Lemon Rhubarb Strawberry Almond Cake (Printer-Friendly)
Bright lemon cake topped with fresh rhubarb, strawberries and buttery almond streusel.
# What You'll Need:
→ Cake Base
01 - 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
03 - ¼ teaspoon baking soda
04 - ½ teaspoon salt
05 - ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 1 cup granulated sugar
07 - 2 large eggs
08 - 1 tablespoon lemon zest
09 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
10 - ½ cup buttermilk
→ Fruit Filling
11 - 1 cup fresh rhubarb, diced
12 - 1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced
13 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
14 - 1 tablespoon 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 teaspoon salt
# How-To Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan and line with parchment paper.
02 - Toss rhubarb and strawberries with 2 tablespoons 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, followed by buttermilk, then remaining dry mixture. Mix until just combined.
07 - Spread batter evenly into prepared pan. Scatter fruit filling over batter. Sprinkle streusel over top. 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 Hints:
01 -
- The tart rhubarb balances perfectly with sweet strawberries, so every bite feels like sunshine
- That almond streusel stays crunchy for days, which means breakfast leftovers taste just as intentional
02 -
- I learned the hard way that warm streusel melts into the cake instead of staying crunchy, so keep it chilled until the very last second
- The fruit releases quite a bit of juice while baking, which is exactly why this cake stays so moist without any glaze needed
03 -
- Rubbing cold butter into the streusel with your fingertips gives you better control than using a food processor
- Lining your pan with parchment rounds ensures you can lift the whole cake out cleanly, which matters with all that juicy fruit