This rhubarb dump cake couldn’t be easier to make, yet it has a tart, sweet, complex and truly unique flavor profile.
Once you try this easy rhubarb dump cake, you’ll never let rhubarb season pass without baking one. This best-served-warm cake puts rhubarb’s flavor on display, with unique tang and a hint of strawberry to seal the sweetness. Rhubarb season is a precious time, but this cake makes it count. So grab a bunch (red or green rhubarb is fine) as soon as you see it, and start baking.
If you’ve never tried dump cake recipes before, you’re in for an easy afternoon. All you have to do is lay down the fruit in a 13×9-inch pan, then “dump” everything else on top. It takes all of 15 minutes to prepare, if that. The oven does all the hard work, baking the cake for 45 minutes, softening the fruit, and creating a soft crust on top. Use a spoon to break through and scoop saucy servings into deep bowls. The only possible way this can get better is with vanilla ice cream on top!
Rhubarb Dump Cake Ingredients
Rhubarb: Use freshly chopped rhubarb for this recipe, and, of course, use just the stems of the ripe rhubarb plant. Rhubarb leaves are indeed toxic, as everyone says, but don’t be too nervous: You’d need to eat more than a pound of them to cause any real damage.
Sugar: This cake is sweetened with granulated sugar, although you can use light brown sugar in a pinch. You want plenty of sweetness to soften and balance the rhubarb’s tangy flavor.
Strawberry gelatin: You’ll often find strawberry and rhubarb together in strawberry-rhubarb pie, where they mingle beautifully. Strawberry gelatin is used to give this cake a smoother texture and just enough flavor to enhance its taste without overshadowing the rhubarb.
White cake mix: Box mixes, like gelatin and cake mix, make dump cakes a breeze to whip up. Buy your favorite white cake mix brand for this recipe. Don’t have a go-to? Try one of our preferred store-bought white cake mixes.
Butter: Make sure the butter is fully melted before using it in this recipe, as you’ll be drizzling it over the cake mix, to moisten it.
Directions
Step 1: Arrange the rhubarb
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Arrange the chopped rhubarb in a greased 13×9-inch baking dish and spread it out evenly.
Step 2: Add the sugar and gelatin
In a small bowl, combine the sugar and gelatin powder, then sprinkle them over the rhubarb.
Step 3: Add the cake mix
Next, sprinkle the dry cake mix over the gelatin mixture.
Step 4: Add the water and butter
Evenly pour the hot water over the cake mix, but curb your desire to stir everything together. Finally, drizzle it all with melted butter. Again, no stirring!
Step 5: Bake the cake
Bake the rhubarb cake for 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the dump cake cool in its pan on a wire rack.
Rhubarb Dump Cake Variations
Use yellow cake mix: If you prefer yellow cake to white cake—or if yellow is what you have on hand—you can swap it in.
Try a different gelatin: Sure, strawberry and rhubarb go together like peas and carrots, but you will also love this cake if you use a raspberry, blueberry or blackberry gelatin. You can also take it further with a blackberry dump cake.
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