This is the cake that appears every spring in Bavaria the moment someone spots rhubarb at the market. There’s no debate, no “what should I bake?” — the rhubarb shows up and the Rhabarberkuchen follows like clockwork.
It’s a two-act production. First you bake a buttery sponge base, then you pile on the tart rhubarb and blanket the whole thing in a thick, sweet meringue spiked with ground almonds and lemon juice. Back in the oven for another twenty minutes until the meringue is golden and crackly on top but still marshmallowy inside.
The contrast is what makes it — the soft, rich cake, the sharp rhubarb cutting through all that sweetness, and the meringue holding it all together like the world’s most delicious roof. My notebook has this one in both German and English columns, which tells you exactly how often it gets made.
The Recipe
Makes: 1 cake (26 cm springform) • Prep: 30 min • Bake: 25 + 20 min
For the Cake Base
- 150 g butter, softened
- 125 g sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla sugar
- 5 eggs, 3 of them separated (use all 5 yolks + 2 whole eggs for the base; reserve 3 whites for meringue)
- 150 g flour
- 75 g cornstarch
- 1½ tsp baking powder
For the Rhubarb & Almond Meringue
- 600 g rhubarb
- 1 pinch of salt
- 175 g sugar
- 50 g ground almonds
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 reserved egg whites
Instructions
- Make the base: Cream the butter with 125 g sugar and vanilla sugar until fluffy. Beat in the 2 whole eggs and 3 egg yolks one at a time. Mix the flour, cornstarch, and baking powder, then fold into the batter. Spread evenly into a greased 26 cm springform pan. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Prepare the rhubarb: Wash the rhubarb, trim the ends, and pull off any strings. Cut into 4 cm pieces. Scatter over the raw dough and press lightly in.
- First bake: Bake on the middle rack at 180°C for 25 minutes.
- Make the meringue: Beat the 3 reserved egg whites with a pinch of salt until half-stiff. Gradually add 175 g sugar, beating until firm and glossy. Fold in the ground almonds and lemon juice.
- Top the cake: Pipe the meringue onto the pre-baked cake with a piping bag, or spread it on with a spatula.
- Second bake: Return to the oven at 180°C for about 20 minutes, until the meringue is golden and crackly on top.
- Cool: Let cool completely in the pan before releasing.
Notes
- The meringue will crack as it cools — that’s part of the charm.
- Best eaten the same day, but still good the next morning with coffee.
- If rhubarb is very tart, toss it with a tablespoon of sugar before scattering.