I thought they were gone forever - all of them. But then my Auntie Tania said she had the recipe for the Rhubarb Coffee Cake that Baba used to make! This is the cake that made me love rhubarb. It was Baba's favorite, she told me. I remember she used to make it all the time, often sending it home with us. I even ate it for breakfast on occasion. Most importantly, it's the only recipe I have of hers, so it's beyond special! And that's why I'm sharing it here, with you...
If you have fresh rhubarb this spring, this is the cake you need to make! However, you can use frozen rhubarb as well. This Rhubarb Coffee Cake with streusel topping, is moist, delicious and will make your rhubarb sing! And while we're on the subject of rhubarb, I would also recommend you try my other rhubarb recipes: Rhubarb Squares, Sticky Rhubarb Pudding, Rhubarb Cookies, Old Fashioned Rhubarb Crumble recipe, No Bake Strawberry Rhubarb Cheesecake, No Bake Rhubarb Dessert, my Healthy Rhubarb Muffins, Stewed Rhubarb Recipe (with Strawberry Gelatin)and my 2 Ingredient Rhubarb Lemonade!
🍒Reader Review
"I love rhubarb but this recipe takes my love to a whole new level. This is super delicious!!" ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Jump to:
If you love coffee cake, be sure to try my Leftover Cranberry Sauce Coffee Cake too!
We had a late start to spring, so although it's officially rhubarb season, my spring rhubarb is a bit small for mid-May. But fortunately, the local grocery stores had fresh rhubarb. Hopefully, I'll be harvesting my own by mid-summer! It's always so much better to use your own rhubarb in your baking. I remember how satisfying it felt the first time I was able to do that!
🥘Ingredients
You'll need the following ingredients for this Rhubarb Sour Cream Coffee Cake (cake and topping). The 4 dishes, at the bottom of the photo, for the topping (sugar, salt, flour and cinnamon):
- eggs
- baking soda
- white granulated sugar
- salt
- all-purpose flour
- sour cream
- fresh rhubarb
- cinnamon
- unsalted butter
*See recipe card for quantities.
🔪Instructions
How do you make rhubarb coffee cake?
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/ 175 degrees C and spray a 9X13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl, add, egg, flour, sour cream, salt, baking soda and sugar.
- Beat with electric hand mixer, on low speed, then increase to medium speed and beat until smooth (about 1 minute).
- Fold in rhubarb with spoon or rubber spatula.
- Pour into prepared cake pan.
Crumble Topping
- In a medium bowl, combine sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cut butter into flour and sugar mixture (see Top Tip). Mix until crumbly and combined.
- Sprinkle crumb topping over top of cake batter.
⏲️ Baking time
Bake for 45-50 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.
📖Variations & Substitutions
- Sugar- you can use brown sugar instead of white sugar for the topping, if you prefer.
- Rhubarb- use fresh or frozen (defrosted) rhubarb
- Butter- you can use salted butter, but just skip the salt in the recipe!
- Add-ins - you can add nuts to the topping (almonds, pecans, or walnuts) if you like.
👪 Serving Size
This recipe makes 12 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. You'll just need additional cake pans.
🍽Equipment
You can use any type of 9X13 inch pan but it will need to be 3-4 inches deep. You'll need mixing bowls and spoons, as well as an electric mixer (affiliate links)
🌡️Storage
Store this rhubarb cake in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge. You simply cover it in plastic wrap if you are just storing it overnight.
This cake can be frozen for up to 3 months in a sealed container.
💭Top tip
I love to keep my butter frozen and grate it directly into my recipes. It's easier and less messy!
❔ Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a coffee cake a coffee cake
Coffee cake is a single layer sweet cake with a cinnamon-infused flavor and streusel top made from flour, butter, and sugar. It is meant to be eaten with a cup of coffee.
Yes, you can use frozen rhubarb in cake. For best results, just be sure to defrost it and drain off excess liquid, but do NOT squeeze out the liquid.
If you're looking for a great way to use up that extra rhubarb in your garden in a scrumptious and tender cake, this Easy Rhubarb Cake Recipe is one the entire family will love! A slice of cake is perfect with a cup of coffee (even for breakfast 🙂
Did your family❤️this recipe? Did you know that commenting and⭐rating recipes is one of the best ways to support your favorite recipe creators? If you LOVED this recipe, please comment and rate it in the recipe card or share photos on social media using the hashtag #foodmeanderings or tagging @foodmeanderings !
And be sure to give my Sour Cream Rhubarb Pie a try!
📋 Rhubarb Coffee Cake Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 eggs
- 1 ¼ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 ½ cup fresh rhubarb * can use frozen (defrosted)
Crumble Topping
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup butter (unsalted)
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/ 175 degrees C and spray a 9X13 baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. In a large bowl, mix egg, flour, baking soda, salt, sour cream and sugar together.
- Beat with an electric hand mixer until smooth (about 1 minute).
- Fold in rhubarb with spoon.
- Pour into a prepared pan.
Crumble Topping
- In a medium bowl, combine sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cut in butter (see Top Tip)
- Mix until crumbly and sprinkle over top of batter.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
Suzanne
This is a superb and not overly complicated rhubarb coffee cake recipe. The cake is the perfect texture and the taste is fantastic. I like to add a tsp of vanilla to the cake batter to add a little extra flavour but it is also excellent without.
Sheena
I made this and it was easy and delicious! Even my son who’s not fond of squares loved it! I did take it into work, so we wouldn’t eat it all, it was a huge hit. But my son was upset because he only got 2 pieces and wanted more. I will be making it again very soon. Thanks Terri for another great recipe!
Terri Gilson
Hi Sheena,
So glad you all enjoyed it!
Terri
Karen
Excellent, very moist and delicious!! Added pecans to the topping, which gave it a pleasing crunch. Thanks so much for posting.
Joanne
Absolutely perfect! Beautiful, moist, delicious, I usually don’t review but this turned out so fantastic I had to express my gratitude.
Terri Gilson
Hi Joanne,
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and 5 star rating! I'm so glad it turned out great for you!
I hope you'll enjoy some of my other rhubarb recipes as well:)
Terri
Lynda
Made for the first time today. Easy to make. Smells delicious. Cannot wait to try it!
Terri Gilson
Hi Lynda,
I know - the aroma is amazing! Hope you enjoy it- it's a family favorite around here!
Terri