A classic spring recipe, this rhubarb almond cake has a buttery almond base topped with rhubarb. Rich, not too sweet, and with a nice balance between the almond, rhubarb, and vanilla flavours.
I love rhubarb. It’s one of my favourite things about spring, and I share a number of new rhubarb recipes every year. Here’s a vegan lemon rhubarb cake, and a really great German rhubarb crumble cake with a yeasted base.
The crumb for this almond rhubarb cake is soft and a touch dense, very much like a coffee cake, so you can pack it up and cart it just about anywhere. Perfect for parties and a good way to use up some rhubarb! I always seem to end up with more than I can reasonably use. This recipe is adapted from my hazelnut fig cake, another great buttery nut-based cake.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Spelt flour: As always, plain all-purpose white flour can be substituted for light spelt.
- Almond flour: another nut flour, like hazelnut, can replace almond.
- Coconut sugar: use cane sugar to replace coconut if preferred.
- Eggs: I did several tests to try to make this cake without eggs, and it simply doesn’t work. You don’t have the extra lift provided by lemon juice, and the rhubarb is otherwise too heavy and makes the cake claggy.
- Vanilla: cardamom makes an excellent substitute for vanilla.
Recipe Notes
The method for this recipe is more similar to butter/egg/sugar cakes than the easier one-bowl methods you more often see on OE, but it’s part of what gives this cake such a great texture. A tiny bit more work but well worth the result.
Of course you don’t have to add the rhubarb in a pattern, if you just throw it on any old way, it’ll taste the same. Frozen rhubarb can be used in place of fresh.
How to Store
Storage: the cake will keep well in a sealed container for a couple of days at room temperature, but will soften slightly from the rhubarb.
Freezing: I don’t recommend freezing this cake, as the rhubarb is soggy when thawed.

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Expert Tips
- Cut the rhubarb thinly: too big of chunks will weigh the cake batter down and cause under-baked sections.
- Don’t over-mix: spelt is slightly delicate, and if over-mixed, will make for a tough, chewy cake.
- Use the cake tin outlined: a smaller cake tin will make for a dense, unpleasant cake. It must be this large, for a fairly thin cake, or it won’t bake evenly.
- Warm up the eggs: to quickly bring cold eggs up to room temperature, submerge them in a bowl of warm (not hot) water for five minutes.
More Rhubarb Recipes
Rhubarb Ginger Muffins
Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler
Gluten Free Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
And here’s a small collection of healthy rhubarb recipes!
If you make this Almond Rhubarb Cake or any other vegetarian dessert recipes on Occasionally Eggs, please take a moment to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It’s such a help to others who want to try the recipe. For more OE, follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest, purchase the Occasionally Eggs cookbook, or subscribe for new posts via email.
Rhubarb Almond Cake
Ingredients
- 225 grams light spelt flour
- 100 grams almond flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 60 grams coconut oil
- 100 grams coconut sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 120 ml non-dairy milk room temperature
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract*
- 2-3 stalks rhubarb sliced on a diagonal about 1.5cm (1/2 in.) thick
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and grease a 23cm (9 inch) springform pan with coconut oil. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, sift together the spelt flour, almond flour, baking power, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.225 grams light spelt flour, 100 grams almond flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the coconut oil and coconut sugar until fully combined and slightly lightened in colour (you can also use electric beaters), about 3-4 minutes. Whisk in the eggs until incorporated, then add the milk, vinegar, and vanilla. Stir to fully combine.60 grams coconut oil, 100 grams coconut sugar, 2 large eggs, 120 ml non-dairy milk, 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract*
- Add the milk mixture to the larger bowl and whisk gently until just combined. Don’t over-mix, spelt is sensitive.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, then top with the rhubarb in a spiral shape.2-3 stalks rhubarb
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until golden and a toothpick inserted in the centre of the cakes comes out clean. Cool for ten minutes in the pan before removing the sides and cooling completely on a rack.
Notes
* For American cup measurements, please click the pink link text above the ingredient list that says ‘American’.
Nutrition
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
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