This is my favorite bundt cake—perhaps my favorite cake, full stop. It strikes the right balance of sweetness and tenderness, with a pleasant tang from buttermilk and cream cheese. Fresh strawberries and rhubarb give it bright, springtime flavor, and the rhubarb cream cheese glaze elevates every bite.
This recipe is adapted from the “Triple Berry Summer Buttermilk Bundt” by Smitten Kitchen. The original uses a simple lemon-powdered sugar glaze, which is lovely, but on a later bake I had cream cheese and a little rhubarb to use up. The tang of cream cheese complements the buttermilk beautifully, and the concentrated rhubarb puree makes a glaze that’s both tangy and subtly sweet. It was such a hit that I now keep cream cheese on hand just for this cake.
This cake is straightforward to make and reliably delicious—tender crumb, bright fruit pockets, and a glossy rhubarb-cream cheese glaze that brings everything together.
Strawberry-Rhubarb Buttermilk Bundt with Rhubarb Cream Cheese Glaze
A tender, tangy bundt cake studded with strawberries and rhubarb, finished with a rhubarb cream cheese glaze. Adapted from Smitten Kitchen.
Dessert
bundt, buttermilk, rhubarb, rhubarb cream cheese, strawberry
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 355 g + 2 tbsp (20 g) all-purpose flour divided
- 2 tsp (10 g) baking powder
- 1 tsp table salt or fine sea salt
- 340 g granulated sugar
- 225 g (1 c.) unsalted butter at room temperature
- zest of 1 lemon
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 c. buttermilk
- 200 g trimmed strawberries halved if small; quartered or chopped if large
- 250 g rhubarb chopped into 3/4 inch chunks
For the glaze:
- 140 g (5 oz.) chopped rhubarb
- 50 g (1/4 c.) granulated sugar
- 2-4 tbsp lemon juice divided
- 56 g (2 oz.) cream cheese at room temperature
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1/4 c. powdered sugar
Instructions
Make the cake:
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Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
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Butter and flour a 10–12 cup bundt pan, then chill it in the refrigerator while you prepare the batter.
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Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
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Cream the butter, lemon zest, and sugar in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each, then stir in the vanilla.
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Add the flour mixture and buttermilk in three additions: 1/3 flour, 1/2 buttermilk, 1/3 flour, remaining buttermilk, and finish with the last third of the flour. Mix just until combined—do not overmix.
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Toss the strawberries and rhubarb with the reserved 2 tablespoons of flour, then fold them gently into the batter using a silicone or rubber spatula.
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Scrape the batter into the prepared bundt pan and smooth the top.
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Bake for about 55–65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
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Cool the cake in the pan for 30 minutes, then invert onto a plate or platter and let cool completely before glazing.
Make the glaze:
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Combine the chopped rhubarb, granulated sugar, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook over low heat until the rhubarb breaks down completely. Puree with an immersion blender and press the purée through a fine-mesh sieve. Let cool slightly.
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Beat the cream cheese, butter, and powdered sugar together until smooth. Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice, then slowly blend in the rhubarb purée until the glaze is smooth. Adjust sweetness with more powdered sugar if too tart, or thin with additional lemon juice if too thick.
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Spoon the glaze over the fully cooled cake and allow it to set before slicing.
Recipe Notes
- Be sure to thoroughly butter and flour the bundt pan, brushing softened or melted butter into crevices. Chilling the pan while you make the batter helps the coating set and reduces sticking.
- If you don’t have fresh buttermilk, reconstituted powdered buttermilk or a mixture of milk and a splash of lemon juice or vinegar can be used.
- Let the cake cool completely before glazing and slicing. Warm cake tends to slice poorly and can become dense or gummy; patience yields the best texture.
