Margaret's Rhubarb Dump Cake – Rhabarber-Dump-Kuchen

by: Gerhild Fulson  / Oma Gerhild shares easy, authentic German recipes you can trust, rooted in family tradition and featured in her cookbooks.

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Rhubarb Dump Cake... perfect springtime treat... a great way to finish off a German meal.

Rhubarb Dump Cake! Sounds absolutely interesting. Tastes absolutely wonderful. Try this Rhabarber-Dump-Kuchen with this season's first rhubarb and be surprised how easy it is.

This dessert is a favorite every time spring comes, thanks to my friend, Margaret, who passed on her recipe to me. At times, our rhubarb patch is almost decimated, with all the picking that goes on.

And, this recipe is the culprit!

Just like the expression, "Are we there yet?" is so common, "Is it Spring yet?" is the comment at our house as we're waiting for the first rhubarb to come up in the garden.

Is this recipe German? Absolutely not.

Is this recipe wunderbar? Absolutely YES!

That's why I've included it here. So that I never misplace it. I NEED it every Spring! Take a look below at the TRIFLE I made with this! SOOO GOOD!

We only have a small patch, but we've had it since we moved here 40 years ago. It's still producing lots of stalks ... meaning lots of rhubarb desserts!

There are several variations on this basic recipe in the hints section. This allows you to have many rhubarb desserts - each different - each a real treat! But by far the favorite is this Rhubarb Dump Cake! 

BUT, what is sure is that everyone loves this and they want to include it in their list of rhubarb recipes!

Use the brightly colored stalks of rhubarb and make sure you throw the leaves away which are poisonous.

Not really sure if this qualifies among the German dessert recipes. What I do know is that it superbly tops off a traditional German meal of cold German potato salad and homemade German sausage patties.

A great spring or summer picnic idea, for sure. All my German family and friends love it!

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Then this Rhubarb Dump Cake Trifle happened

This trifle just happened one day right after I made the Rhubarb Dump Cake. Company was coming and I realized that the cake by itself wouldn't be enough. I had planned to serve it with whipped cream, but then hubby said, "Why not turn it into a trifle?"

Rhubarb Dump Cake Trifle... perfect springtime treat using a Rhubarb Dump Cake!

Perfect!!!!

I asked him what made him think of that. His answer was, " 'cause I've lived with Oma!"

Here's what I did:

• I used 2 cups of milk and Bird's Custard powder to make a quick custard and let it cool.
• I whipped 2 cups of whipping cream with 2 packages of Dr. Oetker Whip It. (You could use 2 tbsp powdered sugar instead, but the whipped cream may start to 'weep' after a while)
• I put half the Rhubarb Dump Cake in the bottom of my glass serving bowl.
• I covered that with the cold custard.
• I topped that with a layer of sliced strawberries (just because I had them).
• I topped that with half the whipped cream.
• I topped that with the rest of the Rhubarb Dump Cake.
• I decorated the top with the rest of the whipped cream and a strawberry.

This made enough for 8 - 10 people.

I'll definitely be making this more often. It looked so pretty and it tasted wunderbar.

How to shop for Rhubarb

When it comes to shopping for rhubarb, crispiness plays a huge role. If your stalk is tender, crispy, and firm, it's good to go. If the stalks feel slimy and look wilted, then it's best to pick a different one...you wouldn't want to try baking with a near rotten rhubarb! 

Another factor to keep an eye out for is fraying and split ends at the top of the rhubarb stalk. That means the rhubarb isn't very healthy. You can shop for the best rhubarb mostly through the summer months, but it is available always! it shouldn't be a hard one to find, it's selecting the best one that's important. 

If you already have a rhubarb sitting in the fridge at home, another good way to test if it's fresh or not is to simply snap a piece off of the stalk. You'll know it's still good if it's nice and juicy inside.

Remember to keep in mind that the smaller the leaves are, the younger the plant is, meaning the more fresh that stalk is. The fresher, the better, especially for this cake! 

Oma says:

I kept planning to plant the newer, sweeter varieties of rhubarb once this little patch died.

Never got around to it.

This patch just keeps on producing. Even though it is quite sour to eat fresh, for rhubarb desserts that have sugar, it's no problem.

Ready to make this Rhubarb Cake?

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 Margaret's Rhubarb Dump Cake – Rhabarber-Dump-Kuchen

This rhubarb dump cake is a favorite every time spring comes, thanks to my friend, Margaret, who shared her recipe with me. 

At times, our rhubarb patch is almost decimated, with all the picking that goes on. And, this recipe is the culprit! And, another is rhubarb streusel cake.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Bake Time 60 minutes

Total Time 65 minutes

Servings:

Makes 12 servings

Ingredients:

• 5 cup fresh rhubarb, cut in 1 to 2 inch pieces
  
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
  
• 1 box (3 ounces) strawberry flavored gelatin powder
  
• 1 box (18 ounces) yellow dry cake mix
  
• ¼ cup butter, melted
  
• 1 cup water

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
   
2. Spread chopped rhubarb into ungreased 9x13-inch baking dish.
   
3. Sprinkle sugar over rhubarb. Sprinkle flavored gelatin powder over.
   
4. Sprinkle dry cake mix over all. DO NOT MIX.
   
5. Drizzle melted butter over. Gently pour water over all. DO NOT MIX)
   
6. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, until top is nicely browned.
   
7. Serve either hot, warm, or cold. Nice with ice cream or whipped cream.

Notes/Hints:

• Use any red colored gelatin powder. Raspberry is especially nice.
  
• Try a white or lemon cake mix for a different flavor.
  
• If you use frozen rhubarb, reduce the water in half.
  
• Sprinkle with nuts - pecans are nice - before baking.
  
• If you like it a bit sweeter, add extra sugar next time.
  
• Instead of butter, use ¼ cup olive oil.
  
• Replace with gelatin with sugar-free gelatin and use Splenda instead of sugar to make a diet version.
• Extra rhubarb is perfect for some rhubarb pudding, a favorite in northern Germany.

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Unless otherwise noted recipe, images and content © Just like Oma | www.quick-german-recipes.com

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Hi, I'm Oma Gerhild! As a food writer and cookbook author, I'm always looking to find ways to pass on my German heritage using local ingredients. Quick and easy. That's my goal. Wunderbar food. That's the result.