Strawberry-Rhubarb Buttermilk Bundt with Rhubarb Cream Cheese Glaze

Strawberry-Rhubarb Buttermilk Bundt with Rhubarb Cream Cheese Glaze

This is my favorite bundt cake. Actually, it may be my favorite cake, period. I know that’s a strong statement, but this bundt is really marvelous: sweet but not too sweet, tender, tangy, and filled with strawberries and my favorite spring ingredient–yes, rhubarb. And then there’s the rhubarb cream cheese glaze. . . .

strawberry rhubarb buttermilk bundt with rhubarb cream cheese glaze

The recipe is an adaptation of the “Triple Berry Summer Buttermilk Bundt” from Smitten Kitchen. The Smitten Kitchen original calls for a simple lemon-powdered sugar glaze, and that works fine here, too. But, the second or third time I made this cake, I had some leftover cream cheese to use up, and some stray bits of rhubarb, and it occurred to me that the tang of the cream cheese might nicely complement the buttermilk in the cake. Plus, there was no way I was letting that rhubarb go to waste. The result was so so good, that now I buy cream cheese specifically for this purpose.

Strawberry Rhubarb Buttermilk Bundt

Seriously, this cake is awesome.

strawberry rhubarb buttermilk bundt

Strawberry-Rhubarb Buttermilk Bundt with Rhubarb Cream Cheese Glaze

A tender, tangy cake filled with strawberries and rhubarb. Adapted from Smitten Kitchen.

Course Dessert
Keyword bundt, buttermilk, rhubarb, rhubarb cream cheese, strawberry

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • 355 g + 2 tbsp (20 g) all-purpose flour divided
  • 2 tsp (10 g) baking powder
  • 1 tsp table salt or fine sea salt
  • 340 g granulated sugar
  • 225 g (1 c.) unsalted butter at room temperature
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 3 large eggs at room temperature
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3/4 c. buttermilk
  • 200 g trimmed strawberries halved if small; quartered or chopped if large
  • 250 g rhubarb chopped into 3/4 inch chunks

For the glaze:

  • 140 g (5 oz.) chopped rhubarb
  • 50 g (1/4 c.) granulated sugar
  • 2-4 tbsp lemon juice divided
  • 56 g (2 oz.) cream cheese at room temperature
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 1/4 c. powdered sugar

Instructions

Make the cake:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

  2. Butter and flour a 10-12 c. bundt pan. Place the pan in the refrigerator and leave it there while you make the cake batter.

  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

  4. Combine the butter, lemon zest, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Then add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract.

  5. Mix in 1/3 of the flour mixture. Then 1/2 of the buttermilk, followed by another 1/3 of the flour mixture, then the remaining buttermilk, and then the final 1/3 of the flour. Do not overmix.

  6. Toss the strawberries and rhubarb with the remaining 2 tablespoons flour. Gently fold them into the cake batter with a silicone or rubber spatula.

  7. Scrape the batter into the prepared bundt pan, smoothing the top.

  8. Bake for approximately 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

  9. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then turn out onto a plate or cake platter to cool completely.

Make the glaze:

  1. Combine the rhubarb, granulated sugar, and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and then simmer over low heat until the rhubarb completely breaks down. Puree the mixture with an immersion blender, then press through a fine mesh sieve. Allow to cool slightly.

  2. In a separate bowl, blend together the cream cheese, butter, and powdered sugar using an electric mixer. Blend in one tablespoon of lemon juice. Then gradually add the pureed rhubarb, blending until smooth. Taste the glaze — if it's too tart, add more powdered sugar. If it's too thick, add another tablespoon or two of lemon juice.

  3. Spoon the glaze over the cooled cake.

Recipe Notes

  • Make sure to both butter and flour the bundt pan. If possible, brush the pan with melted or very soft butter to make sure that it gets in all the grooves. Placing the pan in the refrigerator while you make the batter helps “set” the butter-flour coating.
  • If you don’t have fresh buttermilk on hand (and I rarely do), powdered buttermilk mixed with water works perfectly well.
  • Difficult as it may be, you really should let the cake cool completely before glazing and slicing. Although the idea of still-warm cake might sound inviting, the cake does not slice as well when warm, and the crumb will become dense and a bit gummy. (I’ve learned this the hard way.)
strawberry rhubarb buttermilk bundt


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