Rabarberkage is a traditional Swedish Rhubarb Cake, which is a popular dessert to bake when celebrating the Scandinavian Midsommar holiday.
Our easy homemade recipe features a soft vanilla sponge cake topped with luscious pastry cream and chunks of juicy cardamom scented rhubarb chunks.
We love making this delicious seasonal cake recipe in the spring and summer when fresh rhubarb is in season.
Serve a slice of Rabarberkage with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or strawberry gelato and a whisper of vanilla whipped cream for a truly mouth-watering dessert.
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What Is Rabarberkage?
Rabarberkage, or Swedish Rhubarb Cake, is a traditional dessert from Scandinavia that is usually enjoyed during the summer months. You can also find Rabarberkage sold at bakeries in Norway and Denmark.
The cake has a light and fluffy texture, with a slightly tart flavour from the rhubarb. It’s usually served with whipped cream or ice cream on top.
Our Rabarberkage is easy to assemble, featuring 3 main components: a soft and fluffy vanilla sponge cake, creamy pastry cream and chunks of roasted rhubarb.
Spices like cardamom, cinnamon and nutmeg are typically tossed with sugar in a bowl with the chopped rhubarb to give the overall cake a festive flavour.
Rhubarb History & Uses
Rhubarb has been around forever, thank the Lord!
First known in Asia around 2700 BC and introduced to Europe around the 14th century, rhubarb was once a highly valuable commodity costing more than rare spices like saffron and cinnamon, and valued for its laxative qualities, common knowledge in Shakespearean times: “What rhubarb, cyme, or what purgative drug, Would scour these English hence?” growled Macbeth. He was talking about the roots; it would be another couple of centuries before home cooks started using the stalks.
Scandinavian cooks love cooking and baking with rhubarb. The fibrous stalks are typically harvested in Europe and North America in the late Spring and early Summer. In Sweden the tart fruit can be found in many culinary treats including jams, jellies, pies, cakes, ice cream and sparkling cider.
Way back when, a common and affordable sweet for children in parts of the United Kingdom and Sweden was a tender stick of rhubarb, dipped in sugar. It is still eaten this way in Finland, Norway, Canada, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Faroe Islands and Sweden.
Rhubarb as a central ingredient mostly shows up in desserts like pies, crumbles and crisps, but it can also hold its own in haute cuisine.
At Noma in Copenhagen, repeatedly voted the world’s best restaurant, the tender stalks have been served with milk curds. Thomas Keller features it in his cookbook The French Laundry as a confit paired with navel oranges, candied fennel, and mascarpone sorbet. Think of rhubarb as a ruffian weed that’s climbed the culinary ladder—one theory posits that one of the origins of the name has the “barb” part stemming from the same etymological root as “barbarian”.
Our Swedish Rhubarb Cake recipe features our favourite tart fruit, which is typically harvested during the Spring and Summer baking season.
Rhubarb Cake is often enjoyed in Sweden during the popular Midsommar festival. It’s one of our favourite celebratory cakes to serve at a festive dessert table for friends and family.
You May Also Enjoy These Rhubarb Recipes…
- Swedish Ricotta Oatmeal Rhubarb Bars
- Swedish Rhubarb Cherry Pie Recipe
- Homemade Swedish Pickled Rhubarb
- Banana Rhubarb Muffins
- Rhubarb Muffins with Strawberry Cream Cheese
- Rhubarb Strawberry Dutch Baby German Pancakes
- Cranberry Rhubarb Meringue Pie
- Rhubarb and Ginger Gin Cocktail
- Rhubarb Mojito Cocktail
History of Midsommar in Sweden
Midsommar is an annual festival celebrated in Scandinavian countries such as Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark.
The Midsommar period of time is centred around the summer solstice, typically between June 19 and June 25. The ancient celebration predates Christianity, and existed under different names and traditions around the world.
In Sweden, Midsummer is such an important festivity that there have been proposals to make the Midsummer’s Eve into the National Day of Sweden, instead of June 6. In Latvia, Midsummer’s Jāņi festival is a public holiday. In Denmark and Norway, it may also be referred to as St. Hans Day.
Midsommar in Sweden is marked by families raising and dancing around a maypole (majstång or midsommarstång). Greenery placed over houses and barns was supposed to bring good fortune and health to people and livestock; this old tradition of decorating with greens continues. To decorate with greens was called att maja (to may) and may be the origin of the word majstång, maja coming originally from the month May.
In ancient pagan rites, bonfires were lit to protect families from evil spirits who were considered free to wander when the sun was going south. The May tree refers to a phallic symbol commonly used in pagan rites to symbolize the fertility and durability of harvest in the Viking era.
Like in Norway and Finland, it is believed that if a girl picks 7 different flowers in silence of the midsummer night and puts them underneath her pillow, she will dream of her future husband.
Another tradition on Swedish Midsummer is to end it with a skinny dip at night. It’s not mandatory to be naked, but many swim completely naked accompanied with a partner after a couple sips of schnapps!
In 2019, traditions and iconography from Swedish folklore were displayed in the much talked about Midsommar film. Dubbed the most haunting horror film of the year, director Ari Aster filmed a terrifying tale of a creepy Swedish Midsommar feast. Sadly, actress Florence Pugh was never given the opportunity to indulge in a slice of Rabarberkage. For shame!
Travel To Sweden by Making Rabarberkage at Home
I love traveling to Europe!
During my first visit to the continent I traveled for 5 months by train and plane. I had the opportunity to eat my way through Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, Portugal, Spain, France, Belgium, Holland, Russia, Estonia, Poland, Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, Croatia, Bosnia, Hungary, Slovakia, Greece, Turkey and Italy.
I’ve also traveled extensively through Scandinavia, eating my way through the best restaurants in Westfjords, Reykjavik, Helsinki, Oslo, Bergen, Copenhagen, Stockholm and Goteborg.
My fondest food memory of Sweden is the country’s enthusiasm for cakes and pies! I was in Goteborg on Midsommar, instantly falling in love with Jordgubbstårta, Smörgåstårta and authentic Swedish Rhubarb Cake thanks to all the local bakeries selling thick slices.
There’s nothing more delightful than sipping a frothy cappuccino at a Swedish bakery while forking through a soft and fluffy slice of Rabarberkage. A perfect pairing includes sparkling rhubarb alcoholic cider and a scoop of vanilla ice cream and strawberry gelato.
Once back home from a Scandinavian holiday you’ll have a newfound appreciation for the flavours of Sweden and can impress friends and family by making your very own homemade Rabarberkage recipe!
My Family Loves Swedish Rhubarb Cake
After encountering Rabarberkage on a visit to Sweden during Midsommar I thought I should introduce the dessert to my family.
I knew my family would love this tart cake because my mother has a huge heritage rhubarb plant in our backyard. The rhubarb “bush” was gifted to my mother by my grandmother many decades ago. It’s resilience is unmatched in the backyard garden, having been transplanted to our homes in Markham, Oakville, Toronto and Muskoka over the years.
My family typically bakes rhubarb into muffins, pies and tarts so incorporating the stalks into a cake was a new and novel indulgence. When we feel like we need to add a little decadence to our lives we’ll fill a springform pan with this Rabarberkage recipe.
Rhubarb pairs beautifully with the flavours of vanilla and cardamom in this otherworldly cake.
Rabarberkage Recipe Baking Tips
Ready to bake our homemade Swedish Rhubarb Cake? We suggest reading the recipe directions below in detail to ensure you understand the step by step process. Here are some ticks and ticks to get you started:
- We suggest using fresh rhubarb whenever possible. Our family has 3 freezers in the house so we harvest and purchase a surplus of our favourite fruits to enjoy year round. If you have frozen rhubarb at home feel free to use it when making this homemade cake in the off season.
- Be sure to chop the rhubarb into small, bite-sized pieces to ensure that it cooks evenly and is distributed throughout the cake.
- We’ve flavoured the homemade pastry cream with vanilla extract but you can get creative with this recipe and substitute for almond extract if you prefer.
- Since rhubarb and strawberry are such a classic pairing feel free to add sliced strawberries to the topping of the cake if you have a few berries hiding in the back of your fridge.
- We like flavouring the the sweetened rhubarb with ground cardamom but you can substitute with cinnamon or nutmeg if you prefer.
- For an extra special touch, sprinkle some sliced almonds on top of the cake before baking. You can also add an streusel crumb topping as an alternative.
- This cake is very versatile you can easily swap out the rhubarb for poached apples or pears in the Fall or plums and peaches in the summer.
- Instead of making a large cake you can prepare the ingredients in a muffin tin for individual portions.
What To Serve With Swedish Rhubarb Cake
While Swedish Rhubarb Cake is often served during Midsommar we love to enjoy this creamy fruit cake year round.
The eye-catching dessert is perfect for celebrating special occasions like birthdays, Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Easter, baby showers and bridal showers.
We think this easy Swedish Rhubarb Cake is best enjoyed as a slice all on its own or sipped with a pot of tea or coffee.
If you’re feeling truly decadent, we like to serve Rabarberkage with vanilla or strawberry ice cream.
If you’re hosting a Scandinavian inspired lunch or dinner you may like to serve this Swedish Rhubarb Cake recipe with these popular recipes:
- Köttbullar med Gräddsås Swedish Meatballs
- Swedish Sandwich Cake Homemade Smorgastarta
- Kardemummabullar Swedish Cardamom Buns
- Jordgubbstårta Recipe: Gluten Free Swedish Strawberry Meringue Cake
- Tebirkes Danish Poppy Seed Pastry
- Flodeboller Danish Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies
- Boller I Karry Danish Meatballs in Curry Sauce
How To Store Rabarberkage
If you have leftover cake store slices in a container or under a cake dome in the fridge for 3-4 days.
You can also store this cake in the freezer for up to 6 months. Since rhubarb is seasonal we often like to double the recipe and store an entire cake in the freezer to enjoy in the winter.
You May Also Enjoy These Pie and Cake Recipes…
- Festive Fresh Fig Frangipane Pistachio Tartlets
- Creamy Lemon Angel Pie
- Old School Cheese and Onion Pie
- Savoury Pickle Pie Recipe
- Gianduja Lindt Lindor Chocolate Cake
- Caribbean Coconut Rum Banana Bread Bundt Cake
- Moist Baileys Banoffee Cake
- Gluten Free Swedish Strawberry Meringue Cake
- Turmeric Pumpkin Spice Indian Cake
- Tuscan Black Forest Brownie Zuccotto Cake
How To Make Traditional Swedish Rhubarb Cake
Rabarberkage Swedish Rhubarb Cake
Equipment
- 9 inch springform pan greased and lined with parchment
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- saucepan
- Mixing bowls
- whisk
- Stand Mixer
Ingredients
Pastry Cream
- 170 ml Milk
- 1/4 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 Egg
- 35 g White Sugar
- 10 g Cornstarch
- Pinch Kosher Salt
- 10 g Butter
Cake
- 175 g Butter softened
- 200 g White Sugar
- 4 Eggs lightly beaten
- 200 g All Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1.5 tsp Baking Powder
Topping
- 400 g Rhubarb
- 30 g Butter
- 50 g White Sugar
- 2 tsp Ground Cardamom
Instructions
Pastry Cream
- In a saucepan, heat the milk with vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg and sugar then add the cornstarch.
- When the milk has just reached the boiling point, take off the heat and pour 1/3 into the egg mixture while whisking continuously.
- Once whisked through, pour the egg mixture back into the remaining hot milk. Return to the stove and bring to a gentle boil. Whisk continuously as the mixture thickens, for just a minute. Remove from heat and stir in the salt and butter.
- Pour into a cold bowl and place a sheet of parchment on top to prevent the cream form forming a crust as it cools.
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- First, make the topping. Wash the rhubarb and chop into 3/4 inch pieces.
- In a saucepan set over low heat, melt the butter, then stir in the white sugar and ground cardamom. Add the chopped rhubarb, stir to coat in the butter and stew for 2-3 minutes then remove from the heat to set aside and infuse.
- To make the cake, cream together the butter and sugar in a stand mixer with a whisk attachement until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs to the mixture, bit by bit, whisking and scraping down the bowl.
- Combine the dry ingredients and sift into the egg mixture. Fold in until incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and spread out evenly. Spread the pastry cream evenly on top of the batter.
- Remove the rhubarb from the syrup and scatter over the cake. Reserve the syrup for drizzling over the cake later.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. A skewer inserted into the middle of the cake should come out clean. Remove from the pan and allow to cool slightly before drizzling with leftover syrup.
- Cut into slices and serve.
Nutrition
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