Rhubarb Cream Snacking Cake
This Rhubarb Snacking Cake is the perfect spring treat—light, moist, and just the right balance of sweet and tart. Made with rich heavy cream and a splash of fresh-squeezed lemon juice, the batter bakes up beautifully tender and pairs perfectly with the bright, tangy bites of fresh rhubarb. It’s simple enough for a weekday snack but elegant enough to serve at brunch or with afternoon coffee.
Servings 12
Calories 266kcal
Ingredients
- ½ c heavy cream Subs: buttermilk, greek yogurt (120ml)
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice ⅓ of fresh lemon squeezed
- 1 Zest of whole lemon microbladed
- ½ c butter at room temperature (113g)
- 1 c raw granulated sugar + some for sprinkling on top (215g)
- 1 large egg (60g)
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (6g)
- 2 ¼ c unbleached all purpose flour (280g)
- 2 teaspoon baking powder (9.5g)
- 1 teaspoon salt (8g)
- 2 c thinly sliced rhubarb = 8.5oz + 1Tbs flour (241g)
Instructions
- Preheat + Prepare: Set oven to 350F lightly butter a 9x9 square baking pan. l prefer to line my pans with parchment paper to easily lift out the cooled cake, and for easy cleaning.
- Cream + Lemon: Stir the fresh squeezed lemon juice into the 40% cream and set aside to thicken.
- Butter + Sugar: Cream the soft butter and sugar together until fluffy and light in color.
- Egg + Vanilla: Whisk egg and vanilla with a fork.
- Zest + Lemon Cream: Add lemon cream mixture and zest to the egg and vanilla
- Flour the Fruit: Toss 1 tablespoon of the flour + 1 Tbs sugar with the rhubarb.
- Dry Goods: Whisk together dry ingredients - flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients by mixing half of the dry goods, and then half again, until mixed. Batter will be thick.
- Fold in Fruit: with a spatula or wooden spoon gently fold in rhubarb. (rhubarb is actually a vegetable, in this recipe I am treating it as a “fruit”)
- Spread + Sprinkle: place cake mix into the prepared pan, sprinkle top evenly with sugar. An offset spatula helps with spreading, or push in with the back of a spoon.
- Bake 350°F/180°C for about 40-43 minutes in an 8x8 metal pan. You can also use an 8x8 ceramic dish, which takes a bit longer to heat (40-45 minutes). Bake until cake turns golden, and when a toothpick poked in center comes out clean. Let the cake cool sufficiently before cutting.
Notes
- Makes 9 large 3”x3” servings, or 12 petite 2.25” snacking squares.
- Rely on the toothpick test, may need to add +2 minutes.
