This Rhubarb Coffee Cake is a favorite I’ve been baking for years. With its soft crumb, tart rhubarb, and sweet crumble, it’s the kind of cozy treat that never lasts long. Backed by years of hands-on baking experience, this recipe is easy to follow and delivers sweet, reliable results every time.
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Why We Love This Rhubarb Coffee Cake
- Easy to Make: Simple ingredients and fool proof steps make this recipe approachable for all skill levels.
- Perfect Balance of Sweet and Tart: The tangy rhubarb pairs beautifully with the soft, sweet cake and crumbly topping.
- Tender, Moist Texture: Each bite is soft thanks to a well-tested batter that keeps the cake tender without being too dense.
- Make-Ahead Friendly: Great for prepping in advance. Just bake, cover, and enjoy the next morning with coffee.
- Crowd-Pleaser: Whether for brunch, dessert, or a weekend treat, it’s a recipe that always gets rave reviews.
- Seasonal Favorite: A delicious way to use up fresh garden rhubarb when it’s in season.
Rhubarb Coffee Cake Recipe Ingredients
- Rhubarb
- Unbleached All Purpose Flour
- White Sugar
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Large Egg
- Plain Greek Yogurt
- Salted Butter
- Pure Vanilla Extract
- Cinnamon
Substitution Suggestions
- Rhubarb: Fresh or frozen rhubarb will work for this rhubarb. You can use the rhubarb frozen or thawed. If thawed, drain any excess liquid.
- All Purpose Flour: I like to use all purpose flour best for this recipe. It creates the best texture. However, you can use white whole wheat flour or whole wheat flour. The cake will be just a bit darker in color and a touch dense.
- Plain Greek Yogurt: Sour cream is a great substitute. I used sour cream for years and now mainly use Greek yogurt. Only because I always have some in the fridge.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: I say this all the time, but pure extracts are the best. They give the best flavor. Imitation extracts can leave an unpleasant aftertaste in your baked goods.
How to Make Rhubarb Coffee Cake
- First, preheat the oven to 350°F and grease an 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
- Next, in a large mixing bowl combine the diced rhubarb, all purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking soda and salt.
- Now in a small mixing bowl whisk together the egg, Greek yogurt, melted butter and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and fold just until everything is combined.
- Spread the mixture into an even layer in prepared baking dish. An off set spatula works great!
- In another mixing bowl, combine the topping ingredients: sugar, all purpose flour and cinnamon.
- Using a fork or pastry blender, cut the softened butter into the dry mix until it resembles course crumbs.
- Sprinkle the crumble over the rhubarb batter into an even layer.
- Bake the coffee cake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool for at least 15 minutes.
- Slice, serve and enjoy!
If you love rhubarb and are looking for more ways to use it try some of these other delicious recipes:
Storing Rhubarb Coffee Cake
Storing: Store any leftover coffee cake tightly covered or in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. You can also store it in the fridge and it will keep a couple extra days.
Freezing: Place the coffee cake slices in a freezer safe container. Or you can individually wrap each slice and then place in freezer safe container or freezer bag. Then label, date and freeze. Coffee cake will stay fresh in the freezer for up to 4 months.
Thawing: Thaw the coffee cake in the fridge or at room temperature and then enjoy!
Heather's Favorite Tools for this Recipe
- These nestled mixing bowls are my favorite for prepping ingredients.
- I really like these Pyrex baking dishes for baking.
- A pastry blender or pastry cutter works great for cutting in the butter.
- Long ago, I used to be a Pampered Chef consultant and I still prefer their baking tools and pans to any others. Their batter bowls are one of my favorite products they offer. Find yourself a consultant, host a party and treat yourself.
- I don't think I could live without my KitchenAid Stand Mixer. It's the best tool ever and now it has a new pastry beater attachment for cutting in butter. You can make loads of crumble toppings or scones and your arm won't get tired or sore!!!
Tips for Rhubarb Coffee Cake Recipe
- Gather all the ingredients before you start preparing the recipe. It is so much easier to bake when all the ingredients are ready.
- Read the recipe from start to finish before you start baking. I am speaking from experience.
- Fluff your flour before measuring. Flour can become packed and won't measure accurately which can make the cake dry and tough. Fluff it a few times with the measuring cup or use a whisk right in your flour container. Then measure and level off the flour.
- Do not over mix the batter. Over mixing can make the cake tough.
- Use your hands, pastry blender or the new pastry beater for the kitchen aid stand mixer to cut the butter into the dry ingredients for the crumble topping.
- If using frozen rhubarb, you can add it frozen or thawed. If using thaw, drain any excess liquid.
- Fresh rhubarb is only in season for a short time. Harvest or buy extra and freeze it so you can enjoy your favorite rhubarb recipes year round!
FAQs
Yes, make it a day or two before you need it and store it tightly covered. Then serve it at room temperature.
Absolutely! This recipe can be doubled and baked in a 9x13 baking dish. Baking time should be about the same.
The best way to harvest rhubarb is to lightly pull at the bottom of the stalk and twist. Don't harvest all the rhubarb at once either. You want it to keep growing as you harvest so each year it will grow in abundance. Also, the leaves are poisonous so cut them off and discard them.
More Brunch Recipes:
- Chocolate Chip Scones
- Raspberry Coffee Cake
- Fresh Fruit Salad
- Banana Bread Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Sheet Pan Pancakes
- Easy Homemade Bagels
- Blueberry Scones
- Baked Cake Donut Recipe
- Creamy Fruit Salad
- Ham and Cheese Mini Frittatas
Did you make this recipe? Rate it!
If you enjoyed this recipe give it a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the comments below. It really helps the recipe stand out and I appreciate the feedback to make recipes everyone will enjoy.
Rhubarb Coffee Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup rhubarb, diced
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup white sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoons salted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Crumble Topping
- ½ cup white sugar
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, softened
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease an 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl combine the diced rhubarb, all purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking soda and salt.
- Now in a small mixing bowl whisk together the egg, Greek yogurt, melted butter and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and fold just until everything is combined.
- Spread the mixture into an even layer in prepared baking dish.
- In another mixing bowl, combine the crumble topping ingredients: sugar, all purpose flour and cinnamon.
- Using a fork or pastry blender, cut the softened butter into the dry mix until it resembles course crumbs.
- Sprinkle the crumble over the rhubarb batter into an even layer.
- Bake the coffee cake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool for at least 15 minutes.
- Slice, serve and enjoy!
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