This rich, moist cake is accented with bursts of fruity flavor from the rhubarb. Though my family and I love a tart rhubarb pie, the rhubarb aspect of this cake is much more subtle and sweet. So subtle that even those who claim to not like rhubarb will probably love this cake. The Bundt pan creates a festive style with its fancy shape, and the delicious flavor goes beautifully with coffee, tea, or on a hot day, iced tea.
The recipe for Rhubarb Bundt Cake is based on one I found in the cookbook Hollyhocks & Radishes by Bonnie Stewart Mickelson. I love this cookbook for its seasonal recipes that celebrate locally grown produce from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Rhubarb Bundt Cake is quite easy to put together and while it bakes, you can do all the other things you need to do. Because I know you have a lot of things to do, as I certainly do!
I made this cake recently at 6:00 am while the sun was coming up and the birds were singing. It had been awhile since I had made a cake, and it felt good to start the day doing something beautiful and intentional. I have been away from this blogging space for awhile, and it feels really good to be back!
My family thoroughly enjoyed cutting a big slice of this cake and taking it out to the porch to savor it. Now, as I write this post, we are in the midst of a heat wave and going to the porch is not so appealing.
There’s something special about making a cake in a Bundt pan. It reminds me of my childhood, when my mom would make ‘coffee cakes’ if someone special was coming over to visit. I suppose there is always the fear that the cake will not come out of the pan easily, and the shape will be ruined, but as long as you grease it well beforehand, with a little bit of gentle coaxing, the cake should come out nicely, if not perfectly. (We are not trying to make it look perfect anyway, just festive!) And the classic taste of the cake is stellar. I stuck close to the recipe in the Hollyhocks & Radishes cookbook, except I substituted melted unsalted butter for the vegetable oil.
It’s hard to believe June is almost over. This month always goes by so quickly, as we are stunned out of the slow pace of winter and a cold, wet spring into bright light, blooming flowers and ripening berries and cherries. It is good to take a break from the news and inhabit the present moment, working with my hands through baking and photographing, savoring the luminous June sunlight and fireflies at night.
I hope you enjoy this lovely rhubarb cake and I hope you can share it with someone, bestowing the simple joy that a piece of cake can bring.
Rhubarb Bundt Cake
1 and 1/2 cups of rhubarb, finely chopped
2 tablespoons of sugar
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
1/2 cup of butter, softened at room temperature
2 cups of sugar
4 large eggs
1/2 cup of butter, just melted
3 tablespoons of lemon juice
2 teaspoons of vanilla
3 cups of unbleached all purpose flour
1 tablespoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup of milk
Directions: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Generously grease your Bundt pan with butter or oil. In a medium sized bowl, combine the rhubarb with 2 tablespoons of sugar and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon and set it aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup of softened butter (not the melted butter, that will come later) and remaining 2 cups of sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Then add the melted butter, lemon juice, and vanilla. Stir until the ingredients are combined.
In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Then, with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, stir the flour mixture into the large mixing bowl with the wet ingredients. It works best to do this gradually in 3 batches, alternating with the 1/2 cup of milk. Stir gently until all combined.
Spoon 1/3 of the batter into the greased Bundt pan. Top with 1/2 of the rhubarb mixture. Repeat the layers, ending with the final 1/3 of the batter on top.
Bake in your preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Set the cake on a cooling rack. When it is cool enough to handle, invert the Bundt pan and gently coax the cake out, onto a serving plate. Dust with powdered sugar and a sprinkling of cinnamon if desired. Enjoy!
This sounds absolutely lovely! I love how you subbed luscious butter for the vegetable oil. What a perfect way to savor the last remaining days of June!
Thank you, Chris! 💕
What a delightful surprise to see a new post from you, Jenny! The cake looks beautiful, and I can’t wait to try it. I have missed your recipes and musings, and I hope there will be more of both!
Thank you Laura, it is so fun to hear from you! Miss you! 💕
This sounds wonderful! Makes me want to go “home” to Dexter and grab some rhubarb out of the garden. So glad to see this post!
Oh, thank you Karen! Makes me want to go “home”, run down the alley, and meet you there! 💕