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Tangy rhubarb is folded into this tender Rhubarb Coffee Cake with a brown sugar, cinnamon crumb through the middle and on top. One bowl. No mixer. It’s no wonder this is one of my favorite ways to greet the day when rhubarb finally comes into season.
I look forward to rhubarb season every single year. The minute those red stalks show up, I start baking my way through all of it, and this coffee cake recipe is one of the first things I reach for. It is similar to my rhubarb muffins, just a little simpler and served in a pan so I can easily slice little pieces off through the day and share it with friends over a cup of coffee.
Rhubarb Coffee Cake
Rhubarb was one of the first ingredients I ever fell for as a baker. In fact, these rhubarb bars were one of the very first recipes published on this site, and they have been a hit from the start. But the whole rhubarb love affair goes back four generations to this really amazing rhubarb pie.
This recipe for rhubarb coffee cake is an easy cousin to all of those. No fussy crust or custard to babysit. And, it’s very forgiving! The rhubarb keeps the cake from being too sweet, the streusel does some heavy lifting with texture and flavor, and the sour cream keeps every last bite tender. This one never lasts long!
Just had a piece of this and it is wonderful! I followed the recipe and it turned out great. It’s moist and just sweet enough. Thanks for another amazing recipe. This one is going in the recipe box.
– Tracey
Ingredients and Substitutions
Rhubarb – If you’re buying it fresh, you want to look for those vibrant ruby red stalks. They bring the tangy flavor that makes this whole thing work. Frozen will work, too. Just be sure to drain and dry it well.
Sour Cream – I guess you could say this is the not-so-secret ingredient. It gives the cake moisture and a little richness, and keeps it tender for days. If you’ve run out, you can substitute with Greek yogurt.
Butter – I use salted butter in all of my recipes, unless specifically noted otherwise. If you’re going to use unsalted, add a pinch of salt to the batter.
Sugars – We’re going to use plain, granulated sugar in the cake. The crumb gets light brown sugar. Don’t swap that. The molasses in the brown sugar makes a big difference in the final flavor!
Flour – I’m not brand loyal on flour. You don’t need to get fancy at the store to get fancy results at home.
Eggs – I include eggs in cake to help give the crumb structure. If you’ve got an egg replacement that you swear by, be my guest. But, I will remind you that you can’t spell eggs-ellent, without eggs.
Baking Soda – The sour cream (or yogurt) in this recipe is acidic, and the baking soda is a base. When they combine that slow bubbling gives the cake lift.
Cinnamon and Vanilla – Cinnamon lives in the crumb, vanilla in the cake. Together with the tangy rhubarb, they make this the kind of welcoming, sweet neighborhood that Mr. Rogers would live in.
Notes on Equipment
- Chef’s Knife. This is my all-time favorite knife. The weighting makes it an absolute dream to use for cutting vegetables like rhubarb. And, it holds an edge incredibly well. If you want a higher quality knife, this one is my pick.
- Cutting Board
- Mixing bowls
- Fork
- 9×13 baking pan. I’ve been using this one with a lid for over a decade, and the heavy-duty build is something you feel the second you pick it up. Food releases without a fight, and the lid means I can carry this cake straight to a friend’s house without dirtying another dish.
How to Make Rhubarb Coffee Cake
Preheating the Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F. I grease a 9×13 baking pan while it heats up and set it aside.
Prepping the Rhubarb: You’re going to want to clean the rhubarb and then finely dice it. Small pieces will distribute better in the batter and soften through in the oven.
Beating the Butter: Cream together the softened butter and sugar in a large bowl until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Adding the Wet: I add the eggs and vanilla and then stir it in with the sour cream until the batter is smooth.
Adding the Flour: In a separate bowl, you’re going to whisk together the flour and baking soda. Then, add it to the wet ingredients and stir gently, just until it comes together.
Adding the Rhubarb: Once the batter is cohesive, you’ll fold in about two-thirds of the diced rhubarb and set the rest aside.
Making the Crumble: Stir together the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a small bowl, then pour in the melted butter and stir it together with a fork until it’s a wet crumbling streusel mixture.
Layering the Cake: I pour half of the batter into my greased pan and spread it out. Then, you just have to scatter half of the brown sugar mixture and the reserved rhubarb on top. Finish with the rest of the batter, and then sprinkle the last of the crumble on top.
Baking: Pop that pan into the oven at 350 degrees for 30 to 32 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out just barely clean. We’re going to let it cool a bit, then we can serve it slightly warm or at room temperature.
Expert Tip
The most important thing that you can do to nail this coffee cake is actually pretty simple. Dice the rhubarb small, I aim for tiny pieces that are about ⅙-¼ inch in size. You don’t have to mince it, but we need those tiny pieces to be able to distribute evenly through the batter. Each bite should be an even balance of flavors from sweet cake, warm cinnamon, and tangy rhubarb.
Don’t Overmix – Once the flour goes in, stir just until you no longer see dry streaks. A few lumps are fine. The more you stir, the more gluten develops, and the crumb of this coffee cake with rhubarb will turn chewy if you go too far.
Test Early – Ovens vary, and this is a thin-ish cake in a big pan. Start checking at 30 minutes. You want the toothpick to come out just barely clean. Obviously, we don’t want any batter on it. But, also not bone dry.
Serve It Warm – Like all coffee cakes, this is wonderful at room temperature. But, I’m just going to say, that this one is really something special while still warm from the oven.
Serving Suggestions
This is a coffee cake. And, that means I will happily devour it slice by slice, with nothing more than a hot cup of coffee. But, if I’m making a brunch that features this rhubarb coffee cake, I pair it with something savory and hearty like my amish breakfast casserole.
If company is coming over, then I’ll add a pan of sausage stuffed french bread and a platter of brown sugar bacon. Sweet cake, salty bacon, something to share. Brunch is served.
Make Ahead & Storage
Make Ahead: You can bake this cake a day ahead and it holds beautifully. Let it cool completely, cover it tightly, and you can leave it at room temperature overnight. The crumb softens just slightly. If you’re like me, that’s a very good thing.
How to Store: Cover the cake tightly. It will keep at room temperature for up to two days, or in the refrigerator for up to five. It freezes well, too. Wrap individual slices or freeze the whole pan. You can just set it out on the counter to thaw.
How to Reheat: If you want it warm, the best way is to just pop it into the microwave for about 10 seconds. That’s my favorite way to eat the leftovers, with the crumb softened and the rhubarb warm again.
More Rhubarb Recipes
- Rhubarb Bars
- Rhubarb Dump Cake
- Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
- Old Fashioned Rhubarb Pie
- Rhubarb Cookies
- Rhubarb Cobbler
Absolutely. It keeps well in the freezer for up to a month. I like to freeze individual slices, so that they’re faster to warm up.
Absolutely! Fresh rhubarb can be really hard to find, and sometimes it feels like frozen rhubarb is hard to find, too! So, if I can get my hands on either, that’s a win. Just be sure to thaw it first, drain it well, and pat it dry with a paper towel.
Now you’re talking my love language! Just be careful when doubling this recipe. You’ll have to use two 9×13 pans. It will overflow a single 9×13. On the other hand, a halved recipe will bake nicely in an 8×8 square pan.
Absolutely. Sour cream is my preference, but plain Greek yogurt can be swapped, cup for cup. Use what you have on hand.
Rhubarb Coffee Cake
Ingredients
For the Coffee Cake
- ½ cup butter room temperature
- 1½ cups sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup sour cream *
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups rhubarb very finely diced, about ⅙-¼ inch
For the Streusel Topping
- 1⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ¾ cup melted butter
Instructions
Cake Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13 pan with parchment or grease it with butter. Set aside.
- Combine the butter and sugar in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat again. Stir in the sour cream.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda. Gently stir the flour into the wet ingredients, just until combined. Add the rhubarb and stir to mix throughout.
Cinnamon Streusel Instructions
- Combine the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Pour the melted butter into the bowl and stir with a fork to combine and form crumbs.
- Scoop half of the cake batter into the prepared pan and spread it across the pan. Sprinkle with half of the streusel mixture. Top with spoonfuls of the remaining cake batter spread across the pan. Scatter the remaining streusel over the top.
- Bake at 350°F for 30-34 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the batter just barely comes out clean. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Great dessert! It goes together easy and quick. It is the best rhubarb coffee cake ever! I made more of the topping (X 1.5). I will be making this a lot!
Glad to hear that the coffee cake turned out so well for you, Charlotte!
Where’s the coffee in the ingredients list & method please? There is no mention of coffee other than in the title of the recipe. Thanks
Hi there! The term coffee cake usually refers to cakes frequently served with coffee. Sorry if there was some confusion.
I made this and used black cherry Greek yogurt. It didn’t seem like there was near enough batter to do 2 layers so I just did one. It probably would have been better in a 9×9 as well. It was delicious nonetheless!
Happy to hear that you managed to make the recipe work for you, Jen. Happy baking!
Delicious!!
Just the right amount of everything.
Thanks for sharing.
You are welcome, Shelly! I’m glad you liked the coffee cake. Happy baking!
This looks so good I’ve just got to try it.
I hope you love the coffee cake, Paula.
I doubled this recipe due to the huge amount of rhubarb I recently harvested. The coffee cake is excellent. The tartness of the rhubarb just matches perfect with the sweetness of the cake and crumble. I cooked my cakes a bit longer because I didn’t finely chop my rhubarb.
I’m so glad you like the coffee cake, Jackie!
This cake is awesome! I was tired when I made this after supper and I was whining to myself about all the steps. I finally poured the batter, then the crumb topping, then repeated, wondering why the batter was so thin. Popped it into the oven, then saw the bowl of flour on the counter! Took the cake out, mixed the flour into the batter and topping and back into the oven. No crumb topping, but it sure tastes good mixed into the cake! Tomorrow I’ll make it without my senior moment.
Oh NO! I have so done that before. Fingers crossed it worked the second time.
Don’t feel bad I forgot the sour cream so I went back took everything out of my pan. Luckily I had only done the first layer of the cake and I mixed the sour cream so hopefully it’s not too tough LOL
Oh no! We have all had those moments when cooking haven’t we? Especially if you have kids around. More than once I have lost my place or forgotten an ingredient when I get interrupted. Fingers crossed you could salvage it!
I used sour cream, and 1/2 cup less sugar, and everyone loved them. Will definitely make this again! Thanks!
Valerie – Thank you for sharing your version. I always appreciate knowing how people customize the recipes.
This is a delicious coffee cake! We are high-altitude bakers, so I add a quarter cup of flour and a few minutes baking time to all cake recipes. It turned out perfect!
I’m so glad you like the cake!
This cake is amazing! Very moist. I used sour cream not yogurt. Total baking time in my oven was 35 minutes. I prepared a little rhubarb sauce to serve on top. Excellent!! I will be making this every rhubarb season.
I’m so glad you liked the cake, Peg!