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    Home » Recipes » Courses » Desserts

    Rhubarb Meringue Torte

    Published: May 15, 2023 by Terri Gilson · Modified: May 19, 2023 · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

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    Jump to Recipe
    a piece of rhubarb torte being held up over a pan of more rhubarb torte

    If you love rhubarb, you'll love this Rhubarb Meringue Torte, with a delicious shortbread crust, a creamy rhubarb custard filling, and a light and fluffy meringue topping, it's a great way to celebrate rhubarb this spring! You can use either fresh or frozen rhubarb for this recipe.

    a piece of rhubarb torte being held up over a pan of more rhubarb torte

    This recipe is popular in the spring during rhubarb season. I got this recipe from my Auntie Sue, who is also a big fan of rhubarb and one of my childhood baking inspirations, along with both my grandmothers. This recipe pairs perfectly with a cup of coffee!

    Jump to:
    • 🥘Ingredients
    • 🔪Instructions
    • 📖Variations & Substitutions
    • 🥗 Meals to serve with Rhubarb Torte
    • 🍽Equipment
    • 🌡️Storage
    • 👪 Serving Size
    • 💭Top tip
    • 🦺Food safety
    • ❔ Frequently Asked Questions
    • 📋 Rhubarb Meringue Torte recipe
    • More Rhubarb Recipes

    If you're a little rhubarb crazy like me, you'll definitely want to check out my other rhubarb recipes: Rhubarb Cake, Rhubarb Cookies, Rhubarb Squares (shown), Sticky Rhubarb Pudding, Rhubarb Dessert (No Bake) and my 2 Ingredient Rhubarb Lemonade, among several others!

    rhubarb square on a white plate, with glass dish of more rhubarb squares in the background

    🥘Ingredients

    You'll need the following ingredients for this rhubarb torte:

    rhubarb meringue torte ingredients in glass dishes, labelled
    • 1 cup all-purpose flour
    • ½ cup unsalted butter
    • 1 ½ cup sugar + 5 tablespoon sugar
    • 3 eggs *separated
    • ⅓ cup milk * I use 1 %
    • 1 ½ tbsp tapioca starch * I use minute tapioca
    • 2 ½ cups rhubarb *you can use fresh rhubarb or frozen rhubarb
    • ¼ tsp cream of tartar

    🔪Instructions

    Heat oven to 325 degrees F (162 degrees C)

    glass pan sprayed with non-stick cooking spray on a counter

    Spray the bottom of an 8x8 pan (glass preferably) with non-stick cooking spray.

    flour, butter and sugar blended in a food processor to make base

    Blend 1 cup flour, ½ cup butter, and 2 tablespoon sugar in a food processor. If you don't have a food processor, you could cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or cheese grater.

    shortbread base pressed into the bottom of a 8x8 glass pan

    Press into the bottom of an 8-inch square pan. *I use glass to avoid the metallic taste of rhubarb baked in aluminum

    base of rhubarb meringue torte, baked, in a glass pan on a trivet

    Bake in preheated oven at 325 degrees F (162 C) for 18-20 minutes or until lightly browned.

    Set on trivet or wire rack.

    Filling

    Meanwhile (while the base is cooking), make the filling:

    eggs separated in glass bowls

    Separate each whole egg into a small bowl for egg whites and another for yolks

    egg yolks flour and sugar being whisked together

    In a medium bowl, whisk 1 ½ cups sugar and 3 egg yolks, 2 tablespoon flour together (you can use a whisk or the whisk attachment on your hand mixer).

    rhubarb, milk and tapioca added to mixture

    Stir in milk, rhubarb, and tapioca

    Turn up oven to 350 degrees F (176 degrees C)

    filling poured over base in glass pan on black rectangular trivet

    Pour filling over hot crust.

    rhubarb torte baked in a glass pan, on a black trivet

    Return to oven and bake 350 degrees F (176 degrees C) for 40-60 minutes or until the filling is set.

    * Cooking time will depend on what type of milk you use, if your rhubarb is fresh or frozen whether your rhubarb is early spring (which generally contains a higher water content). You'll just want to make sure it's set and looks like the above photo - it will still be a moist custard-like filling, but it shouldn't be runny

    Topping

    egg whites, whipped to soft peaks with sugar added

    In a large bowl, beat egg whites to soft peaks with an electric hand mixer on medium speed, then add sugar and cream of tartar

    egg whites with sugar and meringue beaten to stiff peaks with electric mixer beaters over the glass bowl

    Continue beating to stiff peaks

    meringue spread on filling in glass pan

    Spread meringue topping on the cake

    torte with baked meringue on a black trivet

    Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.

    Garnish: with finely chopped raw rhubarb pieces and cinnamon sprinkles, and transfer to a serving plate, if desired.

    Hint: use a butter knife or small spatula to make little swirls in the meringue. Alternatively, you could use a pastry bag to pipe on the meringue.

    butter knife being used to make little swirls in meringue

    📖Variations & Substitutions

    • Butter - you can use salted butter, but it will cut the sweetness a little. You could compensate by adding an additional tablespoon of sugar.
    • Rhubarb - you can use fresh or frozen rhubarb
    • Milk- You could use 2% or whole milk, instead of 1 %. If you use whole milk, cut the tapioca by ½ tbsp
    • Cream of tartar- You can find simple substitutions for Cream of Tartar HERE.
    • Rhubarb Meringue Pie - alternatively, you could make this in an 8 or 9 inch glass pie dish and serve it as a pie
    a bite of rhubarb torte being held up on a fork

    🥗 Meals to serve with Rhubarb Torte

    This Rhubarb Meringue Torte pairs well with so many meals!

    • BBQ Beer Can Chicken Recipe
    • Slow Cooker Pulled Pork on a Bun
    • Cajun Chicken Avocado Mango Salad (shown)
    cajun chicken avocado mango salad in a bowl with small dish of dressing in the background


    🍽Equipment

    You will need mixing bowls, spoons, and an electric mixer for this Rhubarb Torte with Meringue Topping recipe. You will also need an 8X8 square baking pan. It's best to use glass when using rhubarb to avoid a metallic taste. I bought the glass set with the 9x13 and 8x8 with lids/covers as they also serve as airtight containers for storage (affiliate links) - I use them both all the time! Alternatively, you could use a springform pan or another ovenproof dish. A food processor also comes in handy. You will also need a trivet (affiliate links).

    rhubarb torte in a glass pan with 2 pieces missing

    🌡️Storage

    Store leftover Rhubarb Torte in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

    rhubarb meringue torte in a glass container with a red lid on countertop

    👪 Serving Size

    This recipe makes 9 servings. However, you can half, double, or triple the recipe by clicking on the blue serving number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust.

    I took this to a potluck and cut each piece in half, so I got 18 pieces. This size was perfect for serving alongside other desserts!

    a piece of rhubarb meringue torte on a black plate with a fork

    💭Top tip

    If you have early spring rhubarb, there's more water content so you'll need to increase the tapioca to 2 tablespoon and keep it in the oven a little longer (up to 60 minutes)

    🦺Food safety

    • Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw egg
    • Wash hands after touching raw egg
    • Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
    • Never leave cooking food unattended
    • Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
    • Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

    See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

    ❔ Frequently Asked Questions


    Can I use frozen rhubarb for rhubarb meringue torte?

    Yes, frozen rhubarb can be used for this recipe. Just make sure it's fully defrosted and drained. Make sure you measure AFTER it's defrosted and drained.

    a piece of rhubarb meringue torte on a black plate with a fork and a black cup of coffee in background

    So if you are looking for something delicious and unique to do with rhubarb, give this recipe a try!

    And if you love meringue desserts, be sure to check out my Old Fashioned Lemon Meringue Pie

    a piece of rhubarb torte being held up over a pan of more rhubarb torte
    Food Meandering Logo

    📋 Rhubarb Meringue Torte recipe

    This Rhubarb Meringue Torte, with a delicious shortbread crust, a creamy rhubarb filling, and a light meringue topping, is a great way to celebrate rhubarb this spring!
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert, Snack
    Cuisine: American, Canadian, North American
    Keyword: meringue, rhubarb, torte
    Special Diet: Vegetarian
    Servings: 9 servings
    Calories: 341kcal
    Author: Terri Gilson
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    8x8 baking dish
    electric mixer
    food processor
    stack of different colored large 9X12 trivets
    trivets

    Ingredients

    Base

    • 1 cup all-purpose flour
    • 2 tbsp sugar
    • ½ cup unsalted butter

    Filling

    • 1 ½ cups sugar
    • 3 egg yolks
    • 2 tablespoon all purpose flour
    • ⅓ cup milk * I use 1%
    • 1 ½ tablespoon tapioca starch * I use minute tapicoa
    • 2 ½ cups rhubarb

    Topping

    • 3 egg whites
    • 3 tablespoon sugar
    • ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    NOTE: The instruction images will NOT print by default. If you want them to print, you'll need to check the box beside "images" on the print page

      Base:

      • Spray the bottom of an 8x8 pan (glass preferably) with non-stick cooking spray.
        glass pan sprayed with non-stick cooking spray on a counter
      • Blend 1 cup flour, ½ cup butter and 2 tablespoon sugar in a food processor. If you don't have a food processor, you could cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or cheese grater.
        flour, butter and sugar blended in a food processor to make base
      • Press into the bottom of an 8-inch square pan. * I use glass to avoid the metallic taste of rhubarb with aluminum
        shortbread base pressed into the bottom of a 8x8 glass pan
      • Bake at 325 degrees F (162 C) for 18-20 minutes or until lightly browned.
        base of rhubarb meringue torte, baked, in a glass pan on a trivet

      Filling

      • Separate eggs
        eggs separated in glass bowls
      • Meanwhile, whisk 1 ½ cups sugar and 3egg yolks together, add 2 tablespoon flour
        egg yolks flour and sugar being whisked together
      • Add ⅓ cup milk, rhubarb and tapioca
        rhubarb, milk and tapioca added to mixture
      • Turn up oven to 350 degrees F (176 degrees C)
      • Pour rhubarb mixture over base (it's fine if it's still hot).
        filling poured over base in glass pan on black rectangular trivet
      • Return to oven and bake 350 degrees F (176 degrees C). for 40- 60 minutes or until the filling it set. *baking time will depend on if you are using early spring rhubarb and what type of milk you use
        rhubarb torte baked in a glass pan, on a black trivet

      Topping

      • In a large mixing bowl, beat 3 egg whites to soft peaks with an electric mixer.
        egg whites, whipped to soft peaks with sugar added
      • Then ad 3 tbsp. sugar and ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar and beat to stiff peaks, with an electric mixer.
        egg whites with sugar and meringue beaten to stiff peaks with electric mixer beaters over the glass bowl
      • Spread meringue over the baked rhubarb and shortbread layers./
        meringue spread on filling in glass pan
      • Hint: use a butter knife to make little swirls
        butter knife being used to make little swirls in meringue
      • Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
        torte with baked meringue on a black trivet

      Garnish

      • Sprinkle with finely chopped rhubarb and cinnamon, if desired.

      Notes

      Nutrition Facts
      📋 Rhubarb Meringue Torte recipe
      Amount Per Serving (1 piece)
      Calories 341 Calories from Fat 108
      % Daily Value*
      Fat 12g18%
      Saturated Fat 7g44%
      Trans Fat 0.4g
      Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
      Monounsaturated Fat 3g
      Cholesterol 92mg31%
      Sodium 26mg1%
      Potassium 169mg5%
      Carbohydrates 55g18%
      Fiber 1g4%
      Sugar 41g46%
      Protein 4g8%
      Vitamin A 453IU9%
      Vitamin C 3mg4%
      Calcium 54mg5%
      Iron 1mg6%
      * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

      Nutrition

      Serving: 1piece | Calories: 341kcal (17%) | Carbohydrates: 55g (18%) | Protein: 4g (8%) | Fat: 12g (18%) | Saturated Fat: 7g (44%) | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 92mg (31%) | Sodium: 26mg (1%) | Potassium: 169mg (5%) | Fiber: 1g (4%) | Sugar: 41g (46%) | Vitamin A: 453IU (9%) | Vitamin C: 3mg (4%) | Calcium: 54mg (5%) | Iron: 1mg (6%)
      Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating and review below!
      Rate this Recipe

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      I'm Terri, a passionate home cook and baker, an award-winning recipe developer, and a busy working mom who is trying to eat healthy and fit everything into not enough hours in a day! My mission is to share not only my recipes, cooking hacks, and tips with you, but also my secrets to successful weight maintenance.

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