Rhubarb Sour Cream Coffee Cake

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This rhubarb sour cream coffee cake has it all. A deliciously moist and thick cake baked with tangy rhubarb and a little pinch of lemon zest. Then everything is topped with a sweet brown sugar crumble and light lemon icing drizzle! Did I mention it's super easy to make? Keep reading to learn about this crowd pleaser!

A top down view of a sour cream cake with crumble topping.

Recipe posts have a bad reputation for being excessively long and wordy. To help you find the info you need, as quick as possible, I've included a jump-to table of contents below. Feel free to skip right to the parts you need! I also intentionally placed the printable recipe card near the beginning of the post, for your convenience. Hope it helps!

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What makes this the best rhubarb coffee cake?
Why this recipe works
Ingredients for rhubarb sour cream coffee cake
How to make a Rhubarb Sour Cream Coffee Cake
📖 Recipe
HELPFUL TIPS FOR MAKING A SOUR CREAM COFFEE CAKE
Helpful tips for making a sour cream coffee cake
How long does this sour cream cake keep?
Rhubarb Sour Cream Coffee Cake FAQs
Fresh from the oven favorites:
Let's make a brunch featuring this recipe!
💬 Comments

What makes this the best rhubarb coffee cake?

This rhubarb coffee cake honestly tastes like an incredible combination of a rhubarb muffin and an ultra moist custard cake.

The cake itself is so rich and soft, with loads of chopped rhubarb, just like your favorite muffin. But that crumble topping, though. It's the real deal. It has a hint of almond extract and the flavor is reminiscent of an old-fashioned coffee cake. Basically, I'm saying it's insanely good!

This was inspired by my recent Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp. It's been years since we've had a good rhubarb harvest, but even though we had a mid May hail storm, this was a great year for our rhubarb! I guess what I'm saying is prepare to get sick of me oversharing my favorite rhubarb recipes!

Why this recipe works

Sour Cream Cake Batter – The batter itself is mixed with extra sour cream. It creates an incredibly moist cake that isn’t too heavy, too oily, or too sweet.
Fresh Rhubarb – Disced rhubarb is tossed with lemon zest and both mixed into the batter as well as scattered on top. This ensures the perfect amount of tangy rhubarb in every bite.
Brown Sugar Crumble – A hefty layer of crumble is added to the top of the cake. It’s sweet, buttery, and lightly flavored with a hint of cinnamon.
Lemon Icing – To top everything off, a light drizzle of lemon icing is added on top. It helps bring out the zest in the rhubarb while also accentuating that fresh rhubarb flavor.

Rhubarb sour cream coffee cake on a white cake stand with a piece served on a white plate.

Ingredients for rhubarb sour cream coffee cake

This rhubarb sour cream coffee cake is so moist and loaded with fresh rhubarb! The sour cream makes this cake so decadent, while the brown sugar crumble topping adds a delicious layer of sweetness. It can also be made with fresh or frozen rhubarb.

Here's a shopping list to help you gather the ingredients for making this rhubarb sour cream coffee cake!

An image showing the ingredients for a rhubarb sour cream cake including flour, sugar, butter, salt, rhubarb and many others in glass prep bowls.

all purpose flour: I'm using all-purpose flour. My 3 favorites are Jovial Einkorn, Food Nanny Kamut, and Bobs Red Mill Organic. If you are gluten-free, substitute with something like Bobs 1:1.
light brown sugar: The rich molasses flavor of the brown sugar is just sooo wonderful when you're making a streusel topping.
granulated sugar: You'll need sugar for the rhubarb coffee cake. Yes, it seems a little much, but the rhubarb needs a sugary balance. Feel free to use less sugar if you like a tangier coffee cake.
ground cinnamon: It just really warms up the bright and sunny flavors of this crisp.
salt: Redmonds Real Salt, Celtic, French Gray, Sea Salt... those are my faves.
unsalted butter: If you are vegan, this should work fine with a butter substitute.
baking powder This is a leavening agent that contains both an acid and sodium bicarbonate which allows the dough to rise properly.
baking soda: It makes the batter more alkaline, which helps baked goods brown up better!
egg: You can use a vegan egg substitute if you need to.
vanilla extract: While this is an optional ingredient, I definitely think it adds great flavor! Check out my tutorial to make your own Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla!
almond extract
sour cream: Hint: It's where the moist crumb and tangy flavor come from!
Rhubarb: well, obviously! You can use fresh or frozen rhubarb, whatever you have on hand. When the rhubarb is in season, which in my area is around early spring, I love to load up and make jams and jellies and pie fillings to use throughout the year!
lemon zest & juice: Adding a little freshly grated zest and juice to the rhubarb filling really brightens it up!
cornstarch or arrowroot powder: We need something to catch the juices the released by the rhubarb!
powdered sugar: Sweetening up that icing sounds yum, huh?
milk: Whole milk is always going to be my first choice for a creamy, fat-filled batter. Don’t cringe, fat is a good thing when it comes to baked goods!

See recipe card for quantities.

How to make a Rhubarb Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Step one of making a sour cream cake, mix the ingredients for the crumble topping together in a bowl and refrigerate.

In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the brown sugar crumble dry ingredients.
Pour in the melted butter and mix to combine. It should be evenly moistened with a mix of large and small clumps.
Place in the refrigerator while we make the batter.

Step two of making a sour cream cake is mixing the dry batter ingredients together in a bowl and setting aside.

Preheat the oven to 350F and grease and line the bottom of a 10″ springform pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Step three for making a rhubarb sour cream cake is creaming the sugar, butter, egg and vanilla in a mixing bowl.

In a large mixing bowl using a hand or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Then mix in the egg and extracts, followed by the sour cream.
Fold in the sour cream mixture to the dry ingredients.

Step 4 of making a sour cream rhubarb cake is folding in the chopped rhubarb pieces into the batter.

Prep the rhubarb by cutting into ¼ inch pieces.
Place the diced rhubarb in a bowl and toss with the zest. Then toss with the cornstarch.
Now back to the batter. Mix in the dry ingredients and just before it’s all combined, add in half of the rhubarb.
Switch to a rubber spatula and mix in the rhubarb by hand, careful not to over mix. The batter will also be VERY thick.

Step 5 of making a rhubarb sour cream cake is layering the cake batter and crumble topping into a prepared springform pan.

Spread the batter in the bottom of the prepared pan and top with an even layer of the remaining rhubarb.
Top with a layer of the chilled crumble and bake for 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean with a few moist crumbs and the internal temperature reaches 200-205°F.

Step 6 of making a rhubarb sour cream cake is drizzling the lemon icing over the cooled cake.

Allow the cake to cool for about 1 hour at room temperature.
For the icing, whisk together all of the ingredients and drizzle over the cooled cake.
Now slice and enjoy!

If you make this recipe, please leave a comment below! This provides helpful feedback to both me and other readers. For more delicious recipes from scratch and homesteading tips, follow me on instagram @NinnescahHomestead

📖 Recipe

A rhubarb sour cream cake on a white pedestal with glasses of milk, serving plates and vintage forks.

Print Recipe

5 from 3 votes

This rhubarb sour cream coffee cake has it all. A deliciously moist and thickkk cake baked with tangy rhubarb and a little pinch of lemon zest. Then everything is topped with a sweet brown sugar crumble and light lemon icing drizzle! Did I mention it's super easy to make?

Prep Time10

Cook Time50

cooling time1

Total Time2

Course: Breakfast, brunch, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: brunch, coffee cake, crisp, crumble

Servings: servings

Calories: 466kcal

Cost: $5

Equipment

Mixing bowl
10" springform pan or baking dish

Ingredients

Brown sugar crumble

1 cup all purpose flour
½ cup light brown sugar packed
½ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch salt
8 tablespoons butter melted

Rhubarb Sour Cream Coffee Cake

1 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter room temperature
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 egg large, room temperature
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon almond extract optional
¾ cup sour cream room temperature

Rhubarb

2 cups rhubarb fresh or frozen, chopped
zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon corn starch

Lemon Icing

½ cup powdered sugar
½ tablespoon milk
½ tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients for the brown sugar crumble. Pour in the melted butter and mix to combine. It should be evenly moistened with a mix of large and small clumps. Place in the refrigerator while we make the batter.
Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease and line the bottom of a 10″ springform pan. I use Baker's Joy spray.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl using a hand or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Then mix in the egg and extracts, followed by the sour cream.
Before mixing in the dry ingredients, first prep the rhubarb. Place the diced rhubarb in a bowl and toss with the zest. Then toss with the corn starch.
Now back to the batter. Fold the dry ingredients into the batter and just before it’s all combined, add in half of the rhubarb. Switch to a rubber spatula and mix in the rhubarb by hand, careful not to over mix. The batter will also be VERY thick.
Spread the batter in the bottom of the prepared pan and top with an even layer of the remaining rhubarb. Top with a layer of the chilled crumble and press it down gently. Bake for 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean with a few moist crumbs. The cake is done when the edges pull away from the cake pan and the internal temperature ranges between 200-205℉.
Allow the cake to cool for about 1 hour at room temperature. For the icing, whisk together all of the ingredients and drizzle over the cooled cake.
Now slice and enjoy!

Notes

HELPFUL TIPS FOR MAKING A SOUR CREAM COFFEE CAKE

Making this rhubarb coffee cake is so simple! Promise. But here are a few tips to make sure it turns out just right:

Flour – I say this in every post, and for good reason. It’s the number one reason why most recipes fail. If there’s too much flour, this cake will turn dry. If possible, measure the flour with a food scale. Otherwise, to ensure the exact amount, gently spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it off with a flat edge. If scooped directly into the flour container, the flour becomes packed down into the cup which could leave you with ¼ cup or more of added flour.
Butter & Sugar – When mixing the two together, first make sure the butter is softened to room temperature. Then, mix the two until they turn light and fluffy. This will require about 2 minutes of mixing on medium-high speed. This will add little air pockets in the butter which will help the baking powder really lift this cake as it bakes.
Mixing – Once the dry ingredients are added, gently mix the batter. If the cake batter is over worked, the cake can turn out dry and possibly sink the center.
Room Temp Ingredients – Use a room temperature egg as well as room temperature sour cream. This will ensure a smooth batter and an evenly baked cake.
Crumble – When all mixed, the crumble should be evenly moistened with varying sizes of clumps. If it feels too dry, mix in 1 additional tablespoon of melted butter. If it feels too wet, mix in 1-2 additional tablespoons of flour.
Baking – The cake should rise evenly from edge to center. To test for doneness, poke a toothpick in the center of the cake. It’s ready when it comes out clean with a few moist crumbs. Although if you choose to bake with frozen berries, I also suggest testing using the wobble test. Nudge the pan (still inside the oven) and watch the center. If it has a tight jiggle, it’s done. If it has a loose wobble, bake for another 5 minutes.

Nutrition

Helpful tips for making a sour cream coffee cake

Making this rhubarb coffee cake is so simple! Promise. But here are a few tips to make sure it turns out just right:

Flour – I say this in every post, and for good reason. It’s the number one reason why most recipes fail. If there’s too much flour, this cake will turn dry. If possible, measure the flour with a food scale. Otherwise, to ensure the exact amount, gently spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it off with a flat edge. If scooped directly into the flour container, the flour becomes packed down into the cup which could leave you with ¼ cup or more of added flour.
Butter & Sugar – When mixing the two together, first make sure the butter is softened to room temperature. Then, mix the two until they turn light and fluffy. This will require about 2 minutes of mixing on medium-high speed. This will add little air pockets in the butter which will help the baking powder really lift this cake as it bakes.
Mixing – Once the dry ingredients are added, gently mix the batter. If the cake batter is over worked, the cake can turn out dry and possibly sink the center.
Room Temp Ingredients – Use a room temperature egg as well as room temperature sour cream. This will ensure a smooth batter and an evenly baked cake.
Crumble – When all mixed, the crumble should be evenly moistened with varying sizes of clumps. If it feels too dry, mix in 1 additional tablespoon of melted butter. If it feels too wet, mix in 1-2 additional tablespoons of flour.
Baking – The cake should rise evenly from edge to center. To test for doneness, poke a toothpick in the center of the cake. It’s ready when it comes out clean with a few moist crumbs. Although if you choose to bake with frozen berries, I also suggest testing using the wobble test. Nudge the pan (still inside the oven) and watch the center. If it has a tight jiggle, it’s done. If it has a loose wobble, bake for another 5 minutes.

A person removing a slice from a freshly baked rhubarb sour cream coffee cake on a white cake plate.

How long does this sour cream cake keep?

Store the cake in an air tight container and it can keep at room temperature for a couple days or in the refrigerator for about a week.

Rhubarb Sour Cream Coffee Cake FAQs

Can this recipe be made with frozen rhubarb?

Yes, but it does require some adjustments. Use 1 ½ cups of frozen (not thawed) rhubarb and toss with the lemon zest and cornstarch as instructed. Unlike with fresh rhubarb, none of the frozen rhubarb is mixed in to the batter. Instead, the cake batter is spread in the pan and all 1 ½ cups of frozen rhubarb is sprinkled on top.

Can this be baked in a different pan?

I have tested this in a 9″ springform and I do it also works in a 8″ or 9″ square baking dish.

Can I substitute sour cream with milk?

No, I don’t suggest this. The sour cream plays a major role in both the texture and flavor of this cake.

Can this recipe be made vegan?

I haven't tried. What I would do is substitute the egg for ¼ cup of unsweetened applesauce and use a butter substitute and a sour cream substitute like a milk-free yogurt.

Can this recipe be made gluten free?

Yes! My favorite gluten free flour blend is Bobs 1:1 (in the light blue bag).

What temperature should the sour cream cake reach when it is fully done baking?

The internal temperature should reach 200-205°F. Insert a digital read thermometer into the center of the cake to get the correct reading. When the cake reaches the recommended internal temperature range, and the thermometer comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs clinging to it, it indicates that the cake is fully baked. It generally takes 55 minutes to bake, but your cake could be ready sooner or later than this time.