I’m surprised you only had one slice after shooting, it looks so perfect and moist I think I’d have had the whole thing! Can’t wait to try it 🙂 xo

      Reply

      • joskitchenlarder says

        Aw thank you Amanda! 🙂 This cake is such an easy and delicious fruity treat, I will be making it again soon! Hope you like it too! 🙂 xx

        Reply

    4. Cat | Curly's Cooking says

      I love using rhubarb in cakes, its so delicious and a great way to use up a glut of rhubarb other than in a crumble. Yours looks so tasty and fluffy, I don’t blame you for eating the slice straight away!x

      Reply

      • joskitchenlarder says

        Thanks Cat ? I’m generally pretty good when it comes to self-control but put freshly baked goods in front of me and it all goes out of the window! ? This cake was well worth it though ? x

        Reply

    5. Kat (The Baking Explorer) says

      What a gorgeous looking cake, I love baking with rhubarb

      Reply

      • joskitchenlarder says

        Thanks Kat! ? Can’t beat good fruity cake and rhubarb is brilliant to bake with.

        Reply

    6. Jacqui Bellefontaine says

      Another fabulous Rhubarb recipe from you Jo. Your cake looks amazing! Im struggling to find time to cook with all my rhubarb, let alone post my recipes. Thank you for linking your recipe to #CookBlogShare

      Reply

      • joskitchenlarder says

        Aw thanks Jacqui! 🙂 I get drip fed rhubarb weekly in my veg box and so far 2 x cooler 1 x cake so quantities are manageable lol. Got another bunch of the pinkiest one yet and made another cooler this afternoon for what is supposed to be lovely and hot(ish) weekend. Are you preserving any? I might try some jam soon if I find the time that is, only one week till half term so might be tight.

        Reply

    7. jenny walters says

      Oh my goodness Jo fruit cake is one of my absolute faves.I would eat the WHOLE thing xx

      Reply

      • joskitchenlarder says

        Lol, Oh Jenny, I would so be able to scoff the lot as well lol, zero self control so we shared it with some lovely people as kids not fans 🙁 x

        Reply

    8. Eb Gargano | Easy Peasy Foodie says

      Oh wow – this cake looks absolutely gorgeous. I wish the rest of my family liked rhubarb. It’s one of the very few things Mr G doesn’t like and the kids are a bit funny about all cooked fruit. Any chance you could post me a slice?? Eb x

      Reply

      • joskitchenlarder says

        Thanks Eb! 🙂 I wish I could, but instead you might have to pop round for a slice! How nice would that be! 🙂 My kids are the same when it comes to fruity cakes like this one and they usually pick the fruit and eat the sponge lol. In this case it’s not possible as rhubarb completely takes it over as it bakes and it’s in almost every single morsel 😉 Kids weren’t happy but myself and hubby on the contrary plus we shared the rhubarb love and gave some away otherwise it would have been only us two eating it!!! x

        Reply

    9. Jenny Paulin says

      what a beautiful looking cake Jo. I would happily eat this with a cup of tea right now in fact! thank you for linking up to #Bakeoftheweek x

      Reply

      • joskitchenlarder says

        Thanks Jenny and thanks again for your help linking it up! 🙂 x

        Reply

    10. Michelle Frank | Flipped-Out Food says

      Rhubarb game ON! This cake looks so scrumptious and…er…moist (I hate the word, but there’s really no synonym that works for cake!). I love the serial photos of the perfect bite getting closer and closer! I would totally have snarfed that slice and called it lunch. YUM! #brillblogposts

      Reply

      • joskitchenlarder says

        Ha, ha, I’m so with you on “moist” Michele 🙂 but it there is definitely no other word to describe it, so moist be it lol! Thank you for your kind words! 🙂

        Reply

    11. Angela / Only Crumbs Remain says

      What a gorgeous easy to make seasonal cake Jo – it sounds absolutely delicious – i’m not at all surprised that you had a slice after your photo shoot – I know I would have done too – great idea to enjoy it with ginger tea too given how well they go together. Thankyou for sharing with #BakingCrumbs 😉
      Angela xx

      Reply

      • joskitchenlarder says

        Thank you Angela 🙂 Sometimes the easiest recipes are the best especially if you want to have something ready quickly plus making sure I put the content of my weekly veg box to good use has been on top of my priorities of late lol One has got to have a hobby lol xx

        Reply

    12. Karen, the next best thing to mummy says

      I have been looking for a different sort of cake to make, now I have one, thanks #brillblogs@_karendennis

      Reply

      • joskitchenlarder says

        Thanks Karen! 🙂 This one is really delicious and so easy to make, I hope you enjoy it!

        Reply

    13. Corina Blum says

      This sounds absolutely scrumptious Jo! I do love your rhubarb recipes and I always prefer a fruity cake too. The texture of this looks perfect. Thank you so much for sharing with #CookOnceEatTwice!

      Reply

      • joskitchenlarder says

        Thank you Corina! I do like fruity cakes especially as starting from now we will be simply moving from one fruit to another, rhubarb, strawberries, raspberries etc. Lots of baking possibilities but I always find the simplest of cakes, like this one, are the ones I go back to time and time again. x

        Reply

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