Rhubarb is SUCH a hearty plant to grow. I bought my plant last year, neglected to plant it all summer long, the roots were bursting through the plastic container it was growing in, I threw it into my garden at the end of summer, even got a harvest out of it and it just thrives no matter how you treat it. This is my first summer with a mature rhubarb plant and I have had 3 or 4 harvests already and I could still be harvesting. I can tell I will be making “all the things” rhubarb this summer (and every summer after that!) and this cake has already been made more than once!
Rhubarb Cake
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 2½ cups flour, divided
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- 4 cups diced rhubarb, about 4-5 large stalks
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup butter or margarine
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ cup buttermilk (optional)
Grease a 9×13″ baking pan and heat up that oven to 350ºF and dice that gorgeous rhubarb.
In a large mixing bowl stir the sugar, baking soda, salt and 2 cups of the flour. Then stir in the eggs and sour cream until smooth. This batter was really dry and crumbly and at this point I thought there was no way this batter was going to turn into a cake so I added about ¼ cup of buttermilk and then folded in the rhubarb. The second time I made it, not all of the mixture incorporated again and it was really crumbly, but I didn’t add extra liquid and I just folded in the rhubarb. I guess the rhubarb has enough moisture in it that it mixed really nicely together….so do whatever you please, they both tasted great!
Spread cake batter into pan and then make the topping with the rest of the flour, butter/margarine, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Sprinkle topping on cake batter and bake for about 45-50 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the centre comes out clean.

- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 cups flour
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup sour cream
- ¼ cup buttermilk (optional)
- 4 cups diced rhubarb (4-5 large stalks)
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup butter or margarine, softened
- ½ cup flour
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- Heat oven to 350 degrees and spray (or grease and flour) a 9x13" pan.
- In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, baking soda, salt and 2 cups of flour.
- Stir in the eggs and sour cream until smooth. I found the batter was very thick and crumbly at this stage.
- Fold in the rhubarb and if you feel the batter is still too thick and crumbly, try adding ¼ cup of buttermilk (or regular milk) to moisten a bit. I did and the cake was moist and wonderful!
- Spread batter evenly in pan.
- Make the topping by cutting the butter into the rest of the ingredients and sprinkle on top of the cake.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a cake tester in the centre of the cake comes out clean.
- Serve with ice cream or whipped cream if desired.
This recipe was adapted from a few different recipes, so much so that I do not feel it necessary to give credit, I am calling it my own!
I hope you enjoy this cake as much as we do!

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