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    Home » Recipes » Sweet treats

    Rhubarb Cake With Sour Cream

    Published: Jun 6, 2025 by Nataliia

    Jump to Recipe

    I look forward to this easy bake every summer, when rhubarb is in season. This rhubarb cake with sour cream turns out moist, soft, and it is super easy to make.

    A slice of soft rhubarb cake with pieces of rhubarb on top on a white plate.

    I grew up in Ukraine, where rhubarb grew right in our garden. Rhubarb, along with sorrel leaves, was one of the first and my favorite things we harvested in early spring. We used sorrel to make green spring borscht, and rhubarb for baking and for making kompot, a homemade fruit juice drink.

    I could make this simple rhubarb cake even since I was a kid (with my mom’s help, of course), just like our family favorite, my apple sponge cake. We always had sour cream, oil and pantry staples at home, and the cake takes just a few steps.

    Ingredients (+substitutions)

    Simple rhubarb cake ingredients with flour, fresh rhubarb, cornstarch, sugar, baking powder, eggs, sour cream, olive oil, and vanilla extract.

    You’ll find the ingredients quantities in the recipe card below.

    • Rhubarb: I used fresh rhubarb. You can also use frozen and thawed overnight in the fridge rhubarb.
    • Corn starch: I use it for the rhubarb topping. Corn starch will turn the top of the cake into a soft, jammy layer instead of a runny mess.
    • Sugar: You will need granulated sugar for the cake and for the rhubarb topping.
    • Flour: I used all-purpose four. You can do half whole-wheat and half all-purpose.
    • Baking powder: it will make the cake soft and tall. You can also use 1 teaspoon of baking soda activated by 1 tablespoon of vinegar instead.
    • Sour cream: I always use full-fat sour cream. You can also use plain Greek yogurt instead.
    • Oil: I used light olive oil suitable for baking. You can use any vegetable oil or even melted butter instead.
    • Vanilla extract: for the warm and deep notes.

    Step-by-step instructions

    Before you begin, preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9- or 10-inch pan with a thin layer of butter.

    Sliced garden rhubarb sprinkled with corn starch and sugar in a white bowl.

    Step 1. Prepare rhubarb topping. Rinse and peel the rhubarb. Cut off the dry or woody ends before peeling. Using paring knife or even your hands, peel off the skin. It should easily come off.

    Slice the rhubarb into small pieces and add to the bowl. Sprinkle it with 2 tablespoons of sugar and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Ser aside.

    Note: if the rhubarb has younger stalks with thin skin, you do not need to peel it. If you are not sure, I’d just peel it, anyway.

    Step-by-step collage of mixing wet ingredients and sugar using an electric mixer, then adding dry ingredients.

    Step 2. Make the cake batter. In a mixing bowl, add eggs and sugar. Using electric mixer, mix the two ingredients on high for about 4-5 minutes, or until it becomes fluffy and lighter in color. Add sour cream, oil, vanilla extract and briefly mix again on medium speed just to combine.

    Spreading rhubarb topping with a spoon over the cake batter in a round cake pan.

    Step 3. Pour the cake and add rhubarb on top. Pour the batter in to the prepared 9 inch pan. Tap it a few times or use a spatula to spread the batter evenly. Add the rhubarb filling on top.

    Freshly baked rhubarb cake in a round pan placed on a wooden cutting board.

    Step 4. Bake the cake at 350°F for about 45-55 minutes or until the toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Few crumbs is OK. Another way to check if the cake is cooked is by using a food thermometer. The internal temperature should reach 200°F.

    Practical tip

    If you don’t have cornstarch (I do not always have it in my panty either), simply mix the rhubarb pieces evenly into the batter instead of layering them on top.

    Storage instructions

    Let rhubarb cake cool down to a room temperature, it should take couple of hours. Place it in a large airtight container or a Ziploc bag. Store it in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.

    To enjoy it warm, just pop it in the microwave for a few minutes.

    For longer storage, you can  slices for up to 3 months.

    📖 Recipe

    Simple rhubarb cake topped with rhubarb pieces in a round pan.

    Rhubarb Cake With Sour Cream

    Nataliia
    I look forward to this easy bake every summer, when rhubarb is in season. This rhubarb cake with sour cream turns out moist, soft, and it is super easy to make.
    4 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 45 minutes mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine Ukrainian
    Servings 10
    Calories 358 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 9-inch spring form pan you can also use 10 inch
    • 1 large bowl
    • 1 electric mixer

    Ingredients
      

    Cake ingredients

    • 3 eggs
    • 180 grams (¾ cup) granulated sugar
    • 150 milliliters (about ⅔ cup) sour cream
    • 120 milliliters (about ½ cup) olive oil
    • 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
    • 270 grams (2¼ cups) all-purpose flour
    • 2 teaspoons baking powder
    • ¼ teaspoon salt

    Rhubarb topping

    • 2 cups rhubarb, peeled and thinly sliced
    • 25 grams (2 tablespoons) granulated sugar sugar
    • 16 grams (2 tablespoons) cornstarch

    Instructions
     

    Cake instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9-inch spring form cake pan with butter or cooking spray.
    • In a large bowl, add 3 eggs and 180 grams (¾ cup) granulated sugar. Using electrical mixer, beat on high speed for about 4-5 minutes until the mixture is light and double in size.
    • Add 150 milliliters (about ⅔ cup) sour cream, 120 milliliters (about ½ cup) olive oil and 1 teaspoons vanilla extract. Mix again on low speed until just combined.
    • In a separate bowl, whisk together 270 grams (2¼ cups) all-purpose flour , 2 teaspoons baking powder, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Pour thee dry ingredients into wet mixture and mix until well combined using the spatula or a whisk. You can also use the electric mixer on lowest speed.
    • Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and spread out evenly. Spoon the rhubarb topping over the batter and gently spread it cover the batter evenly. Bake the cake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let rhubarb cake cool for 10 minutes before removing it from the pan.

    Rhubarb topping instructions

    • Rinse the rhubarb and trim off the ends. Peel the stalks if they are tough or stringy. Then, slice the rhubarb thinly.
    • Add sliced rhubarb to a bowl. Sprinkle with 25 grams (2 tablespoons) granulated sugar sugar, and 16 grams (2 tablespoons) cornstarch. Stir briefly to combine, then spoon the rhubarb mixture over the cake batter before baking.

    Notes

    I always recommend using the scale to measure the ingredients. But I have also included thee approximate quantities in cups for your convenience
    If you like the cake to be sweeter, use 1 whole cup of sugar for the batter. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 358kcalCarbohydrates: 49.5gProtein: 5gFat: 15.7gSaturated Fat: 3.6gCholesterol: 66.5mgSodium: 85.5mgFiber: 5.4gSugar: 25g
    Keyword rhubarb cake
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    Comments

    1. Tuula says

      June 10, 2025 at 9:08 am

      4 stars
      Classic! So good combination of sweet & sour. And with vanilla icecream so yammy yammy😋

      Reply
    4 from 1 vote

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    Sava's kitchen female author wearing an apron standing in the kitchen.

    Hi, I'm Nataliia, a mom from Ukraine living in the U.S. I share cozy, family-friendly recipes that taste like home, no matter where you are. I hope these recipes end up in your family’s recipe box someday.

    More about Nataliia →

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