This Rhubarb Coffee Cake is a perfect treat to use your spring rhubarb. And since it's a coffee cake, it's perfectly okay to eat it for breakfast, but is also perfect for dessert!
Easy to make and no mixer required!
Coffee cake with rhubarb
One of the things I love most about rhubarb, besides its tart taste, is the fact that rhubarb pops up in the garden as soon as the snow melts and the ground thaws. I begin harvesting my rhubarb well before I'm ready to plant my garden.
Rhubarb is a perennial and comes back year after year. I tend to find as many ways to use my rhubarb as possible, and this rhubarb coffee cake is my newest recipe! When I have any extra, I always freeze rhubarb to use later in the year!
This rhubarb coffee cake has plenty of rhubarb and cinnamon and is topped with a crumb topping. Serve for breakfast, brunch, snack, or dessert. If you love coffee cake, you'll also want to try this blueberry coffee cake!
Key ingredients for rhubarb coffee cake
- Rhubarb - Cut into ½ pieces. Frozen rhubarb can be used too. Don't thaw. Add it frozen to the batter. Increase baking time by 5-10 minutes.
- Buttermilk - Adds flavor and helps develop a nice crumb to the cake.
- Sugar - Granulated sugar is used in the cake batter, and brown sugar is used in the topping.
- Cinnamon - Cinnamon is added to the batter and to the topping for maximum flavor.
- Butter - I use regular salted butter.
How to make the coffee cake
- Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl.
- In a separate bowl, combine eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla.
- Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Stir just until partially mixed.
- Fold in rhubarb.
- Place batter in a greased 8x8-inch baking dish.
- Make the topping by combining flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and melted butter.
- Crumble the topping over the cake batter.
- Bake in preheated 375°F oven for 40-45 minutes.
- Allow the cake to fully cool before slicing.
Recipe tips
- Don't overmix the batter. Stir until most of the flour is incorporated. Add the rhubarb and then mix in the rest of the flour.
- If using frozen rhubarb, don't thaw before adding to the batter. Increase baking time by 5-10 minutes.
- Allow coffee cake to fully cool before serving.
- Store leftover cake at room temperature for 3-4 days.
Frequently asked questions
You can make your own buttermilk. Mix one cup of milk with one tablespoon of lemon juice.
More delicious rhubarb recipes
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop
Check out all my delicious cake recipes!
Rhubarb Coffee Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ⅓ cup butter (melted)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups rhubarb (cut into ½ inch pieces)
Topping
- ½ cup flour
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ cup butter (melted)
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl.2 cups flour, ¾ cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaaspoon salt
- In a separate bowl, combine eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla.2 eggs, ½ cup buttermilk, ⅓ cup butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Stir just until partially mixed.
- Fold in rhubarb.2 cups rhubarb
- Place batter in a greased 8x8-inch baking dish.
Topping
- Make the topping by combining flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and melted butter.½ cup flour, ½ cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ cup butter, ⅛ teaspoon salt
- Crumble the topping over the cake batter. Bake in preheated 375°F oven for 40-45 minutes.
Notes
- Don't overmix the batter. Stir until most of the flour is incorporated. Add the rhubarb and then mix in the rest of the flour.
- If using frozen rhubarb, don't thaw before adding to the batter. Increase baking time by 5-10 minutes.
- Allow coffee cake to fully cool before serving.
- Store leftover cake at room temperature for 3-4 days.
Nutritional Disclaimer:
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Maggie says
This recipe is exceptional! I thought the cake would come out quite dense, but the texture is very light and moist. This recipe is a keeper - thank you for sharing!
Kathy says
Hi Maggie,
Thanks so much! I'm so glad you enjoyed the coffee cake.
Kathy 🙂