This vegan rhubarb cake is buttery, custardy, crumbly, tangy, and honestly one of the best spring cakes I've ever tasted. If you love cakes that are streusely, custardy, and melt-in-your-mouth (even by day two), this vegan rhubarb cake is for you.
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Okay. This cake? It's something special.
Let's just start by saying: this is the best rhubarb cake I've ever tasted.
Sweet, tart, buttery, juicy, soft, crumbly - all the textures. All the feels. (But I do also love a more wholesome rhubarb cake with polenta, or an easy stewed rhubarb dessert.)
But the real highlight is ... the pudding layer! With rhubarb, yes!
Made entirely from the juice of the rhubarb itself.
You don't need milk. Or a boxed pudding mix.
Just pure, magical rhubarb essence thickened into a soft, custardy dream.
Why You'll Love This Rhubarb Crumble Cake
A three-part situation = what makes this vegan rhubarb cake so amazing:
- A cookie-like crust
The base for all this goodness. Crunchy at first, soft and dreamy after a day or two. - That rhubarb-infused pudding layer
The literal heart of the cake. Juicy, smooth, tangy, packed with actual rhubarb bits.
Most amazingly, the edges bubble up in the prettiest rosy hue while it bakes … and create a delicate pink rim around the streusel once it cools. Almost too pretty to eat. (Almost.)
- Crispy golden streusel
The crown … buttery, crunchy, extra-sweet, everything streusel should be.
And as if that wasn't already a dream dessert, this vegan rhubarb cake gets better with time. By day 3 or 4, the flavor is richer, rounder, deeper. Sure, the streusel isn't as crisp anymore, but the overall vibe is rhubarb bliss.
Easy to Make
No need to peel the rhubarb. Just chop it, toss it with sugar, and let it hang out for a couple hours in the fridge.
The crust and the crumble are also totally hands-on. Mix the crust ingredients with your fingers, squish it together, and press it into the pan. Yes, messy in the best way.
The streusel gets the same finger treatment. Just crumble it right over the pudding layer like a cozy, crumbly topping blanket.
The pudding is also incredibly easy to make: Just stir, heat, done.
A Few Tips Before You Bake
- Use a cake pan with high sides - the filling bubbles up around the edges while baking, and you don't want any of that goodness escaping into the oven.
- Let it cool completely before slicing. The pudding layer needs time to set, and it's worth the wait.
- A light dusting of powdered sugar before serving makes it extra pretty.
- This cake is make-ahead friendly - bake it today, eat it tomorrow, or snack on it all week long.
SO:
Make it.
Eat it.
Fall in love. 💕
🍽 Recipe
Vegan Rhubarb Cake With Streusel and Pudding
Equipment
Ingredients
Crust
- 260 g flour I used type 630 spelt flour, but any light wheat or spelt flour works well
- 100 g raw cane sugar or white sugar
- 1 pinch of salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 160 g cold vegan margarine or vegan butter
Filling
- 700 g rhubarb
- 240 g raw cane sugar or white sugar
- 60 g cornstarch or potato starch don't use tapioca starch - it gets too gloopy
- ½ teaspoon ground vanilla powder or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 40 g vegan margarine or vegan butter about 2-3 tablespoons
- 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest from about one medium lemon
- Water - just enough to bring the total liquid (rhubarb juice + water) to 500 ml / 2 cups; this depends on how much juice the rhubarb releases after sitting with the sugar
Streusel Topping
- 160 g flour I used type 630 spelt flour, but any light wheat or spelt flour works well
- 140 g raw cane sugar or white sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground vanilla powder or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 100 g vegan butter at room temperature
To Finish
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Prep the rhubarb.Wash the rhubarb, trim the ends, and slice it into small pieces — no need to peel it. Toss the pieces with the sugar and let them sit for 2–3 hours in the fridge. This draws out a lot of liquid, which we’ll use for the pudding layer.
- Preheat your oven to 200°C (390°F), top and bottom heat.
- Line the bottom of a round 26 cm (10-inch) springform pan with parchment paper.
- Make the crust.Mix the crust ingredients together - it doesn't have to be perfect; the dough can be a bit crumbly. Press it into the pan using your fingers and the back of a spoon, making sure to push it up along the sides to form a high edge. It might feel a bit fiddly, but it's easy and only takes a few minutes.Place the pan in the fridge while you prepare the pudding and the streusel.
- Make the pudding filling.Pour off the liquid from the rhubarb and weigh or measure it. Add enough water to bring it to 500 ml (about 2 cups) total.💡 If your rhubarb is super juicy, you may already have enough liquid and won't need to add any water.In a small saucepan, whisk the liquid with the starch, sugar, vanilla powder, lemon zest, and margarine. Bring to a gentle boil, whisking constantly, just like a pudding. Once it thickens, remove it from the heat and stir in the rhubarb pieces.
- Make the streusel.In a bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, vanilla, and soft margarine (or vegan butter). Use your hands to form chunky crumbs.
- Assemble.Pour the rhubarb pudding into the prepared crust and smooth it out.Take portions of the streusel dough, squeeze it gently in your hand to form clusters, and sprinkle them over the pudding in whatever size and shape you like.
- Bake.Bake the cake on the lower rack of the oven for about 1 hour, or until the streusel is nicely golden-brown.Check around the halfway mark - if the streusel is browning too quickly, loosely cover the cake with foil.
- Cool completely.Let the cake cool completely before slicing - otherwise, the filling may still be too soft.
- Serve.Dust with powdered sugar before serving. Enjoy!
Vegan Rhubarb Cake FAQs
Nope! As long as it's fresh and tender, no peeling needed. I tested this cake both with peeled and unpeeled rhubarb, and unpeeled rhubarb gave the filling a much prettier pink color.
The streusel on top should be golden and crisp, and the filling will be bubbly at the edges. If it starts browning too early, loosely cover it with foil halfway through.
Yes! In fact, it gets better with time. The flavors deepen and the texture becomes more cohesive after a day or two.
Let it cool completely, then store it covered at room temperature for 2-3 days. For a longer freshness, store it for up to 5 days covered in the fridge.
More Vegan Cakes & Fruity Muffin Recipes
If vegan cakes are up your alley, you might also enjoy these recipes:
- Gluten-Free Rhubarb Cake With Polenta
- Mocha Coffee Cake With Dalgona Frosting
- Raspberry Muffins With Hazelnuts
- Romanian Pear & Walnut Cake
- Ginger Muffins With Pears & Chocolate
- Apple & Quinces Crumble
Enjoy,
Ramona
♥
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