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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 or make it with frozen mixed berries.
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.
Strawberry Rhubarb Cake
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 9x13 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!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Excellent. Cannot stress how important it is to beat the eggs, I have encountered recipes before that require this technique and they always work. My fruit proportions were on the generous side and the cake still rose nicely and look like your picture. Absolutely delicious and thanks!
Gina, YES! You are correct. Do not skip this step to take a shortcut. I am happy you enjoyed the cake.
Can u use frozen rhubarb?
Yes you could, Charlotte.
Can you use frozen strawberries and rhubarb?
Yes, you could, Patricia.
Can I use canned strawberry rhubarb.i have some on hand?
I’ve never tried that myself, but I think it will work. I’d drain (and save to use elsewhere) any sauce that might be in the jar.
I have a question – can the Strawberry Rhubarb Cake recipe be cooked in a sheet pan? It did come up when I put cooking in sheet pan but want to make sure. I would appreciate a quick response – thanks
Hi, Karla. I typically use a 9×13 baking pan when I make this recipe. While it might turn out well in a flat sheet pan, I haven’t tried that before; I’m not sure how even the texture of the final result would be. Happy baking!
Strawberry-rhubarb is my favorite flavor in baked goods and this recipe did not disappoint! It was so easy to make and I will definitely make it again…and again…and again 🙂
It’s an easy cake to keep making, Jean. I’m glad you enjoyed it; strawberry and rhubarb is a favorite combination of mine, too. Happy baking!
Simple cake. Simple ingredients. Thats what you’re going to get. Very dense and soggy. Yes I drained and dried off my fruit/veg. Wish I’d had the fore thought to add some warm spices. Although loosely covered, cake got worse. Threw half out bc of mold concerns.
Sorry to hear that you weren’t a fan of the cake, Angela. Is there a chance that you didn’t beat the eggs for a full five to seven minutes, or that you didn’t slice the strawberries/rhubarb finely enough? Either of those options would lead to a soggy/dense cake. In any case, I hope your next baking recipe turns out much more nicely. Happy cooking!
If using frozen rhubarb should I thaw it first or leave it frozen?
Hi, Lorraine! If you’re using frozen rhubarb, I would thaw it before baking.
Very easy and good when fresh, but too sweet. Used 1/2 vanilla and 1/2 almond extract and added 1/2 tsp salt. Would it work as well with less sugar? 1 or 1.5 cups? Don’t know whether that would impact crust formation or chemistry. Plan to try with 1.5 if I don’t hear from you, and to add 1-2 tbsp fresh lemon thyme plus 1 tsp salt. Will post results. Unfortunately, don’t care for next-day stickiness.
You should be able to reduce the sugar slightly, without too much impact. However, I haven’t tested that myself, Michele.
i used my KitchenAid stand mixer to beat the three eggs and half white sugar and brown sugar for 7 minutes. I then followed the directions to a T from there and I ended up with an amazing cake that has this sweetness of strawberries and tartness of rhubarb and texture of cake. This was such a good recipe I will definitely use it again
I’m thrilled it’s a hit, Julie.
Made recipe according to directions. Turned out perfect. We enjoyed it. Can you freeze the cake? Probably get too soggy. LOVED OT
I haven’t tried freezing this one, Agnes, but it’s worth testing with a slice or two.
Just finished making this cake but we haven’t tried it yet. It looks exactly as pictured. A little disappointed it doesn’t rise much. I am wondering if anyone has tried A teaspoon of baking soda or powder.
This cake doesn’t typically rise a great deal. You can certainly try adding baking soda or powder, but we love it exactly as written.
Can you use a 9x 13 glass pan?
That should work.
My super picky 15 year old son loved this, so that’s a win. Nice & light with the “coating” on top. Delish, thank you!
I’m so glad you’re enjoying the cake, June!
I was looking for a strawberry rhubarb coffee cake recipe when I came across this one and loved the simplicity of it over traditional coffee cake recipes, so I made a few adjustments and it turned out amazingly. I omitted 1/2 c sugar (which did not affect the integrity of its structure, so anyone wanting to make as is but simply less sweet can do so successfully), and switched half the vanilla extract to almond for a little more flavor depth. I also sprinkled in a pinch of baking soda after reading some reviews on it not rising just in case and either it worked or was not needed as it baked up wonderfully. I also did beat the eggs like crazy as directed. Before baking I topped with a streusel topping and baked as directed. It rose perfectly while baking, came out light and fluffy, and the streusel topping gave it a sweet crunch I was looking for in a coffee cake.
I’m thrilled the cake was a hit for you and I bet it was awesome with a streusel topping too!
I’m wondering if this would freeze well as I need a dessert for a camping outing in a few days.
This should freeze fine, Lila.