Sweet strawberries and tart rhubarb are combined in this buttery handheld cake, creating a light, summery Strawberry Rhubarb Cake that gets rave reviews every time I make it.
I took a plate of this cake across the road to our neighbors a few weeks ago and they loved it every bit as much as we do.
Strawberry Rhubarb Recipes
This really is an absolutely perfect cake that takes very little effort to pull together. No icing, no topping, no fancy layers, nothing else is necessary at all. There are just a handful of ingredients in this recipe and it’s crazy easy to make.
It is reminiscent to me of a coffee cake in texture but much lighter than the typical heavy version. This recipe is adapted from the crazy popular Cranberry Christmas Cake. This is a great way to enjoy that cake year-round when cranberries are much harder to find.
Strawberries with rhubarb is a combination that is hard to beat. The sweet berries and tart rhubarb are fantastic together.
Just a note about the berries in this cake, you’ll want to chop them pretty small (around 1/2″ or smaller). If the berries are not chopped small, they can potentially create too much moisture in the cake.
I like to buy rhubarb whenever it’s available in the stores, slice it thin and chop it up, and then freeze it until I’m ready to use it. You can also find bags of frozen rhubarb in many grocery stores.
For a few more rhubarb and strawberry desserts, Strawberry Rhubarb Brown Sugar Crunch, Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Bars, Strawberry Rhubarb Pie, and Apricot Rhubarb and Strawberry Crisp are all terrific options.
BEFORE YOU BAKE THIS CAKE – please read through the frequently asked questions. If you do have a question, please read through those questions. The odds are good that the question has been answered many times already on the original Cranberry Christmas Cake recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
This is a very thick batter that will resemble cookie dough when it has finished mixing. You will need to press it into the pan to spread it out. This is not a traditional pourable liquid cake batter.
There is no baking soda or baking powder needed in this recipe. The extended beating time for the eggs provides the necessary leavening for the cake. Do not shorten or skip the beating process. Trust the process.
The cake can be made in a variety of different cake pans. It can also be made into cupcakes and mini loaves. Watch the baking time and adjust as needed.
One of the most frequently asked questions is whether you can bake this in a bundt pan. I do not personally recommend that. I’ve tested this cake in a bundt pan twice and it just isn’t the same cake that way. (Once it fell apart on me and another time it worked fine.)
If you decide you must use a bundt pan, grease the pan HEAVILY with butter and then flour the pan generously. The biggest downside to baking this cake in a bundt pan is that you will miss out on the best part, that lovely crust that forms on the top of the cake.
There is no glaze on this cake. The crust forms as the cake bakes and winds up looking as pictured in the photos. Yes, you can choose to glaze it, but the photos here and the way I make it is without any kind of icing or glaze.
I store this cake at room temperature, either uncovered or very loosely covered. This is a moist cake and the crust will soften a great deal if it is stored airtight. It will still be tasty, but it won’t be the same the next day if it’s kept airtight.
Yes, you can freeze this cake. Remove from the pan and wrap tightly in plastic wrap and then in foil. You can freeze large sections or the whole cake together, or individual sliced portions. If you freeze this cake, thaw it uncovered at room temperature if possible.
Strawberry Rhubarb Cake Recipe
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. With a mixer, beat the eggs with the sugar until slightly thickened and light in color, about 5-7 minutes. The mixture should almost double in size. The eggs work as your leavening agent in this recipe, so do not skip or shorten this step. This mixture should form a ribbon when you lift the beaters out of the bowl.
- Add the butter and vanilla; mix two more minutes. Add the flour and mix until just combined. Add the rhubarb and strawberries and stir to mix throughout.
- Spread in a buttered 9×13 pan. (This is my favorite pan.) Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until very lightly browned and a toothpick inserted near the center of the cake comes out clean. (43 minutes typically works for me.) Let cool completely before cutting into small slices.
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Strawberry Rhubarb Cake
4.5 from 8 votesSweet strawberries and tart rhubarb are a perfect match in this simple cake.SavePinPrintReviewPrep Time: 12 minsCook Time: 45 minsTotal Time: 57 minsCourse: DessertCuisine: AmericanServings: 16 servings
Ingredients
- ▢3 eggs
- ▢2 cups sugar
- ▢3/4 cup butter softened
- ▢1 teaspoon vanilla
- ▢2 cups all-purpose flour see note below for gluten-free alternative
- ▢2 cups strawberries, washed and dried as much as possible, chopped very small
- ▢1 cup rhubarb, thinly sliced and chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. With a mixer, beat the eggs with the sugar until slightly thickened and light in color, about 5-7 minutes. The mixture should almost double in size. The eggs work as your leavening agent in this recipe, so do not skip or shorten this step. This mixture should form a ribbon when you lift the beaters out of the bowl.
- Add the butter and vanilla; mix two more minutes. Add the flour and mix until just combined. Add the rhubarb and strawberries and stir to mix throughout.
- Spread in a buttered 9×13 pan. (This is my favorite pan.) Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until very lightly browned and a toothpick inserted near the center of the cake comes out clean. (43 minutes typically works for me.) Let cool completely before cutting into small slices. Enjoy
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