Go Back
+ servings
A slice of French rhubarb cake on a china saucer with the full, cut cake in the background

French Rhubarb Cake

Tammy Circeo
This recipe came to us from a French friend, Madame Weyer, who shared it with my mom many years ago when we lived in France. It's a simple cake that is finished with a beautiful meringue topping.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine French
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients
  

  • ½ cup butter, room temperature (100 grams)
  • ½ cup sugar (100 grams)
  • 4 egg yolks save the whites for the meringue
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1⅓ cup, plus 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour (or a gluten-free 1:1 baking flour) (200 grams)
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup milk
  • 3-4 stalks rhubarb cut in half lengthwise, then chopped
  • 1 cup sugar, for the meringue (230 grams)

Instructions
 

  • Heat oven to 350°F. Prepare an 8-9 inch spring form pan by greasing the bottom and the sides and lining the bottom with parchment paper and greasing it as well.
  • Cream the butter and the sugar with an electric mixer, then add the egg yolks and mix until well incorporated. Add the vanilla.
  • Mix in the flour, baking powder, and salt, beating the batter until it is smooth.
  • Add the milk and continue beating to incorporate.
  • Put the batter in the spring form pan and cover the top with the chopped rhubarb.
  • Bake for 45 minutes.
  • About 7 minutes before the cake is done, start beating the 4 egg whites on high. Gradually sprinkle in 1 cup (230 grams) of sugar. Beat until very stiff, 7-10 minutes, depending on the power of your mixer.
  • Take the cake out of the oven, spoon the meringue on top, and spread it out evenly.
  • Put the cake back in the oven for 20 more minutes.
  • When the cake is done, you can remove it to a wire rack to cool in the pan, or you can leave it in the oven, turn the oven off, and leave the door open slightly while it cools.
  • Cool the cake completely, at least to room temperature, before eating. It's delicious cold from the fridge, too!
  • Bon Appetit!

Notes

Madame Weyer's recipe had only some of the ingredients' amounts in grams so I've included those. It also instructed to mix all the ingredients except the rhubarb, but I found better results when I cream the butter and sugar, then add the egg yolks, then the flour mixture so I rewrote the instructions to reflect that. It also didn't include salt, but I think it benefits from a bit … so I added that, too! 
I've had great success with substituting Bob's Red Mill Gluten-free 1:1 Baking Flour. If you are gluten-intolerant, know that this works very well. 
Keyword french desserts, french rhubarb cake, meringue, rhubarb, rhubarb cake, rhubarb meringue cake
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!