Description
This Gluten-Free Rhubarb Cake with Almond Flour is a moist, tender cake bursting with tangy rhubarb flavor, enhanced by a blend of almond and gluten-free flours. Perfect for spring and summer, it’s topped with sliced rhubarb and crunchy almonds for a delightful texture contrast. It makes a beautiful dessert or snack served with whipped crème fraîche.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Pan
- 1 teaspoon room-temperature butter, ghee, or coconut oil for the pan
Wet Ingredients
- 12 ounces rhubarb (3–4 large stalks), divided use
- 1 scant cup organic granulated sugar, divided use
- Finely grated zest from 1 medium lemon, plus a squeeze of lemon juice
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup whole-milk plain Greek yogurt (or plant yogurt)
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons (90 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups (120 g) blanched almond flour
- ½ cup (80 g) sweet white rice flour
- ½ cup (55 g) gluten-free oat flour (or 55 g sorghum flour)
- ¼ cup (35 g) millet flour
- 2 teaspoons (8 g) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
For Decoration and Serving
- Handful sliced almonds, for decorating
- Whipped crème fraîche, for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the Oven and Pan: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350ºF. Rub a 10-inch round solid tart pan, or 9-inch cake pan or springform pan, with the butter and place it on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any drips.
- Prepare the Rhubarb: Trim any leafy bits from the rhubarb stalks. Slice the stalks diagonally into 1-inch thick pieces and dice less attractive pieces until you have ¾ cup diced rhubarb. Toss the sliced rhubarb with 3 tablespoons of sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice. In a separate bowl, toss the diced rhubarb with 1 tablespoon sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice. Set aside for up to 30 minutes.
- Make the Batter – Lemon and Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, rub the lemon zest into ½ cup of sugar until moistened and clumpy. Whisk in the eggs, Greek yogurt, and olive oil until combined.
- Make the Batter – Dry Ingredients: Place a strainer over the bowl (or another bowl if needed) and sift in almond flour, sweet rice flour, oat flour, millet flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt. Add any bits caught in the sifter back in.
- Combine Batter: Stir the sifted flour mixture into the wet ingredients until smooth and homogenous. Drain the diced rhubarb and fold it gently into the batter.
- Assemble the Cake: Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer. Arrange the sliced rhubarb pieces on top in concentric circles or scatter them randomly as desired. Leave any rhubarb juice behind to use as a refreshing drink.
- Add Toppings: Sprinkle the cake with the remaining 2 tablespoons (20 g) sugar and a handful of sliced almonds evenly over the top.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven until golden on top and a tester inserted near the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes.
- Cool and Serve: Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool completely for about 45 minutes. Remove the sides from the pan and slide the cake onto a serving platter. Cut into wedges and serve with whipped crème fraîche.
- Storage: The cake is best eaten within the first 2 days. Store covered at room temperature for the first day, then refrigerate to keep it fresh longer.
Notes
- Grain-Free Option: Omit the sweet rice, oat, and millet flours. Use ½ cup + 2 tablespoons (95 g) cassava flour and ¼ cup (30 g) tapioca flour instead.
- Dairy-Free Option: Substitute Greek yogurt with dairy-free sour cream or plant-based yogurt such as coconut yogurt.
- Refined Sugar-Free Option: Replace granulated sugar with 1 cup of maple syrup or coconut sugar and use a neutral oil instead of olive oil to maintain flavor balance.
- Fruit Substitution: If rhubarb is unavailable, try berries, cherries, plums, stone fruits, ripe pears, or figs as alternatives.
