Butter Rhubarb Crumble Cake with Cinnamon
A tender butter cake layered with tart rhubarb and topped with a cinnamon-spiced crumble. Golden caster sugar creamed with softened butter creates a light, fluffy base that balances the fruit's sharpness. Baked until a skewer emerges clean, this cake develops a crisp crumble topping while staying moist inside.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1
Heat oven to 325°F/275°F fan/gas 3. Grease and line the base and sides of a deep 7.75" round cake tin with butter and baking parchment.
- 2
Beat butter, sugar, and vanilla in a mixing bowl with an electric whisk until light and fluffy.
- 3
Beat in eggs one by one.
- 4
Fold in flour and baking powder.
- 5
Spoon out 85g of batter into a separate bowl. Stir the extra flour and cinnamon into this with a cutlery knife until crumbly.
- 6
Fold rhubarb into the remaining cake batter.
- 7
Scrape the batter into the prepared tin.
- 8
Scatter the crumble mix over the cake, then sprinkle with sugar.
- 9
Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes, until a skewer poked into the center comes out clean. If browning too quickly after 1 hour, lay foil on top.
- 10
Cool for 15 minutes in the tin, then turn out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.
Tips
Lay foil over the cake after 1 hour if it is browning too quickly to prevent over-darkening.
Ensure the skewer comes out clean from the center, not from the crumble layer, to test doneness accurately.
Good to Know
Cover and store at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Prepare the dry ingredients and measure the rhubarb up to 1 day ahead. Mix and bake on the day of serving.
Serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream or custard.
Common Mistakes
Overmix the batter after adding flour to avoid a dense, tough crumb.
Skip laying foil over the cake if browning too fast to prevent a burnt exterior.
Underbake the cake; a clean skewer is essential to avoid a gummy center.