Rhubarb Cinnamon Crumble Cake Recipe

When cold weather dies down and spring is in the air, rhubarb is abundant and its beautiful red stalks are hard to miss when they finally make their appearance at the local grocery store. Although rhubarb isn't one of the more common vegetables, it has been used for years in pies, tarts, jams, and cakes because of its tangy flavor that is enhanced with sugar. When cooking with rhubarb it's important to note that the greens are toxic and shouldn't be consumed which is why you will only see the stalks in the produce aisle. 

Recipe developer Miriam Hahn brings us this recipe and says, "This rhubarb crumble cake recipe has been in my family for years. It's simple to make and is a delicious treat that symbolizes spring." 

The crumble topping makes this cake irresistible for a weeknight dessert or served to complete a night of entertaining with friends. Read on to learn how to use the beautiful red stalks in a melt-in-your-mouth dessert.

To make this recipe, you'll of course need some rhubarb. "Even in spring when rhubarb is in season, it's a pretty short window so if you miss it, feel free to use frozen rhubarb in this recipe," Hahn explains. You'll need about 4 cups of frozen rhubarb and no need to cook it, just let it thaw on the counter for at least 30 minutes. 

Then you'll need some pantry basics like flour, sugar, baking powder, brown or coconut sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. "I like to use coconut sugar because it adds a slightly caramel-like flavor. I use this as a substitute for brown sugar quite a bit because it doesn't harden while storing," Hahn remarks. Finish off the store run with some eggs and yogurt. 

It won't take long to get our rhubarb cake into the oven so go ahead and preheat the oven to 350 F. Pull out the food processor and add in 2 cups of flour, ½ cup of sugar, and ½ cup cubed butter into the machine. Process for 2 minutes until it is blended and crumbly. You're going to use part of this mixture for your topping (with a couple of add-ins) so reserve 1 cup and set aside. Then spray a 9x9-inch baking dish with cooking spray and add the crust. Press it down so it lays in an even layer at the bottom of the pan.

Pull out a large cutting board and chop the rhubarb into small ½-inch cubes. Add that to a large bowl and add in ½ cup flour, ½ cup sugar, and the baking powder. Beat the eggs in a small bowl and mix in the yogurt, and vanilla. Then pour this over the rhubarb mixture. Melt the remaining ½ cup butter and add this to the bowl. Stir well to combine and pour this on top of the crust.

Now grab the reserved flour mixture and combine it with the brown or coconut sugar and the cinnamon. Spoon this on top of the rhubarb mixture to make our cinnamon topping. The cake is ready to go into the oven so pop it in and set the timer for 45 minutes. When it's done, let it cool for about 30 minutes before serving. Serve with optional whipped cream or ice cream. 

The cake stores well if kept in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days. "You can serve leftovers warm or cold," Hahn remarks. Now you have a new spring dessert to add to your list!