My German mother-in-law can make this German rhubarb cake in her sleep. One of the classics, her rhubarb cake with a meringue topping makes frequent appearances during rhubarb season.
I never had rhubarb cake in the Philippines.
Is rhubarb even available there? I have no idea, as I have never seen it in the groceries.
So, the first time I tried it was at my mother-in-law’s, where she would make this frequently as this is a favorite of theirs. She gets rhubarb for free from her neighbors. Lucky her!
The recipe is written on a post it, stuck to a kitchen cabinet.
Of course, I copied it. And I watched her make it and I learned to make it myself.
Unfortunately we don’t have friends with rhubarb plants and rhubarb is not cheap here in Switzerland, but this makes for a lovely treat once in a while.
How to Make German Rhubarb Cake
You may also check out the video I made at the end of the post if you prefer that, otherwise continue reading!
Make sure your butter is at room temperature.
Preheat your oven to 180°C/356°F.
I have checked my oven temperature by using an oven thermometer and I found out that when the oven pings to the desired temperature I’ve set it to, it is almost never correct and needs some more time to reach it. That is why most recipes also suggest you preheat your oven at the start of preparations to give it enough time to reach the desired temperature.
Also, prepare your pan. Butter the sides and line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. If you don’t have a springform pan, it’s not the end of the world. I suggest then lining the sides of a 9-inch cake pan so that you can remove your cake easily.
Peel the rhubarb and cut into 1-cm cubes. Put in a bowl and add the sugar. Mix well and set aside.
I have read that you do not need to peel peak-season rhubarb (like they are now, in April), but my mother-in-law always does it, so for this recipe I also do.
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Take your time with this to ensure that your cake is fluffy.
Add the egg. Beat well. Then add the egg yolks, ensuring that it is well incoporated.
Add the vanilla extract. Mix well.
In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt.
Then add to creamed mixture. Be careful not to over-mix.
Spread in prepared pan. Don’t fret, it will be a thin layer.
Spread the macerated rhubarb over the cake batter. Pat into the batter.
Bake in your preheated oven for 20 minutes. When there are 10 minutes left on the timer, prepare the meringue.
Prepare the meringue
Beat egg whites on slow speed for one minute. This will aerate the egg whites. Add cream of tartar, if using. Beat on medium speed until frothy and increase speed to high and beat until stiff peaks form.
It is very important that the meringue is already stiff before adding the sugar to ensure it does not collapse when taken out of the oven.
Gradually add the sugar and beat until the meringue is firm and shiny. Take the cake out of the oven and spread the meringue on it. Sprinkle over almonds, if using.
Bake for a further 20 minutes. Cover with foil or put a baking pan on the top rack if the meringue is browning too fast.
Remove and cool before serving.
Enjoy your freshly baked rhubarb cake with coffee or tea!
There will not be a lot of meringue on the cake. If you want more, by all means double the amount of meringue and bake for 10 minutes longer. I just like that this recipe has no leftover egg yolks.
Watch the video on how to make the German rhubarb cake
Pin the German rhubarb cake recipe for future reference.
Calories
Fat
Carbs
Protein
Tweety
Yields 1 cake
Serves 8
20 minPrep Time
40 minCook Time
1 hrTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 400 to 500g Rhubarb
- 15 g white sugar
- 125g softened butter
- 125g sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 175g all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- Pinch salt
- 2 egg whites
- 125g sugar
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
- Optional: sliced almonds for garnish
Directions
- Preheat oven to 180°C. Butter and line the bottom of a 9-in/24 cm springform pan.
- Peel the rhubarb and cut into 1-cm cubes. Put in a bowl and add the sugar. Mix well and set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add the egg. Beat well. Then add the egg yolks. Beat well.
- Add the vanilla. Mix well.
- In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Add to cream mixture. Do not overmix.
- Spread in prepared pan. It will be a thin layer.
- Spread the macerated rhubarb over the cake batter. Pat into the batter.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- When there is 10 minutes left on the timer, prepare the meringue.
- Beat egg whites on slow speed for one minute. Add cream of tartar, if using. Beat on medium speed until frothy and increase speed to high and beat until stiff peaks form. Gradually add the sugar and beat until the meringue is firm and shiny.
- Take the cake out of the oven and spread the meringue. Sprinkle over almonds, if using.
- Bake for a further 20 minutes. Cover with foil or put a baking pan on the top rack if the meringue is browning too fast.
- Remove and cool before serving.
Notes
There will not be a lot of meringue on the cake. If you want more, by all means double the amount of meringue and bake for 10 minutes longer. I just like that this recipe has no leftover egg yolks.
