Start your mornings off with a delicious slice of Rhubarb Cinnamon Roll Cake! It's got a vanilla cake base with lots of rhubarb in it. Then it's swirled with cinnamon brown sugar and drizzled with a simple icing after baking. It's so delicious!
The complementary flavours of sweet and tangy pairs so well together in this cake!
The pairing of sweet cinnamon sugar with tangy rhubarb is next level good. I can't believe it took me this long to make a rhubarb cinnamon cake.
This cake is a sweet crowd pleaser, and before you know it you'll be going for seconds. It's a combination of flavours that's not common but so dang decadent and tasty!
For more rhubarb recipes, try Rhubarb Cake, Rhubarb Muffins, and Strawberry Rhubarb Tart.
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Why this recipe works
- Flavours - You've got sweet cinnamon sugar paired with tangy rhubarb exploding in every bite!
- Easy to make - Everything gets mixed together in one bowl with no electric mixer.
Ingredients Notes
Here's a list of the ingredients we'll be using in this Rhubarb Cinnamon Swirl Cake. The recipe card with exact measurements can be found below.
- Brown sugar - This is a main ingredient in the recipe. I used light brown sugar, but you can use dark brown too.
- Butter – Unsalted butter works best for baking. This is going to be melted.
- Cornstarch – Helps to create that tender crumb.
- Eggs - Make sure they're at room temperature before beginning.
- Cinnamon - An important and main ingredient in this recipe!
- Rhubarb - I used red rhubarb for that pop of colour in the cake. Regardless of the colour, it will still be tangy. Slice them into pieces (see photos below for reference). Rhubarb that is older in the season will be tougher and more stringy, so you may peel it if you want.
- Sour Cream - Make sure to use full-fat sour cream.
- Powdered sugar - This will be used for the icing.
- Milk - This will be used for the icing. You can use dairy or dairy-free milk.
- White sugar - Also known as granulated sugar.
- Vanilla - Make sure to use a high-quality vanilla. This makes all the difference when baking for the flavours.
Step by step instructions
Here is how to make and bake this Rhubarb Cinnamon Roll Cake. You will need a 9×9 pan lined with parchment paper, four mixing bowls, a whisk, and a spatula.
Step 1 – Prep. Preheat the oven to 350℉/180℃. For easy removal of the cake, place parchment paper on the bottom and 2 sides of the pan. Then grease the other two sides and set aside. Melt the butter and allow it to cool for 15 minutes while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
Step 2 - Mix dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, add in flour, baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch, and salt. Mix together and set aside.
Step 3 - Slice the rhubarb. Wash and dry the rhubarb (not completely so it's still a bit wet). Then slice the rhubarb into thin pieces and set aside. See photo in step 8 for reference.
Step 4 - Make cinnamon sugar sprinkle. In a medium bowl, add brown sugar and cinnamon. Gently mix together and set aside.
Step 5 - Whisk sugar and eggs. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs for about 2-3 minutes. Some air bubbles will form.
Step 6 - Add in wet ingredients. Add in the butter, sour cream, and vanilla. Continue whisking until smooth.
Step 7 - Add in dry ingredients. Gently add in the dry ingredients and using a spatula, mix until almost *completely* combined.
Step 8 - Add in rhubarb. Add 2 tbsp of flour into the rhubarb and toss it around, evenly coating the rhubarb pieces in flour. This will help prevent them from sinking to the bottom. Then mix the rhubarb in a few times. Don't over-mix!
Step 9 - Transfer into pan. Add the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Then take the cinnamon sugar and sprinkle it evenly on top. Using a skewer or toothpick, gently swirl it around the rhubarb, making sure not to press the rhubarb down into the pan (go around the rhubarb as much as possible).
Step 10 - Bake. Bake this rhubarb cinnamon roll cake for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Step 11 - Make the icing. Once the cake is cooled, mix together icing sugar and milk in a small glass. Then drizzle it across the cake, allow it to set, slice, and enjoy!
This Rhubarb Cinnamon Roll Cake is such a decadent treat! It is best served fresh, but can stay in an airtight container on your counter for 2 days and in the fridge for up to 1 week. I wouldn't recommend freezing it as it has an icing.
Expert Baking Tips
Here are a few expert baking tips from my kitchen to yours
- Use a gram scale. I cannot emphasize this enough! It is the most accurate way of measuring your ingredients in the kitchen. This is one of my favourites.
- Mixing the dry ingredients in a separate bowl is very important. This way you evenly distribute the levening agents before adding it into the wet ingredients, so all muffins rise evenly.
- Do not over-mix! A big reason cake don’t rise or turn out tough is because the batter is over-mixed. Once you see no flour streaks, stop mixing.
FAQ
How thick should I cut the rhubarb?
I cut mine about 1/4", about 1/2 cm.
Do I have to make the icing?
Absolutely not. It is optional 🙂
Why don't you dry the rhubarb completely?
Having the rhubarb a bit wet helps the flour stick to it!
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Rhubarb Cinnamon Roll Cake
Ingredients
For the cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour + 2 tbsp of flour for dusting
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cups white sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tbsp vanilla
- 3/4 cups sour cream room temperature
- 1/2 cup butter melted and slightly cooled
- 1 3/4 cups rhubarb washed and sliced
For the sprinkle
- 2/3 cups light brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
For the icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 tbsp milk room temperature
Instructions
For the sprinkle
- In a medium bowl, add brown sugar and cinnamon. Gently mix together and set aside.2/3 cups light brown sugar, 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
For the cake
- Preheat the oven to 350℉/180℃. For easy removal of the cake, place parchment paper on the bottom and 2 sides of the pan. Then grease the other two sides and then set aside. Melt the butter and allow it to cool for 15 minutes while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
- Wash and dry the rhubarb (not completely so it's still a bit wet). Then slice the rhubarb into thin pieces (about 1/4"/1/2cm)and set aside.1 3/4 cups rhubarb
- In a medium bowl, add in flour, baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch, and salt. Mix together and set this bowl aside.2 cups all-purpose flour, 3/4 tsp baking soda, 3/4 tsp baking powder, 1 tbsp cornstarch, 1/4 tsp salt
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs for about 2-3 minutes, until lighter in colour and air bubbles are forming.3/4 cups white sugar, 2 large eggs
- Add in the melted butter, sour cream, and vanilla. Continue whisking until smooth.1 tbsp vanilla, 1/2 cup butter, 3/4 cups sour cream
- Gently add in the dry ingredients and using a spatula, mix until almost *completely* combined.
- Into the bowl with the rhubarb, add 2 tbsp of flour. Mix it around, evenly coating the rhubarb pieces in flour. This will help prevent them from sinking to the bottom. Then add the rhubarb into the bowl with the cake batter and mix it in a few times. Don't over-mix!
- Add the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Then take the cinnamon sugar and sprinkle it evenly on top. Using a skewer or toothpick, gently swirl it around the rhubarb, making sure not to press the rhubarb down into the pan (go around the rhubarb as much as possible to create swirls).
- Bake this rhubarb cinnamon roll cake for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Once the cake is cooled, mix together icing sugar and milk in a small glass. You can add more or less milk depending on how thin you want the icing to be. I would start off with 2 tbsp and then work from there. Drizzle the icing across the cooled cake, allow it to set, slice, and enjoy!1 cup powdered sugar, 2-3 tbsp milk
- This Rhubarb Cinnamon Roll Cake is such a decadent treat! It is best served fresh, but can stay in an airtight container on your counter for 2 days and in the fridge for up to 1 week. I wouldn't recommend freezing it as it has an icing.
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