German Rhubarb Meringue Cake

A plush, vanilla-scented sheet cake topped with tart, jammy rhubarb, crisp meringue, and crunchy almonds: rhubarb meringue cake is the epitome of German spring baking.

Germans aren’t known for being a very passionate people, so saying that we’re “crazy” about something doesn’t usually tell the whole truth. And yet, ever since the amazing rhubarb rap went viral, the whole world knows beyond a doubt: Germans are about as crazy about rhubarb as Germans ever get.

And the very best way to enjoy the pink and green stalks is a slice of traditional German rhubarb meringue sheet cake: A tender, vanilla-scented crumb is topped with tart, pink rhubarb that turns soft and jammy in the oven.

Baked thin, topped with a glossy sweet lid of shattering meringue and golden bronzed flaked almonds, it’s simple but elegant, and sure to become a new favorite.

Why You’ll Love This Rhubarb Cake Recipe

Tools You May Need

Grain Mill (optional): Use freshly-milled grains for best flavor and nutrition (or choose a store-bought swap).

Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer: For creaming butter and sugar, and whipping egg whites and sugar into a stiff meringue.

Large Baking Sheet: Use your oven’s baking sheet, a half sheet pan, two quarter sheet pans (9×13-inch), or any baking sheet roughly 13×18-inches/33×45-cm in size.

Rubber Spatula: For spreading batter and meringue in thin, even layers.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Fresh-Milled Flour:
Both spelt and soft white wheat work well in this recipe and are equally delicious.
If you don’t mill at home, you can also use store bought whole grain spelt flour, or whole wheat pastry flour in the U.S.
In Europe, any regular whole wheat flour can be used.

Vanilla:
You can use vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste, or vanilla sugar (a German pantry staple).
Mix vanilla sugar into the granulated sugar, and cream with the butter. Add vanilla extract or bean paste to the batter along with the egg yolks.

Eggs:
You’ll need five eggs total: four yolks for the cake batter, and five whites for the meringue.
(Tip: Don’t know what to do with the leftover yolk? Try these crispy Sourdough Double Chocolate Chip Cookies with freshly-milled flour!)

Rhubarb:
Choose the slimmest, pinkest stalks available. Split broader stalks down the middle lengthwise before chopping them into small, bite-sized pieces.
There’s no need to peel rhubarb. If you’re having trouble cutting the stalks without pulling strings, use a sharp chef’s knife and cut on a chopping board.

Flaked Almonds:
Older almonds are drier and tend to burn quicker in the oven, so try to get fresh ones and scatter them in an even layer. You can also skip the almonds altogether if necessary.

How to Make Rhubarb Meringue Cake (Step-by-Step)

Step 01

Mill Flour & Prep rhubarb

Weigh spelt (or soft wheat) berries and grind them on the finest setting of your grain mill. Stir in the baking powder and set aside.
Finely dice the rhubarb into small, bite-sized pieces.

Step 02

Cream Butter, Sugar & eggs

Cream together room temperature butter, salt, sugar, and vanilla sugar (if using) until pale and fluffy. Separate the eggs, add four yolks and the vanilla extract (if using) to the batter, and mix until fully combined.

Step 03

Mix Batter

Add half the dry ingredients to the dough and stir to combine, then mix in the milk. Stir in the rest of the flour and mix on medium speed until evenly combined.

Step 04

Make the meringue

To another clean bowl, add five egg whites. Whip on medium speed until frothy. With the mixer running on high speed, slowly add the sugar, little by little. Whip until the meringue becomes glossy white, stiff, and holds a thick ribbon.

Step 05

Transfer Batter to pan

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F (or 180°C/350°F fan) and line a large baking sheet/half sheet pan with parchment paper.
Thinly spread the batter onto the baking paper in an even layer. Scatter the chopped rhubarb across in an even layer.

Step 06

Assemble & bake

Spread the whipped meringue topping across the chopped rhubarb, then scatter the flaked almonds in an even layer.
Bake on the lowest rack for 40–45 minutes, until the meringue is crisp and the almonds toasty brown. Cool to room temperature on a wire rack.

How to Serve & Store

This cake is made for sharing. Slice it into generous squares, top with whipped cream if you like, and enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee and good company.

Rhubarb meringue cake keeps at room temperature for up to one day, loosely covered with foil. After that, store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days.

Recipe FAQs

If you make this fresh-milled rhubarb meringue cake…

I’d love to hear how it turned out!