Rhubarb Chiffon Cake

Layers of light and fluffy chiffon cake, an orange maple white chocolate ganache, and a rhubarb compote, this Rhubarb Chiffon cake is light and fluffy but still creamy and tart!

What can I use instead of Rhubarb?

If you don’t have access to rhubarb I recommend cooking down a mixture of peaches (white peaches are ideal) and raspberries into a thick compote. Start with about half the sugar because the peaches aren’t as tart as the rhubarb. If you don’t have forced rhubarb aka the super pink one, I would make this compote. It includes raspberries to create that beautiful pink color!

Natural sprinkles, artificial sprinkles, or no sprinkles?

The choice is entirely yours! The first cake image in this blog post is when I made the cake using naturally died sprinkles meaning there’s not artificial coloring. The natural sprinkles tend to lose their color and become faint when baked. On the other hand artificially colored sprinkles really hold their color in the cake batter but of course they aren’t as good for you. Last but not least, if sprinkles aren’t your thing – just leave them out!

How to make stabilized whipped cream?

There are multiple ways to stabilize whipped cream. This cake uses both white chocolate and gelatin to stabilize the whipped cream. I have made the frosting with and without the gelatin and while both technically work, the one without gelatin is VERY soft. If you choose not to use gelatin the cake will most likely lean and the slices may not hold up as well when cut. For a super stable version of this cake, I would use this Swiss meringue butter cream instead of the whipped cream. You can add orange zest and maple syrup to the buttercream to replicate the flavors.

Additional Recipes to try!

• Banana Cake
• Hazelnut Raspberry Cake
• Morning Glory Cake

Tips for making a Rhubarb Chiffon Cake

• If you don’t have access to rhubarb I recommend cooking down a mixture of peaches and raspberries. White peaches are ideal and start with about half the sugar.
• If you don’t have forced rhubarb aka the super pink one, I would make this compote. It includes raspberries to create that beautiful pink color!
• To make a larger version of the cake, you’ll want to double everything and bake it in a 9″ pan.
• Be sure to bake this cake in a springform pan with tall sides, a standard cake pan is too short and the cake will overflow.
• When assembling the cake, you can use the same springform pan as the “form” to stabilize it. However, the cake shrinks when it cools so I prefer to use a ring like this one or this one to stack my cakes!
• This recipe uses gelatin in the whipped cream, if you want to make it without, simply leave out the gelatin. That being said, please be aware that the cake won’t be as stable and should not be left out at room temperature.
• If you need the cake to be more stable, use this Swiss meringue butter cream instead of the whipped cream. You can add orange zest and maple syrup to the buttercream to replicate the flavors.
• Be sure to cool the cake upside down and don’t grease the sides of the cake pan. Greasing the cake pan will make it too slippery and the cake won’t rise properly.
• Eggs are easiest to separate when they’re cold but egg whites whip best when at room temperature. So I recommend separating the eggs and then make the cake batter with the yolks before starting on the meringue.
• If sprinkles aren’t your thing, feel free to leave them out it won’t affect the cake at all!
• Instead of buttermilk stir together half greek yogurt and half milk to create the right consistency.
• To release the cake ring after you’ve stacked the cake, you could have either lined it with plastic wrap first or use something like a kitchen torch to release it from the whipped ganache.
• Unless you make this cake with Swiss Meringue buttercream instead of whipped cream, the cake should always be in the fridge.

Ingredients

White Chocolate Whipped Cream

• Gelatin: I use powdered gelatin for this. Mine comes in individual packets which are about 7 grams each.
• White Chocolate: It’s important to use high quality white chocolate and not chocolate candy or white chocolate chips. I like to use Tony’s Chocolonely or Ghirardelli white chocolate.
• Heavy Cream: Be sure to use heavy whipping cream for the ganache.
• Orange Peel: A few piece of orange peel help flavor the whipped cream.
• Maple Syrup: High quality real dark maple syrup adds a deep richness to this whipped cream which balances out the white chocolate and the orange citrus flavor.
• Vanilla: Vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste will work for this whipped cream filling.

Rhubarb Compote

• Rhubarb: Forced (aka the super pretty pink kind) or regular rhubarb work! If using regular rhubarb I recommend making this compote with rhubarb and raspberries instead to maintain the pink color!
• Sugar: Standard white granulated sugar is used for the compote but you could also use honey or maple syrup especially if you’re making it to have/snack on.
• Orange: Orange zest and juice are added to maintain the brightness of the rhubarb without making it more sour.

Funfetti Chiffon Cake

• Eggs: I use standard large eggs from the store. There are three whole eggs in the cake, I recommend separating them when they’re cold!
• Sugar: White granulated sugar gives this cake its slight sweetness as well as helps with the structure.
• Orange: Orange zest is added into the cake batter for flavor but it’s not required!
• Vanilla Extract: Vanilla adds a little flavor and enhances the sweetness of the cake.
• Salt: Salt balances out the sweetness and enhances the flavors of the cake.
• Buttermilk: Whole milk buttermilk gives this cake the perfect amount of moisture and soft cake crumb. If you can’t find buttermilk, mix together half yogurt and half milk.
• Oil: I used olive oil in this cake and didn’t notice the flavor of it in the cake but any neutral oil such as vegetable, canola, or avocado oil will work too!
• All Purpose Flour: Any all purpose flour should work in this cake! I have not yet tried any other flours with this recipe.
• Baking Powder: In addition to the air whipped into the egg white meringue, baking powder helps the cake rise so be sure it hasn’t expired.
• Sprinkles: If adding sprinkles to the cake, note that naturally colored sprinkles won’t maintain their color as well. On the other hand artificially colored sprinkles stay bright in the cake!

How to make a Rhubarb Chiffon Cake?

White Chocolate Whipped Cream

• In a small bowl, add in 50 grams of cold water. Sprinkle one 7 gram packet of powdered gelatin on top and stir to combine. Set aside.
• In a sauce pot, add in 400 grams of the heavy cream along with two strips of orange peel. Heat over low heat until steamy but not boiling.
• While the cream heats up, chop up the white chocolate and add it into a medium heat safe mixing bowl.
• Pour the hot heavy cream through a sieve into the bowl with the white chocolate. Cover the bowl with a lid (can literally be anything) and leave it to sit for one minute.
• After one minute has passed, use a whisk to stir the white chocolate and heavy cream together until smooth. Then add in the bloomed gelatin and whisk again until it has melted in.
• Pour in the maple syrup, salt, vanilla and then the rest of the cold heavy cream. Whisk once more to combine. Cover the surface with a layer of plastic wrap and put it in the fridge until firm. This can take around 6 hours so be patient!

Rhubarb Compote

• Rinse and chop the ends off of the rhubarb stalks. Chop the rhubarb into 1″-2″ chunks and add them into a medium pot.
• Pour in the sugar and then add in the orange zest and juice.
• Place over medium low heat and cover with a lid. Cook covered for about 5 minutes or until the mixture starts to bubble. The lid on will keep the rhubarb from burning.
• Once it starts to bubble, remove the lid and continue to cook, stirring every five minutes until you are left with a thick syrupy type of sauce.
• Pour the compote into a large shallow bowl and leave to cool to room temperature. Use same day or store covered in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.

Funfetti Chiffon Cake.

• Preheat the oven to 325 F and place a rack in the center of the oven. Line the bottom of the 7″ springform cake pan with a piece of parchment paper but don’t grease the sides of the pan!
• Separate the three eggs, putting the egg yolks in one medium mixing bowl and the egg whites into another medium mixing bowl.
• Add 50 grams of the sugar into the bowl with the egg yolks and 50 grams of the sugar into the bowl with the egg whites.
• Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until light and ribbony. Add the orange zest, salt, and vanilla into the egg yolks and whisk again.
• Pour the buttermilk and oil into the egg yolk bowl and whisk again.
• Sift the flour, corn starch, and baking powder into the bowl with the egg yolks and whisk until just smooth. It’ll seem lumpy at first, keep whisking but once smooth, stop whisking!
• Using an electric mixer whip the egg whites and sugar together until almost stiff peaks form. The mixture should hold it’s shape but not be rock solid.
• Spoon one third of the egg white mixture into the bowl with egg yolks and use a large flat rubber spatula to fold the meringue into the yolk mixture. Be careful not to stir vigorously as it will knock all of the air out of the meringue.
• Continue adding and folding the meringue in, in two more additions. Just before you finish mixing the last addition, add in the sprinkles if using. Finish with about two more folds and then pour the cake batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Then rotate the cake 180 degrees and bake for another 15-20 minutes until golden brown on the edges.
• Once baked, immediately take the pan out of the oven and place a wire rack upside down over the top. Flip the pan and the wire rack over and set it on the counter like this until it has fully cooled. About an hour or two.

Stacking the cake

• Once all the elements are ready and the cake has cooled off it’s time to stack the cake.
• Add the chilled white chocolate whipped cream into the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl and whip until stiff peaks/lines form.
• Lay a piece of parchment paper on a flat tray that can fit in your fridge (I use the round lids from my mixing bowls). Use a long serrated knife to level off the top of the cake. Then cut the cake into 3 or 4 even layers. I did 3 but if I were to make it again, I personally would do 4! That being said, it’s totally up to you!
• Place the bottom layer of the cake, cut side up onto the parchment paper. Then place and adjust the cake ring (see the tips section for two link options!) around the cake layer. *Note – after the cake has assembled and chilled you either need to use a kitchen torch or let it sit out for a little so that the cake ring will release from the whipped cream. This is my favorite way to stack the cake but if that makes you nervous, place the cake ring onto the parchment first, then line the whole thing with plastic wrap and then press the bottom layer of cake into the cake ring.
• If you don’t have a cake ring, clean and reuse the springform pan. The pan will be a little big now that the cake has baked but it will still work!
• Use a piping bag or a ziptop bag with the corner cut off to pipe a thick 3/4″ border around the bottom layer of cake. Then spoon a thin layer of whipped cream onto the cake layer – this layer should be about between 1/4″ and 1/2″ thick.
• Spoon a thick layer, about 1/2″ thick, of the rhubarb compote over the cream. It should still be within the height of the whipped cream wall. *Note in the video of this recipe I did compote and then the whipped cream but this won’t be as stable and I wouldn’t recommend it.
• Place the second layer of cake on top of the rhubarb layer and press down evenly on the cake.
• Repeat the filling process one or two more times depending on how many cake layers you’ve cut.
• After placing the last layer on top, add a thin layer of the whipped cream on top just to seal the cake. Place a layer of plastic wrap or parchment over the top of the cake to keep it from drying out.
• Put the stacked cake into the fridge to set. Ideally for at least 4 hours or up to overnight. Store the remaining whipped cream in a bowl in the fridge.

To Decorate

• Once the cake has set and you’re ready to decorate, take the cake out of the fridge. If you lined the ring with plastic wrap, simply lift the ring. If not, let it warm up a little at room temperature or use a kitchen torch quickly in short bursts to release the whipped cream from the ring.
• This cake looks beautiful with or without frosting the sides so it’s totally up to you! Frost and decorate the cake as you please.
• I like to make a kind of well on top with the back of a spoon and fill it with more of the rhubarb compote. If you want to decorate the top with fresh flowers just be sure to wait and cut them until right before serving.
• Store any leftovers of the cake in the fridge.

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