Are you like me and have a pile of rhubarb in the freezer from when you harvested it last spring? Some years after already baking in the summer, I still have 25 cups that get stowed away in the freezer. I wanted something easy to make, so with some research, I made this super simple Rhubarb Dump Cake.
Our rhubarb patch does very well, and we have numerous stalks each year with a wonderful deep ruby-red color. This makes for such wonderful desserts. I have made a cake similar to this called a Blueberry Breakfast Cake, where you dump the fruit into a 9×13-inch baking dish and put a batter on top.
For the blueberry cake, you actually make up a batter and pour it over. This Rhubarb Dump Cake recipe is even easier than that where you add the fruit, sugar, dry cake mix, water, and melted butter. Try our Lemon Dump Cake or Strawberry Dump Cake too.
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3 Rhubarb Plants – Crimson Red
The end result is something like a crisp or cobbler. Very cool! I saw many recipes that asked for jello, but I thought, no way, that is going to be too sweet on top of the other ingredients. I didn’t need color either for my rhubarb, so I omitted that.
So I decided to go without the jello for my recipe, and I am so glad I did. Not too crazy sweet, as the tart rhubarb balances it very nicely. This is such an easy and delicious recipe. You have nothing to lose.
What Desserts Can You Make With Rhubarb?
We have loads of desserts using rhubarb on our site, plus some with a strawberry-rhubarb combination. I love that strawberry flavor with rhubarb, too. It is such an easy ingredient to work with!
Once you start to grow a plant or two, you have a nice harvest every year, and they take very little care. Maybe just the occasional water; they really just grow like a weed on their own.
Here are all of our wonderful rhubarb dessert recipes!
How Do You Make a Rhubarb Dump Cake?
We are talking as simple as it gets in making the rhubarb dump cake. To make a rhubarb dump cake, all I did was spray a 9×13″ pan with cooking spray. Preheat your oven to 350 F.
I then added in the frozen, in this case, rhubarb. I sprinkled the sugar over the rhubarb and then followed that with the dry cake mix.
You then sprinkle the cake mix, pour the water and then melted butter, trying to evenly disperse all the ingredients.
What? No mixing? Yup, that is correct. DO NOT MIX, but put it directly into a preheated oven.
You can add fresh fruit also to make this; it doesn’t have to be frozen. Serve this dessert warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream.
Rhubarb Dump Cake with Yellow Cake Mix
I love how the fruit bubbles up through the crust. This is so yummy; you won’t believe it. I liked the yellow cake mix for this recipe as opposed to a white cake mix to give it the warm contrast in colors.
Grab some of your frozen rhubarb and bring summer to life again in this easy dessert!!
Rhubarb Dump Cake
Video
Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh or frozen rhubarb chopped
- 1 scant cup white sugar
- 1 package yellow cake mix
- 1 cup water
- 1/3 cup butter melted
- Cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 9×13″ pan with cooking spray.
- Add the rhubarb and spread out evenly on the bottom of the pan.
- Sprinkle over the sugar, followed by the cake mix.
- Pour over the water and melted butter evenly. DO NOT MIX!
- Bake for 45 min. until bubbling and the rhubarb is tender and the top is slightly browned.
Comments & Reviews
Heidi says
How do you do the top without having dry cake mix while there’s so much moisture in the bottom?
Tara Noland says
You try to make sure you cover the top evenly with the butter and water. You may have small patches but when served it really doesn’t matter.
Christine Gregory says
Have not tried this rhubarb dump cake yet I’m looking forward to it. Would like to know if the rhubarb needs to be thawed out or you can keep it frozen.
Tara Noland says
I don’t thaw the rhubarb but use it frozen and add additional time to the baking while watching it at the end.
Rosemary says
Can I skip the sugar on the rhubarb?
Ken Noland says
I would say no, rhubarb really needs sugar as it is extremely tart on it’s own.
Cindy says
Made this today and we know that all ovens cook differently however after 35 minutes, the cake was burning. Hubs didn’t mind though – he still ate it right out of the oven!
Tara Noland says
Maybe 325 F would work better for you. Glad hubby still liked it!
Heidi says
I used a Pyrex glass pan, Mom always told me 25 degrees less for glass
Tara Noland says
You can decrease it if you like.
Bonnie says
When using frozen rhubarb do you alter the recipe? Also do you thaw the fruit before making it?
Thank you in advance.
Tara Noland says
I don’t alter the recipe except that it may take longer to bake and I don’t thaw but use frozen right into the recipe.
Bonnie Dennis says
Thank you so much for your reply.
I have made it twice using fresh rhubarb and love it. I have extra and froze it so would like to make it again using it.
Dottie W says
This recipe was great my whole family enjoyed it.
Tara Noland says
So glad you enjoyed it and so did the family. It is a nice easy use of rhubarb!!
Carol Fecker says
Mix cake flour and butter and water BEFORE pouring on top of fruit…some dry ingredients do not mix in their own in the oven
Tara Noland says
Yes, you can do it either way.
Annette says
This is a delicious dessert. I have substituted monk fruit for the regular sugar as I am diabetic. I also use a lemon cake mix. So good. Thanks for this recipe. I’ve shared it with friends.