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

Rhubarb Sour Cream Coffee Cake

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?
5 from 4 votes
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
cooling time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours
Course Breakfast, brunch, Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 10 servings
Calories 466 kcal

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
 

  1. 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.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease and line the bottom of a 10″ springform pan. I use Baker's Joy spray.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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℉.
  8. 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:
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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

Calories: 466kcalCarbohydrates: 69gProtein: 5gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 69mgSodium: 329mgPotassium: 155mgFiber: 1gSugar: 43gVitamin A: 648IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 86mgIron: 2mg
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