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Serves a Crowd

Rhubarb Almond Crumb Cake

by:
May 30, 2021
4.6
28 Ratings
Photo by James Ransom
  • Prep time 20 minutes
  • Cook time 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Serves 8 to 10
Author Notes

Pretty pink slices of rhubarb suspended in a dense, moist, golden cake. Have a little slice for breakfast with a spoonful of crème fraîche. Or serve it up for dessert, alone or next to a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. The batter is versatile enough to work with most any fruit. If you make it with a sweeter fruit, consider reducing the amount of granulated sugar in the batter. —Bob Vivant

Test Kitchen Notes

WHO: Bob Vivant is a writer from Chicago.
WHAT: A crumb cake that celebrates the season.
HOW: Mix together your wet ingredients, add the dry, top with almond-y crumbs, and bake.
WHY WE LOVE IT: This is an any-time-of-day cake -- it's perfect for breakfast, brunch, snack, dessert, and anything in between. We can see ourselves adapting it to whatever fruit's in season -- and keeping this recipe in our back pocket for when guests drop by. —The Editors

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Ingredients
  • For the crumble
  • 2 tablespoons white whole wheat flour (or all purpose)
  • 2 tablespoons slivered almonds
  • 2 tablespoons rolled oats
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • For the cake
  • 1 tablespoon butter, for greasing the pan
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour (or all-purpose)
  • 1 1/2 cups rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Directions
  1. Heat the oven to 350° F. Butter the bottom and sides of an 8-inch, deep, fluted tart pan or an 8-inch round cake pan.
  2. For the crumb, combine the dry ingredients in a small bowl. Using a fork or your fingers, gently work in the butter until pea-sized lumps are formed.
  3. Combine the eggs, sugar, salt, and almond extract in a large bowl. Beat on high until the mixture triples in volume, about five minutes. Fold in the melted butter, flour, and rhubarb. Evenly spread the thick batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the top.
  4. Bake for 60 to 75 minutes, until the topping is deeply golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the cake from the pan when it’s completely cool.
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87 Reviews

Write a Review
Cynthia C. November 28, 2023
This is a keeper recipe that so easy to make, beautiful and delicious. I agree with suggestions of more rhubarb and less sugar although it wasn’t overly sweet.

I’d like to double and bake in small pans to have on hand for housewarming gifts. It would probably freeze well.
Francesca S. June 21, 2023
This came together beautifully… I really let the mixer do its job. My only changes were more rhubarb (2 cups) and made a bit more strusel… very pretty
p. T. April 2, 2023
I made this for Sunday brunch from my first cutting of rhubarb from the garden. I followed the recipe exactly and it was delicious. Other reviewers are far ahead in playing with the recipe, and everything sound good. I'm thinking fresh apricots! Thanks!
MBE May 16, 2022
Rhubarb season once again! This is definitely a keeper with a few adjustments. Used almond flour in the crumb. Reduced sugar to 1 cup, added 1 tsp. baking powder to flour for batter, increased rhubarb to 2 cups (1 cup folded into the batter and 1 cup sprinkled on top followed by the crumb. Baked in a buttered 9 inch round pan with buttered parchment for 50 minutes.
Sharon April 28, 2021
Just made this again almost a year later with rhubarb in season. I wanted to add that you can definitely use vegetable oil instead of butter in both the batter and the crumble in the same Tbsp amounts, and it's still delicious (and more heart-healthy).
MBE April 28, 2021
1 cup of sugar with 2 plus cups of rhubarb is great! Totally spaced out on plan to add Baking powder!! I did substitute almond flour for the wheat flour in the crumble. Also used 1/2 tsp almond extract and 1/2 tsp. Fiori Di Sicilia.
Anna H. January 27, 2021
Hey! Would love to try this. Do you think fresh raspberries would work in place of the Rhubarb? Please let me know. Thanks so much!
Cathy N. June 22, 2020
Loved this crumb cake! Made a few changes; less sugar as mentioned; upped the rhubarb amount; added baking powder; and substituted 1/4c flour for almond flour.
I tripled the recipe to give to others and received rave reviews.
Sharon May 17, 2020
Try it with diced fresh apricots or fresh cherry halves. Both fruits have just the right amount of tartness if you don’t like cakes too sweet. I used 2 cups of fruit and 1 cup of sugar. It is a real hit in our family.
MBE May 11, 2020
The second time making this one and the first rhubarb recipe for this season. I cut the sugar in the cake by 2 Tbsps and upped the rhubarb to 2 cups. Next time will go to 1 cup of sugar and maybe up to 3 cups of rhubarb! I'ts good but still want more rhubarb. Since I'm cutting down on the sugar I may add a bit of baking powder (I'll likely start with 1 tsp) mixed with the white whole wheat flour.
Sabine G. January 15, 2020
Made this recipe exactly and it was wonderful! My family gobbled it up in less than 12 hours. Thank you!
kzmccaff June 22, 2019
For me, this was very almond-y and not that rhubarb-y.
LULULAND April 30, 2019
I liked it a lot! But next time won't add the salt for the topping, too salty for us. Added coconut oil to topping instead of butter. First time working with rhubarb, its stringy when cut, is there a way to avoid that?
cathy June 26, 2017
Excellent recipe. I followed the recipe exactly. We all loved it.
el May 27, 2017
Does not rise adequately (have made twice) will add a tsp of b powder as suggested in another comment. Otherwise delicious, especially with fresh ruhbarb.
Delicious with fresh ruhbarb
Josh G. September 7, 2016
I'm pretty new to baking and found this recipe very easy to execute (with a standing mixer). So delicious!!
Donna C. June 2, 2016
WOW!!! This is exactly what I was looking for! My batter wasn't horribly thick, though I did save a bit of the flour to toss the fruit (all rhubarb and 4 diced strawberries, cuz I wanted to used em up). I did add the 1 tsp baking powder another cook mentioned, otherwise I wanted to stay as true to the recipe as possible. I will definitely be adding this to our lineup, although I will come up with a nut-free version for my oldest boy who has allergies (no worries this time, as he is a college kid and not home at the moment). 50 minutes did the trick. Thinking about serving it with a some grilled white nectarine slices and some vanilla gelato.....
Emily J. May 16, 2016
Wow, just baked this and ate a warm piece and it is GOOD. I made it with 2 scant cups of frozen cranberries instead of the rhubarb, increased my butter to 8 TBSP (1/2 c or 1 stick) and replaced the sugar with a scant cup of cane sugar. I also added 1 tsp of baking powder per the suggestions of others. Oh and doubled the amount of pecans, butter & oats because more of those things are always better in crumbly toppings. FYI I mixed the flour, salt & baking soda together then added the mixture & mixed it until it was just combined. Then tossed in the frozen cranberries. By then it was so thick and dense that I thought I did something wrong. I had to kind of "mold" it into the pan. Make sure to butter AND flour or use parchment. It baked really well & didn't sink. It's super moist and flavorful. And the tartness of the cranberries match really well with the slightly sweet cake. I recommend reducing the sugar if you don't like typically sweet. I'm off to eat another piece.
Idalu May 16, 2016
Second time making this cake and still very happy with the results. Minor variation the 2nd time: added a teaspoon of vanilla extract and a TSP of shredded coconut to the crumble. Instead of melted butter, I added room temp butter that I beat separately. I also 1 cup of sugar in the cake and also a bit less in the crumble. A delight.
Kathleen C. May 16, 2016
Kcolarusso@yahoo.com Excellent!!!! I added a few chopped strawberries also,and it came out moist and delicious. Thanks for this recipe!