Description
A nostalgic, buttery buttermilk cake loaded with tart rhubarb and crowned with a cozy cinnamon-brown sugar crumble. This Old-Fashioned Rhubarb Crumb Cake is perfect for brunch, fika, or a quiet moment with coffee. It’s tender, flavorful, and anything but boring!
Ingredients
For the Crumb Topping:
½ cup packed light brown sugar
¼ teaspoon fine salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
For the Cake:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature (plus extra for greasing the pan)
1 ½ cups of all-purpose flour, with a little extra reserved for dusting the pan
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon fine salt
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
⅔ cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups chopped rhubarb (fresh or frozen, thawed and drained)
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9-inch square baking pan.
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Make the crumb topping: In a bowl, stir together the brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Add melted butter and stir until combined. Mix in the flour until clumps form. Set aside.
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Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
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Cream butter and sugar: In a stand mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla, mixing until smooth.
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Alternate mixing: On low speed, alternate adding a third of the buttermilk and a third of the dry mixture. Repeat until just combined.
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Fold in rhubarb gently with a spatula.
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Assemble the cake: Pour batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the crumb topping over, gently pressing to form small clusters.
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Bake for 40–50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
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Cool completely before slicing and serving.
Notes
Want a little crunch? Toss chopped pecans or walnuts into the crumb topping.
Frozen rhubarb works just fine—just be sure to thaw and drain it well.
To make dairy-free: swap butter for vegan margarine and use almond milk + vinegar as a buttermilk substitute.
This cake is even better the next day!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40-50 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Scandinavian, Norwegian-inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/9th of the cake)
- Calories: 378
- Sugar: 23g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 45mg