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
Madonna says
We love this recipe, wouldn’t change a thing!!
Tara Noland says
So glad you enjoy it!!
Annette says
I made this but used a lemon cake mix. Was absolutely delicious.
Tara Noland says
Good idea!!
Sue Johnson says
I don’t have a yellow cake mix. I do have a white cake mix. Do I need to change anything in the recipe? Can I use that mix instead of yellow?
Tara Noland says
Absolutely, use what you have on hand! That will work great too!
Missy says
A friend gave me fresh rhubarb. I searched for a recipe that wasn’t too fussy and found this. I made this using the strawberry jello idea and no other sugar. Messed up on ingredients order by adding cake mix last. Dragged a fork through it just enough to moisten the top layer. Took a bit longer to cook (55 minutes). It turns out we loved it prepared this way. Tasted like homemade shortcakes or scones but with more flavor! Would be great with vanilla ice cream too.
Tara Noland says
So glad you enjoyed it! I love making this as it is soooo easy!!
Crystal says
Wow!! I’ve had rhubarb plants for 4 years now and finally used some myself and made this!! I’m so sad I’ve missed out for this long! Yum!! I used a packet of strawberry jello and also eat it with whipped cream!! So, so good!
Tara Noland says
So glad you loved them!!
Vickiee Buettner says
I add 1 small box of dry strawberry jello over my rhubarb dump cake. Same recipe except my 3 oz box of jello.
Very good.
Christine says
Did you also use the sugar? Jello sprinkled on top?
Tara Noland says
I would think she would omit the sugar in place of the jello.
Annette says
That’s a great idea. I could use a low cal jello packet.
Esther Plahn says
Been wanting to find time to try something new This will be a perfect dessert for family get together
Anne Napoli says
I made it yesterday and it is delicious! Thanks for the recipe.
Tara Noland says
Thanks for telling us, so glad you enjoyed it!!
MARY says
Took to a spring potluck with some homemade whipped cream. Absolutely delicious! Thanks for sharing this easy recipe.
Tara Noland says
So glad it was a hit!!
Jody S says
I love rhubarb & so does my family, so simple yet tastes like you’ve put in lots of time. This is the 4th pan baking in the oven for the Summer of 2023! Did I say I love rhubarb,LoL. As for the dry cake mix, I take a spray water bottle and spritz all over the top.
Tara Noland says
So glad you are loving this recipe and great idea with the spritz bottle.
Jenni says
I’ve used a box of strawberry jello instead of the sugar with this recipe. Yum!
Tara Noland says
That is a cool idea!!
MARCIA R says
love the recipe! I tried it with sugarfree strawberry jello instead of sugar. It was great!
Tara Noland says
Cool idea that is!! Thanks for sharing!!
Dee Auer says
I’ll be glad to so very yummy. Favorite this time of year. A no.1 for sure
Jan says
Has anyone tried glutten free cake mix?
Tara Noland says
I haven’t but maybe search that and see what adjusts to make.
Jan says
It worked! I used the Pillsbury GF yellow cake mix. Everyone gave it a thumbs up. I will add more rhubarb next time just cuz I’m a big fan of rhubarb and it’s in season.
Tara Noland says
So glad you tried it and you came back to share! Thanks!!
Janine Mosher says
I haven’t tasted it yet but it cooked good and looks very delish!
Tara Noland says
Enjoy!!
Rhonda says
This just didn’t turn out well at all. I don’t like to give negative reviews, but no one really cared for this desert.
LJ says
Love this recipe. I had to use Strawberry cake mix because that’s all I had on hand. It was wonderful. My family loves it. I also added a little more butter and 3/4 water.
Tara Noland says
I can see the strawberry cake mix working great!! Thanks for sharing!!
Marlene says
I love this recipe. I used frozen rhubarb cooked with marshmallows for thickener. I have also added a cup of oatmeal and coconut to the cake mix. Thanks for sharing it.
Tara Noland says
I love how you made the recipe your own, it sounds amazing!!
Debby Neseth says
I made this with spice cake mix and oh my it was good. Reminded me of a cake my mom used to make years ago. Great recipe.
Tara Noland says
So glad you loved it, will have to try it with a spice cake mix too.
Peggy Jane says
This cake was pretty much disgusting. Much too sweet but I don’t think eliminating the sugar would help. The cake mix did not mix with the liquid. Needs much more liquid . I will never make this cake again.
Tara Noland says
I am sorry you didn’t have success with the recipe. You do need to add the liquid evenly, there still maybe some slightly dry patches but that is the way it is.
Nancy Steffin says
I love rhubarb! I’ve wanted to try making various recipes but hesitate because I don’t know how many stalks (approximately) would equal one cup. It’s kind of expensive, so I don’t want to waste it if I buy too much. (When I was a child I’d eat raw rhubarb dipped in sugar, but I wouldn’t do that with leftovers at my age now!) Anyway, can you give us a ballpark number of stalks we need to equal one cup? Thanks.
Tara Noland says
I used to be in the rhubarb patch with a small bowl of sugar too as a child!! I would say on average one large stalk would yield a cup or 2 smaller ones. It is hard to say as rhubarb does differ a lot in size. If you do have any leftovers just boil them down to make a compote, it is lovely with yogurt and a little granola in a recipe like this one. https://noshingwiththenolands.com/rhubarb-yogurt-ginger-granola-parfait/