My easy rhubarb and vanilla cake with buttermilk is a delicious cake with chunks of sharp sweetness from the rhubarb and the tang of buttermilk, with the sweetness of vanilla.
Lovely for a special occasion or weekend bake, or everyday when you have a rhubarb patch at home.
Rhubarb in baking
I love it when rhubarb season arrives, it really shows that spring is finally here.
As a child we grew rhubarb on our allotment, and stewed rhubarb and rhubarb crumble have always been among my favourites. What is your favourite rhubarb dish?
Rhubarb also goes really well in cake of course. Here I’ve made a vanilla-flavoured rhubarb buttermilk cake, topped and filled with roasted rhubarb.
The buttermilk makes the sponge lovely and soft with a great flavour, and slightly denser than a traditional sponge.
This cake is really easy to make, just remember to roast your rhubarb a little earlier in the day.
I make this cake regularly now when rhubarb is available as it is a hit with all the family. You can’t beat a slice of homemade cake with a cup of tea can you?
Ingredients
Use this list as a handy shopping list or a guide when gathering together the ingredients to make your rhubarb cake. For quantities please refer to the recipe card at the end of the post.
- butter – I tend to use unsalted as that is the kind of butter I keep in the fridge, but salted will work fine too.
- caster sugar – I use golden but normal white caster sugar works just the same
- eggs
- self-raising flour
- vanilla bean paste – can swap for vanilla extract, avoid vanilla essence though as it has a synthetic taste
- buttermilk – if you don’t have any you can easily make some by mixing milk with a little lemon juice and leaving to thicken for 5-10 minutes.
- rhubarb – 3-4 large stalks ideally
Step by step
- Roast the rhubarb by washing it, cutting into small pieces (around 5-6 cm in length) and sprinkling over 50 g caster sugar, then roasting for 15 minutes in a foil-covered dish. Then remove the foil and roast for 5 minutes more. Leave to cool.
- Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the vanilla bean paste and then the eggs, one by one.
- Fold in some of the flour, then add some of the buttermilk. Add each in stages and mix in between until all fully added.
- Place half of the cake mixture in a deep 8-inch/20 cm springform cake tin sprayed with cake release spray.
- Place some pieces of the roasted rhubarb on top, then add the rest of the cake mixture on top of it.
- Smooth the top then place more of the roasted rhubarb on top (you may not want to use it all, I had some left over).
- Bake for 50-55 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius / 350 F (preheated oven), or until the cake is golden brown and fully cooked in the centre – check using a cake tester.
- Allow to cool then enjoy!
More rhubarb recipes
How do you prefer rhubarb? Do you grow your own?
Recipe
Easy Rhubarb and Vanilla Cake
Ingredients
- 150 g (⅔ cup) unsalted butter softened
- 190 g (¾ cup + 3 tbsp) golden caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 3 medium eggs
- 225 g (1 ¼ cups + 2 tbsp) self-raising flour
- 120 ml (0.5 cups) buttermilk
- 1 (14 oz) pack of rhubarb 400 g, roasted and drained
Equipment
Instructions
- Roast the rhubarb by washing it, cutting into small pieces (5-6 cm in length) and sprinkling over 50 g caster sugar, then roasting for 15 minutes in a foil-covered dish. Then remove the foil and roast for 5 minutes more. Leave to cool.1 pack of rhubarb
- Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.150 g unsalted butter, 190 g golden caster sugar
- Add the vanilla bean paste and then the eggs, one by one.1 tsp vanilla bean paste, 3 medium eggs
- Fold in some of the flour, then add some of the buttermilk. Add each in stages and mix in between until all fully added.225 g self-raising flour, 120 ml buttermilk
- Place half of the cake mixture in a deep 8-inch/20 cm springform cake tin sprayed with cake release spray.
- Place some pieces of the drained roasted rhubarb on top, then add the rest of the cake mixture on top of it.
- Smooth the top then place more of the drained roasted rhubarb on top (you may not want to use it all, I had some left over).
- Bake for 50-55 minutes at 180℃ / 350℉ (preheated oven), or until the cake is golden brown and fully cooked in the centre – check using a cake tester.
- Enjoy!
kerrycooks says
Ooh this looks so delicious and perfectly seasonal. Thanks for entering #cakeclub!
bakingqueen74 says
Thanks Kerry! Great linkup, thanks for hosting
Kirsty Hijacked By Twins says
We have just started to harvest rhubarb and I love baking with it. This looks delicious x #CookBlogShare
bakingqueen74 says
Ooh excellent to grow your own, look forward to seeing your rhubarby recipes x
Alison says
I love Rhubarb, your cake looks lovely
bakingqueen74 says
Thanks Alison, it was very tasty
lucyparissi says
Oh my this cake looks so fluffy and wonderful! I love rhubarb – I have been baking and using it in various recipes so much this year. Such a unique taste and amazing colour! Thanks for linking to #CookBlogShare
Winnie says
Your cake look fabulous !!
And I’m quite jealous as we don’t have here rhubarb. I’d loooooove a slice 🙂
bakingqueen74 says
Thanks so much Winnie! What a shame you don’t have rhubarb.
choclette says
Your cake looks delicious and I like your idea of roasting the rhubarb first.. I like a slightly denser cake and I definitely like rhubarb cakes. I made one the other day, but haven’t posted it yet. And last night I had rhubarb crumble – oh heaven!
bakingqueen74 says
Rhubarb is so good isn’t it! Look forward to your cake.
Sew White says
This looks amazing! I love it x
bakingqueen74 says
Thanks Sisley
The Vagabond Baker says
Yum! I love rhubarb! That reminds me, there is a huge rhubarb plant in the garden of this house I’m currently house sitting. I’ve forgotten to check it this spring! Now I’m inspired, thank you!
bakingqueen74 says
Excellent stuff. The advantages of house sitting!
fabfood4all says
Oh my, it’s a good job I don’t know exactly where you live or I’d be on your door step for a slice of this, looks totally divine!
bakingqueen74 says
🙂 thanks Camilla
Dungarees & Donuts (@_OliviaJadexo) says
Oh wow this looks beyond gorgeous, so tasty! I would love to try this out
bakingqueen74 says
Great, let me know if you do!
Mary Anne says
would it work with apple instead of rhubarb?
bakingqueen74 says
Should do! No need to roast the apple first I’d have thought.
Fuss Free Helen says
Gorgeous cake. It would be great warm from the oven with lots of lovely home made custard too.
bakingqueen74 says
Thanks Helen. Great idea, will do that if it gets chilly again tomorrow!
justcharlieg says
This looks AMAZING, having just had a nose through, I’m following on bloglovin now, this is a lovely blog!
bakingqueen74 says
Ah thanks Charlie, following you back too
justcharlieg says
I’ve spent ages looking at your posts today, I might need a slow cooker!