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Rhubarb Cake with Warm Butter Sauce

Rhubarb cake with butter sauce drenches moist cake in a golden, pour-over style sauce. Bake a rhubarb-studded 9x13 cake, then simmer a quick stovetop butter sauce for a warm dessert with homestyle comfort.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
cooling 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For cake
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1.5 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 0.5 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 cup fresh rhubarb, diced
For butter sauce
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 0.5 cup heavy cream
  • 0.5 cup butter
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Bake the rhubarb cake
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13-inch baking pan.
  2. Whisk together all-purpose flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined, with no visible clumps.
  3. In a separate bowl, mix buttermilk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth.
  4. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
  5. Fold in the diced fresh rhubarb gently so pieces are evenly distributed.
  6. Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake at 350°F for 40-45 minutes, until the top is golden and a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs.
  7. Cool the cake for 10 minutes before serving.
Make the warm butter sauce
  1. In a saucepan, combine sugar, heavy cream, and butter, then place over medium heat.
  2. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly so it doesn’t scorch.
  3. Boil for 3 minutes, then remove from heat.
  4. Stir in vanilla extract and pour the sauce warm over individual servings.

Notes

Pro tip: For the best pour-over texture, make the butter sauce right after the cake goes into the oven so it’s hot when the cake rests. Store leftover cake covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days; rewarm slices in the microwave before pouring sauce. Freezing is not recommended because the sauce texture can change after thawing. If you prefer a lighter option, use low-fat buttermilk and light cream for a slightly thinner sauce while keeping the same bake time.