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!!" ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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If you love coffee cake, be sure to try my Leftover Cranberry Sauce Coffee Cake too!
Planning the perfect brunch spread? This Rhubarb Coffee Cake pairs beautifully with a festive, non-alcoholic drink like this Raspberry Mimosa Mocktail! And it was the inspiration for my Rhubarb Baked Oatmeal !
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!
🥘Ingredient Notes
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):
- Sour cream. Sour cream's creamy texture produces moister results than if you simply use milk, and it does not thin the batter. Sour cream also adds thickness and richness to a cake, while its natural acidity cuts through some of the sweetness.
- Unsalted butter. I prefer to use unsalted butter in my recipes so I can control the salt. The content of salt in salted butter varies by brand.
- Cinnamon. Cinnamon pairs perfectly with rhubarb and adds a warm spice to cake, as well as flavor and color .
*See recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantities.
📖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. Measure the defrosted rhubarb after it's been thawed and drained.
- 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.
🔪How to 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.
👪 Serving Size
This recipe makes 12 servings. However, you can half, double, or triple the recipe by clicking on the 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!
❔ Recipe FAQs
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 🙂
And be sure to give my Sour Cream Rhubarb Pie a try!
More Rhubarb Recipes
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📋 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.2 eggs, 1 tsp baking soda, ½ tsp salt, 2 cups all purpose flour, 1 cup sour cream, 1 ¼ cup sugar
- Beat with an electric hand mixer until smooth (about 1 minute).
- Fold in rhubarb with spoon.2 ½ cup fresh rhubarb
- Pour into a prepared pan.
Crumble Topping
- In a medium bowl, combine sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cut in butter (see Top Tip)1 cup white granulated sugar, ¼ cup all-purpose flour, 1 tbsp cinnamon , ¼ cup butter (unsalted)
- Mix until crumbly and sprinkle over top of batter.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
Deb says
Very good cake but needs vanilla. Add 1 top of vanilla.
Janet C Stelter says
Can I substitue Apples for rhubarb? If so how much?
Terri Gilson says
Hi Janet,
That is a fantastic idea! You can absolutely substitute apples for rhubarb in this coffee cake. It turns the recipe into a delicious, cozy autumn-style treat.
How much to use:
You can do a direct 1:1 substitution. Since the recipe calls for 4 cups of rhubarb, you will need 4 cups of peeled and chopped apples (which is usually about 3 to 4 medium-sized apples).
My Tips for the best results:
Pick the right apple: Since rhubarb is very tart, I highly recommend using a tart baking apple like Granny Smith. This will give you that spectacular sweet-tart balance that makes the original recipe so good.
Dice them small: Cut the apples into small, 1/2-inch chunks. Apples take slightly longer to soften than rhubarb, so smaller pieces ensure they are perfectly tender by the time the cake is finished baking.
Peel them: For the best texture, be sure to peel the apples first. Apple skins can become a bit tough and chewy in a soft coffee cake like this.
I’d love to hear how the apple version turns out!
Terri
Janet C Stelter says
Oh thank you for responding. I will update you soon. We currently have a pan in the oven.i shredded the apple which may have caused the batter to be a bit tgin, so next time i will dice.
Rhonda says
Loved this! I read a previous baker had switched to brown sugar, I did the same and was happy I did. I’ve made this twice now and my family loves it too. The second time I made it I happened to have plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream and it was of course still delicious. Wonderful recipe and easy to use website layout of it. Thanks!
Ann says
I made this with rhubarb the first time, and it was such a hit, I baked it today with blueberries and raspberries. Delicious and moist!
Terri Gilson says
Hi Ann,
So glad to hear it worked out well with blueberries and raspberries as well!
Terri