Spring Lemon Rhubarb Strawberry Cake (Printable)

A celebration of spring flavors featuring tender lemon cake, tangy rhubarb, juicy strawberries, and crunchy almond streusel topping.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cake Base

01 - 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 tsp baking powder
03 - ¼ tsp baking soda
04 - ½ tsp salt
05 - ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 1 cup granulated sugar
07 - 2 large eggs
08 - 1 tbsp lemon zest
09 - 1 tsp vanilla extract
10 - ½ cup buttermilk

→ Fruit Filling

11 - 1 cup fresh rhubarb, diced
12 - 1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced
13 - 2 tbsp granulated sugar
14 - 1 tbsp lemon juice

→ Almond Streusel

15 - ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
16 - ¼ cup granulated sugar
17 - ¼ cup sliced almonds
18 - ¼ cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
19 - ¼ tsp salt

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper.
02 - Toss rhubarb and strawberries with 2 tbsp sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl. Set aside.
03 - Combine flour, sugar, almonds, salt, and cold butter in a bowl. Rub with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Refrigerate until needed.
04 - Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
05 - Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Stir in lemon zest and vanilla.
06 - Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, followed by buttermilk, then remaining dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
07 - Spread batter evenly into prepared pan. Scatter fruit mixture over batter, then sprinkle streusel topping. Bake for 40 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and top is golden.
08 - Cool in pan for 15 minutes, then remove and cool completely on wire rack. Slice and serve.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The combination of tart rhubarb and sweet strawberries creates that perfect springtime balance we all crave after months of heavy winter desserts
  • That almond streusel topping transforms from everyday cake into something that feels like it came from a proper European bakery
  • Buttermilk keeps the crumb incredibly tender while still being sturdy enough to hold all that gorgeous fruit
02 -
  • The streusel must stay cold until the moment it hits the oven, or it will melt into the cake instead of staying beautifully textured on top
  • Over-mixing once you add the flour will make the cake tough, so stop as soon as everything is incorporated
  • Fresh fruit releases more juice than frozen, so if you're using frozen, toss it with an extra tablespoon of flour first
03 -
  • If your streusel starts getting too dark before the cake is done, tent the top loosely with aluminum foil for the last 10 minutes
  • The cake is done when it pulls away slightly from the edges of the pan, which is often more reliable than the toothpick test with all that fruit

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