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French Rhubarb Cake

French rhubarb cake with a tender crumb and golden, rustic top. Fresh rhubarb pieces are arranged in a circular pattern, then baked until a toothpick comes out clean.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
cooling 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: French
Calories: 370
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cake batter
  • 0.5 cup butter softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 0.5 cup milk
Rhubarb topping
  • 3 cup fresh rhubarb cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 2 tbsp sugar for topping
Serving
  • powdered sugar for dusting

Equipment

  • 1 stand mixer
  • 1 springform pan
  • 1 oven

Method
 

Prep the oven and pan
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9-inch springform pan, so it’s ready when the batter is mixed.
Cream the base
  1. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy, then beat in eggs one at a time and add vanilla for a smooth batter.
Mix the dry ingredients
  1. Whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined.
Combine wet and dry
  1. Add dry ingredients to the butter mixture alternating with milk, mixing until just combined to avoid overmixing.
Assemble with rhubarb
  1. Pour batter into the prepared pan and arrange rhubarb pieces on top in a circular pattern.
  2. Sprinkle the rhubarb with 2 tablespoons sugar to help form a golden, rustic top.
Bake
  1. Bake for 40-45 minutes at 350°F until golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool and serve
  1. Cool for 30 minutes, then dust with powdered sugar and serve.

Notes

For clean slices, let the cake cool for the full 30 minutes before removing from the springform pan. Store covered in the fridge up to 3 days; freeze slices up to 2 months. For a lighter option, use 1% milk and reduce the sugar by 2 to 3 tablespoons while keeping the baking time the same.