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Lunar Rhubarb Cake

Lunar Rhubarb Cake with Lemon

Lunar Rhubarb Cake with Lemon is a delightful summer dessert featuring tart rhubarb balanced with sweet sugar and zesty lemon, all topped with a buttery streusel. Its unique, crater-like surface and irresistible aroma make it perfect for breakfast, snacking, or dessert. This versatile cake, rich in family tradition, can be made with either fresh or frozen rhubarb and simple ingredients
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine Canadian
Servings 12

Equipment

  • 1 9x9 baking pan

Ingredients
  

Rhubarb Cake

  • ½ cup butter room temperature
  • 1 ¼ cups sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 eggs large
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice freshly squeeze is best
  • zest whole lemon
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ⅔ cup milk whole milk preferred
  • 2 cups rhubarb roughly chopped
  • 1 tbsp flour

Brown Sugar Topping

  • ¼ cup butter
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • ½ cup brown sugar

Instructions
 

  • Preheat: lightly but thoroughly grease a 9x9 baking pan with butter. Preheat oven to 350℉
  • Cream Butter: add room temperature butter and sugar to a large bowl. Cream together either using a fork or electric stand mixer.
  • Mix: add eggs, vanilla, lemon juice and zest and continue to mix until fully combined. Add milk and mix one final time.
  • Add Dry Ingredients: add flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix together until fully combined. Batter should be relatively thick.
  • Add Rhubarb: toss rhubarb in 1 tbsp of flour. Fold 1.5 cups of rhubarb into the cake batter using a spoon. (see note)
  • Prepare Brown Sugar Topping: using your hands mix together topping ingredients until smooth.
  • Bake: scrape the batter into the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle the brown sugar topping over the batter, it should be in larger chunks. This will create the moon like craters on the top. Finally, sprinkle on the remaining ½ cup of rhubarb. Bake in the oven for 1 hour and 10 minutes to 1 hour and 20 minutes. Cake is done when an inserted tooth pick comes out clean.

Notes

Note - it is important to toss the rhubarb in flour to prevent it from sinking to the bottom of the cake batter during baking.  Don't skip this step.
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