Sourdough Rhubarb Cake Recipe
Sourdough rhubarb cake is perfectly moist with a light and tender crumb, thanks to the sourdough discard! Tart rhubarb is folded into a light, buttermilk cake batter that's baked with a cinnamon sugar and rhubarb topping. It's the best flavors of summer in a simple dessert.
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Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 113 g unsalted butter ½ cup, room temperature
- 100 g sugar ½ cup
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 250 g buttermilk 1 cup
- 125 g sourdough discard ½ cup
Dry Ingredients
- 313 g all-purpose flour 2½ cups
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 125 g rhubarb 1 cup, chopped
Topping
- 50 g sugar 1/4 cup
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 6-8 stalks rhubarb stalks
Instructions
Prep
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/177°C with the rack in the middle of the oven.
- Line a 9" square baking pan with parchment paper
- First, gather and wash the rhubarb stalks. Trim the ends and discard the leaves. Chop 1 cup of rhubarb into ½ inch pieces and cut the remaining pieces so that they fit inside the pan diagonally to create a pattern.
- In a small bowl, combine 50 g (¼ cup) sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon and set aside.
Mix the Cake Batter
- Mixing up this cake is a breeze with a hand mixer, stand mixer, or by hand with a spoon.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together 313 g (2 ½ cups) flour, 1 tsp salt, 2 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp baking soda.
- In a separate large bowl, add 113 g (½ cup) unsalted butter and 100 g (½ cup) sugar and cream with a large spoon until smooth.
- Add 2 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and 125 g (½ cup) sourdough discard to the bowl, and whisk until smooth.
- Add the flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, mix until just combined after each addition and stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl. Do not over mix! It's ok if there are a few streak of flour left in the cake mixture.
- Gently fold the cut rhubarb chunks into the cake batter.
Assemble and Bake the Cake
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the top of the batter. Add the long pieces of rhubarb to the top of the cake in any pattern you like and gently press them into the batter a bit.
- Place the cake into the preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean and the top of the cake springs back.
- Place the cake on a wire rack to let the cake cool before cutting for the best texture and flavor.
- Serve with a dollop of homemade whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Notes
Why alternate adding the flour mixture with the milk?
It all has to do with the butter. The whipped butter and sugar mixture won't absorb much liquid. If you begin with the liquid, or worse, even add it all, the butter becomes saturated and separates, keeping the liquid on top. Once you add the dry ingredients, they absorb all of the liquid, creating a heavy cake instead of a light and airy cake.Can I Bake With Frozen Rhubarb?
Yes, and I do it all the time. Rhubarb season is so short - I like to harvest some throughout the season and stash it into the freezer. It allows me to enjoy rhubarb desserts year-round! Add frozen slices of rhubarb to your recipe, but do not let them thaw or they'll become soft and watery. Because the frozen rhubarb brings the internal temperature of the cake batter down, you'll need to increase the baking time.Nutrition
Calories: 185.3kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 3.7gFat: 7.1gSaturated Fat: 4.2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 1.9gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 40.2mgSodium: 260.5mgPotassium: 155.5mgFiber: 1.2gSugar: 10.6gVitamin A: 272.5IUVitamin C: 2.8mgCalcium: 87.4mgIron: 1.2mg
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