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Bon Appétit

Rhubarb-Almond Cake

3.8

(100)

Image may contain Food Pork and Bacon
Christopher Testani

It might feel like you’re beating the batter for a long time, but that’s what gives this cake an airy lift. Stay with it!

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    2 hours

  • Yield

    8 Servings

Ingredients

1

cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan

¾

cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar, plus more for pan

1

pound rhubarb stalks, trimmed

1¼

cups all-purpose flour

¾

cup blanched almonds

1

teaspoon baking powder

¾

teaspoon kosher salt

½

vanilla bean, split lengthwise

2

large eggs

¼

cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream

Special Equipment

One 11x8" tart pan or one 9"-diameter tart pan with removable bottom

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Preheat oven to 350°. Butter tart pan and sprinkle with sugar, tapping out excess. Slice rhubarb in half lengthwise (quarter if very large). Set 8 of the prettiest pieces aside for the top of the cake; chop remaining rhubarb into ½" pieces.

    Step 2

    Pulse flour, almonds, baking powder, and salt in a food processor until almonds are finely ground (texture should be sandy).

    Step 3

    Place 1 cup butter and ¾ cup sugar in a large bowl. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; reserve pod for another use. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating to blend first egg before adding second. Beat until mixture is pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes.

    Step 4

    Reduce speed to low and gradually add dry ingredients, followed by yogurt. Beat, scraping down the sides of bowl as needed, just to combine (batter will be thick). Fold in chopped rhubarb and scrape batter into prepared pan. Smooth batter and arrange reserved rhubarb over top; sprinkle with remaining 3 Tbsp. sugar.

    Step 5

    Place tart pan on a large rimmed baking sheet (to catch any rogue juices) and bake, rotating once, until cake is golden brown and rhubarb on top is soft and beginning to brown, 70–80 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cake cool before removing from pan.

    Step 6

    Do Ahead: Cake can be baked 3 days ahead. Keep tightly wrapped at room temperature.

Nutrition Per Serving

Calories (kcal) 490 Fat (g) 32 Saturated Fat (g) 16 Cholesterol (mg) 110 Carbohydrates (g) 44 Dietary Fiber (g) 3 Total Sugars (g) 25 Protein (g) 8 Sodium (mg) 260
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Reviews (100)

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  • I suspect that the wheat flour cannot be replaced with all almond flour. It needs the wheat flour for lift, so it'll probably come out flat and dense as a board. There's a fundamental difference between the two flours. Almond flour is not really flour; it's finely ground almonds. I'm not a professional baker, but I know the difference. It needs the gluten which almond flour doesn't have.

    • Stu

    • CT

    • 2/16/2023

  • Absolutely delicious and very simple to make I have made this cake three times in the last month. Once I added a layer of thinly sliced strawberries in the center, it turned out deliciously.I usually use coarsely ground cane sugar for topping and the sides, makes a great crispy crust. This is definitely my new go to rhubarb recipe, for the rhubarb season.

    • Mette

    • Ontario, Canada

    • 6/14/2021

  • Easy and just right for a summer dessert with a little ice cream and then coffee the next day. Baked mine in a 9x11 ceramic baking dish so needed to reduce the cooking time (maybe 45 min). Worked great. No need for a tart pan.

    • Kristin R

    • Chicago

    • 5/23/2021

  • Can this just be made with 2 cups of almond flour?

    • Joshua Grotheer

    • South Georgia,USA

    • 3/19/2021

  • This cake is so delicious and moist ... I have made it many times and never had a problem with it setting properly. I do not like super sweet things and was hesitant to sprinkle the amount of sugar on top that was suggested but it was Perfect so don’t be afraid!!! Rhubarb is tart .... It is a light and bright cake perfect for any time of day ... not so rich and decade that you feel sick after eating it ... I love rhubarb and usually just make a simple compote to top everything but this cake is my new go to!!! The only problem with it you ask??? Well it is so good I could literally eat the entire cake pan .... so I have to give it away to friends and family :) make it you won’t be sorry!!

    • Piadoodle

    • 2/26/2021

  • Wonderful flavor, as others have written, not too sweet. But the texture of mine is off—it appeared totally browned on top after 70 min so I pulled it out of the oven and unfortunately it came out very loose, almost watery and underdone. Ended up texturally a bit mushy with just the sides and top more crisp. Still delicious but texturally challenged. Definitely go for the 80 minutes even if the top appears brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

    • KSchwitters

    • 7/18/2020

  • I was so pleasantly surprised by this cake! It's buttery and tart and just sweet enough to feel like dessert but not too sweet that you can't eat it for breakfast. I subbed the 3/4 cup almonds with 3/4 cup whole wheat flour due to a nut sensitivity, and used a 9" regular cake pan lined with parchment paper. The cake was super easy to get out. Will definitely make again if I ever have extra rhubarb to use up

    • Anonymous

    • massachusetts

    • 5/27/2020