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A slice of sourdough rhubarb cake on a small decoartive plate.

Sourdough Rhubarb Cake (With Discard or Not)

Double the tang! This Sourdough Rhubarb Cake recipe is the perfect blend of tangy and sweet, making the most of seasonal, tart rhubarb. Whether you enjoy it with or without the optional streusel topping, this cake is a beautiful way to use up your sourdough discard and add a touch of rustic charm to your baking.
5 from 4 votes
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Course Baking, Dessert
Cuisine American, British, Sourdough, Worldwide
Servings 10 slices
Calories 328 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
 
 

  • 120 g unsalted butter softened
  • 150 g brown sugar light or dark
  • 2 eggs medium
  • 100 g sourdough starter 100% hydration, discard or active*
  • 190 g plain flour all-purpose flour
  • 1.5 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 60 ml milk
  • 350 g rhubarb cut into small pieces

For Streusel Topping

  • 80 g plain flour all-purpose flour
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • 50 g caster sugar or white granulated sugar
  • 50 g butter softened

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 170° C (340° F) Fan. Grease the 9-in springform cake tin with butter, and line the base with a circle of parchment paper.

Streusel Topping

  • Make the streusel topping by mixing the flour, salt and white sugar in a small bowl. Add the soft butter and rub everything to course crumbs. Set the topping aside for later.

Sourdough Rhubarb Cake Batter

  • Cream the butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl using an electric handheld mixer (or in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment). One at a time, whisk in the eggs. Then add the sourdough starter, and mix on low speed just enough to combine.
  • In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just enough to combine.
  • Finally, pour in the milk to loosen, but expect a relatively thick batter that will be able to suspend the pieces of rhubarb without them sinking to the bottom.
  • Fold in the rhubarb chunks, scoop the batter into a prepared cake tin and even out the top using a spatula.
  • Scatter the streusel topping all over the cake batter. Scatter the crumbles over the top.

Bake

  • Place the cake into the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes. If the topping is browning too quickly, cover the sourdough rhubarb cake with a sheet of aluminium foil.
  • Once baked, take the cake out of the oven and leave it in its tin to cool down to room temperature. Run the knife around the outer edge of the cake and take it out of its tin before slicing it into portions.

Notes

* If you intend to ferment the cake overnight, we recommend using sourdough discard in this recipe. 
**To Ferment Overnight, scoop the cake batter into a prepared cake tin and cover with cling film. Place the cake in the fridge for up to 12 hours, then bake for 5 minutes longer. 

Nutrition

Calories: 328kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 5gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 69mgSodium: 206mgPotassium: 176mgFiber: 1gSugar: 20gVitamin A: 521IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 99mgIron: 2mg
Keyword Apple Sourdough Cake, Rhubarb Sourdough Cake, sourdough discard cake, Sourdough Discard Rhubarb Cake, Sourdough Rhubarb Cake
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