A delicious Rhubarb Sour Cream Cake, topped with a lovely cinnamon, sugar and almond topping. The added sour cream makes it always super moist!
I found this recipe at the Australian food blog Insanity Theory, and adapted it for North American kitchen measures and ingredients (if you’re looking for grams and/or have lots of self-rising flour to use up, head on over there for her original).
This cake is wonderfully spiced with cinnamon, which goes really well with the rhubarb. I loved the bit of almond on top, but I think it would be nice without, as well. This is a great cake to use up frozen rhubarb or an excellent use for a fresh crop, if yours is ready now.
Cook’s Notes for Rhubarb Sour Cream Cake
This cake has good bit of sugar in it and on top of it, but believe it or not, the finished cake will not make your teeth ring. I’d call it just pleasantly sweet. I think it’s the combination with the tart rhubarb that stops it from going over the top. That said, you may not need to use all of the topping sugar, if you’d like to cut back a bit. I used about 3/4 of it. I saved the rest for cinnamon sugar toast topping.
Rhubarb Sour Cream Cake
Ingredients
Cake:
- 2 1/3 cups all purpose flour
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar I used light brown sugar, packed
- 1 egg
- 3 tsp vanilla I used vanilla bean paste in same amount
- 1 cup sour cream I used full fat
- 4 cups rhubarb fresh or frozen. I used frozen, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
Topping:
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/3 cup flaked almonds optional
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 355° F. and grease a 10-inch cake or springform pan. Line the bottom with a round of parchment (just to make your life easier, as this is a moist cake and it will just come out of the pan more easily). Set aside.
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In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.
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In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar until it is well combined and resembles wet sand. Add the egg and beat until the mixture is well combined and there are no lumps of brown sugar. Add the sour cream and vanilla and beat to combine.
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With mixer on low, add the flour mixture and mix just until combined. Fold in rhubarb. Spoon mixture into prepared pan.
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Sprinkle top of the cake with flaked almonds, if using. Combine the Topping sugar (1 cup) and the 1/2 tsp. cinnamon. Sprinkle liberally over the top of the cake. You may not use all of it (it is a lot!). I used about 3/4 of it. Any leftovers are great on toast or for other baking.
There’s so much rhubarb around at the moment and I love it! Gorgeous looking cake.
Thanks so much. I think this is my new favourite rhubarb treat. I’ll definitely be making it again when my rhubarb is ready.
How good does that look! My husband adores rhubarb. I should make this :) Could pass as a coffeecake for breakfast, yes? The texture looks amazing!
Thanks Sophie and absolutely, could work for breakfast. It’s great morning, noon and night!
My rhubarb is just poking its head out too, and I can’t wait to chop it up and make it into a beautiful cake like this one!
I’m sure you’d enjoy this cake Renee. It’s been a hit here and keeps really well.
I wanted to make something with rhubarb last week and I couldn’t find frozen rhubarb anywhere! I remember seeing once in the grocery store but I can’t find it anymore. When it finally comes in season I’m definitely stocking up, freezing it and making this cake….and the recipe I was originally going to make!
Hi Liz. I saw some in the store recently too, but just couldn’t bring myself to buy it when it grows like a bad weed around here :) Hope you get a chance to try this. It was delicious.
Hi Jennifer – this cake looks fab! Rhubarb reminds me of my childhood when it used to grow in my Mum’s garden. Me and my friend would pick it straight out of the ground and were given a bowl of sugar to dip it in – I cannot believe nowadays that we were ever given sugar with our fruit! Anyway your cake proves that there is a more grown up way to enjoy the sweetness of the rhubarb and sugar combo! Thanks for this recipe – I love your blog, it is one of my favourites.
Hi! And thanks so much. We would eat rhubarb that way when I was young as well. Great memory. This cake is definitely in the same spirit.
I love rhubarb and this cake looks delicious! Have a great day!
Thanks so much, Katarina.
That is a seriously gorgeous looking cake! I’ve never really tried cooking with rhubarb, but your photos are making me really want to give it a go!
Thanks so much, Rosie. Hope you get a chance to try it. I think you will be pleasantly surprised at how nice cooked rhubarb is.
This looks amazing! I’ve never been one to enjoy rhubarb, ever since I had one bite of a really bad rhubarb pie. However, since then I’ve grown to enjoy it. I recently posted a saucy rhubarb dessert. Thanks for sharing this recipe. I’ll have to convert it to gluten free!
Thanks Carla. I think a bit of almond meal would be nice in this, when you’re converting.
I made it and love, love, loved it! Perfect with vanilla ice cream :)
Glad you enjoyed it Benthe!
Your cake looks so delicious, I’ve just started baking with rhubarb and this looks a recipe to make really soon. It sounds fantastic!
Thanks Laura. I love baking with rhubarb. One of my favourites, I think. Enjoy!
Wow! This looks great! Love rhubarb!
Your pictures are amazing!
Thanks so much Jennifer. I loved this cake. If you are a fan of rhubarb I am sure you would enjoy it.
I am making this for coffee this afternoon
Last week I made a rhubarb custard pie that was to die for….I will let you know how this goes for me….sure looks good. I am tired of my oold recipe that I have had for 35 yrs.
Enjoy! I do love rhubarb custard pie too.
Cut my slice of the cake; added a dollop of whipped cream and have been won over…..very nice. Thank you.
So glad you enjoyed it!
Would you have any tips for making this and then shipping it? I’d like to make it for Father’s Day and then perhaps pack it in a tin and mail it overnight? 2-day? My father loves loves loves rhubarb so any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Hmmm. It does keep well, so should be good to ship on that front, though I’d do overnight, if it’s affordable – just so it’s as fresh as possible. It’s also a fairly sturdy cake, so I think if you let it cool and then wrap well, it should be good. I’d do a layer of plastic wrap around it and then several layers of foil wrap. You could also ship it in the springform pan, for the ultimate in protection. Maybe the pan is a Father’s Day gift, too :)
I love rhubarb, definitely saving for future baking. Beautiful photo’s.
Thanks Laura. This would be great with frozen rhubarb as well, if you stashed some away.
I have just made this fabulous cake to take to work and share with colleagues mid way through a flu vaccination clinic. It went down a treat. Next time, and there will be a next time, I may use coriander as the spice as I think it may go rather well with the rhubarb and the flaked almonds.
So glad you enjoyed it, Becky.
Gorgeous looking cake! Perfect for a springtime party!
Thanks so much, Jess. One of my favourite cakes!
I made this last night. It was yummy. It looked done at 1 hour baking time. But after I let it sit… the middle started sagging. It tasted great except the middle wasn’t quite done. Either I’ll bake it for the 70 minutes next time or I’ll use a tube pan. The edges were perfect. Thanks for the recipe. I’ll let you know how it turns out next time. Blessings!
I hate when that happens, Christine, but glad the outside was good. Sometimes I pop a sheet of aluminum foil over the top loosely, to stop the cake from browning too much, while still letting the cake cook a little longer.
This is so up my alley. I love how rustic it looks which makes imperfections look perfect! Rhubarb has such a surprising taste as a dessert and adding in cinnamon sounds divine. Does it pair nicely with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped topping?
Thanks so much, Cindy. It’s a delicious cake and yes, great with ice cream or whipped cream!