A traditional springtime dessert, this German rhubarb streusel cake is made with a yeast dough base, tart rhubarb, and a sweet streusel topping. This is one of Alex's specialties and she's been making it every spring for at least 20 years, based on her great-grandmother's recipe. Unlike German plum cake, the rhubarb version is always made with streusel to balance out the sour rhubarb. It makes for a lovely soft cake with a nice contrast of crisp topping and tender rhubarb.
If you're not that familiar with sweet yeast cakes like this - they are rather old-fashioned - it's the same concept as cinnamon rolls, but baked on a baking sheet and with some kind of fruit topping. You might know Bienenstich, which is an almond-topped yeast butter cake, similar to this, filled with whipped cream. Sweet yeast dough is incredibly easy to work with, even for absolute beginners.
For some more sweet yeast recipes, try our German apple sheet cake, cozy apple cinnamon rolls, or get into natural yeast with a sourdough star bread.
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Ingredients
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Rhubarb: you will need fresh rhubarb for this recipe. Frozen makes the topping too soft.
- Yeast: the yeast is activated in the warm milk, so you can use traditional yeast. Instant yeast can be mixed with the dry ingredients. Fresh yeast should be whisked into the warm milk.
- Vanilla: this is optional for the topping, but adds a little boost of flavour there.
- Make it dairy-free: use a good vegan butter and non-dairy milk. Alex has a vegan rhubarb streusel cake recipe on her site.
Method
Step 1: heat the milk until warm, then add to a bowl and whisk in the sugar and yeast. Set aside for 15 minutes, until bubbly.
Step 2: whisk in the egg, then the butter (the butter will be lumpy). Stir in the flour and salt to form a shaggy dough.
Step 3: knead to form a smooth dough, about 8-10 minutes by hand or about half that in a standing mixer.
Step 4: set the dough aside to rise, covered, until doubled in size.
Step 5: roll out the dough evenly with a rolling pin.
Step 6: place the dough onto a lined baking sheet and top with rhubarb.
Step 7: mix the streusel ingredients and add in an even layer.
Step 8: bake until the cake is lightly golden.
Top Tips
- Use a scale: for the best results, weigh your ingredients rather than using unreliable volume measurements (cups). If using cups, you'll have to go a bit more by feel.
- Don't add extra flour: this will make the cake tough and dry. The dough will be soft, smooth, and very easy to handle when kneaded properly.
- Try to get an even layer: spread the rhubarb and the streusel topping all over the dough, trying to get it right to the corners, so that every bite is equally good.
- Check the temperature: the milk mixture should be just warm to the touch (100°F or 38°C). If it feels hot, it will kill the yeast. Too cool is okay, it'll just take longer to activate and rise.
Recipe Notes
If you like a thicker bread base, use a smaller baking sheet as pictured. This type of cake is typically baked on the oven-sized German baking sheets (about 45x37 cm or 18x14 inches) so the dough is thinner. Use a large baking sheet or make two cakes for a thinner base.
There is no need to peel the rhubarb for this recipe. If you're peeling rhubarb, it's probably too late in the season to use it, and you should leave the stalks on the plant to give it energy to grow effectively again next year.
A closed oven, with the light on, is the ideal place to prove yeast dough. To speed it up even more, place your dough on a sunny windowsill, but keep an eye on it to prevent it over-proving.
This cake doesn't need a second prove - it makes the dough too thick - so you bake as soon as the toppings are on.
How to Store
Storage: make sure the cake is completely cool before placing into a sealed container (the topping will get soggy if there's any warmth). Store at room temperature for a day and refrigerate for longer storage, up to three days. The cake is best the day it's baked.
Freezing: transfer the fully cooled cake to an airtight container or wrap well with aluminum foil. Freeze for up to two months and thaw at room temperature before serving. Note that the topping tends to soften up when thawed.
If you make this Rhubarb Streusel Cake recipe or any other bread recipes on the Baked Collective, 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 baking, follow along on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
German Rhubarb Streusel Cake
Equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons or a digital kitchen scale
- Large mixing bowl
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Large baking sheet
- Rolling Pin
Ingredients
- ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon full-fat milk
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 ¼ teaspoons traditional dry yeast
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ¼ cup butter, room temperature
- 2 ½ - 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
Topping
- 28 oz. rhubarb, chopped (about 10 stalks)
- ½ cup butter, can be cold or room temperature
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Heat the milk on the stove or in the microwave until just warm to the touch (100°F or 38°C if you have a thermometer). If you don't have a thermometer, test with the tip of your finger and if it's too hot, let it cool down for a while first.¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon full-fat milk
- Once warm, add the milk to a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer. Whisk in the sugar and yeast. Set aside to activate for 15 minutes, until bubbly.½ cup sugar, 2 ¼ teaspoons traditional dry yeast
- Whisk in the egg, then the butter. The butter will be lumpy. Stir in the flour (if using cups, start with the smaller amount) and salt to form a shaggy dough.1 large egg, ¼ cup butter, 2 ½ - 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- Knead by hand for 8-10 minutes, or use the dough hook attachment on a standing mixer to knead for about half the time. Once ready, the dough should be silky smooth to the touch and soft.
- Cover the bowl with a tea towel or plate and set aside to rise in a warm, draught-free place for about an hour, or until doubled in size.
- Once the dough has risen, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line your largest baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Roll the dough out on a very lightly floured work surface (it shouldn't be sticky) then place onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Cover the rolled out dough with an even layer of chopped rhubarb. Mix the butter, flour, sugar, and vanilla for the streusel topping in another bowl, then sprinkle over the rhubarb.28 oz. rhubarb, ½ cup butter, 1 cup all-purpose flour, ¾ cup sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Bake the cake for 25-30 minutes, or until lightly golden around the edges. Cool fully before slicing and serving with whipped cream. It can be stored for a couple of days or frozen in an airtight container for up to 2 months, but is best the day it's baked.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate and is provided as a courtesy. For precise nutritional data, please calculate it independently using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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