Strawberry Rhubarb Coffee Cake
Made with buttermilk, brown sugar, and fresh fruit, this strawberry rhubarb coffee cake recipe is an early summer family favorite.
By Yankee Magazine|Jun 08 2022|
Made with buttermilk, brown sugar, and fresh fruit, this strawberry rhubarb coffee cake recipe is an early summer family favorite.
Note: You can find freeze-dried strawberries in the dried fruit or natural foods aisle of your grocery store. If they are unavailable, you can substitute regular strawberries, sliced lengthwise.
Yield:
8 servings
Total Time:
1 hour, 20 minutesHands-on Time:
30 minutes
For the topping:
Ingredients
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1-3/4 tablespoons salted butter, melted
Instructions
Make the topping: In a small bowl, stir together the sugar and butter until crumbly. Set aside.
For the cake:
Ingredients
Butter for the pan
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan
2/3 cup vegetable oil
3/4 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1-1/3 cups rhubarb (1/2-inch slices), from 3–4 stalks, depending on size
3/4 cup chopped strawberries
Strawberry slices (either fresh or, for extra crunch, freeze-dried), for garnish
Instructions
Preheat oven to 330° and set a rack to the middle position. Butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan.
Make the cake: In a medium bowl, stir together the buttermilk, sugar, egg, and vanilla until smooth. In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine the flour, oil, and salt; mix on low until crumbly (scraping down the sides of the bowl once). Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and beat on medium until smooth. Add the baking soda and baking powder, and beat for several seconds. Fold in the rhubarb and strawberries by hand. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and sprinkle evenly with the sugar topping.
Bake the cake until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Just before serving, arrange the strawberry slices in a circle on top, with a few in the center. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Just made this. I only had a 12″ springform pan, so I doubled the recipe…so glad I did….so moist and light.
Delicious warm… delicious cold… just a delicious cake!
I have made this coffee cake five times this season and every time it comes out the same and those that are looking enough to get a piece say it’s wonderful
Has anyone tried freezing this? I would love to make a couple now and have them for after rhubarb is gone, just not sure how they would be coming out of the freezer.
Not sure of how the cake would freeze, but you can freeze rhubarb just by cutting up and putting into a freezer bag (measure and label is easiest).
Better to freeze cut rhubarb stalks on a cooky sheet lined with waxed paper or parchment paper until frozen, then put into labelled freezer bags. This way they will not be frozen in bunches.
What size pan should be used? If I use an angel food pan, should I double the recipe?
Will be trying that recipe!
When is it time to pick the rhubarb?
Arlene, read the article when you have it, you can cut out the center stems with the flowers and it will have your rhubarb last till at least Sept, or fall. I never knew that myself.
Thinking instead of granulated sugar for topping(mixed with butter) more of a btown sugar, butterand a dab of flour for more flavor?
What size cake pan?
Hi there. This recipe calls for a 9-inch springform pan.
I don’t have a spring form pan. What else can I use?
Hi there. A springform pan is the easiest way to remove a cake from a pan with minimal mess, but you can certainly use a regular cake pan (in the same size) lined with overhanging parchment so you can lift the cake out instead of removing the sides. We’ve also heard of folks using a foil pan so they can cut away the sides and transfer the cake to a serving plate. Happy baking!
My grandson is dairy, egg and soy free. I made this using oat milk/apple cider vinegar as a sub for the buttermilk, and applesauce as a sub for the egg. The cake was wonderful and everyone loved it! Moist but held together, topping was crunchy and tasty. Will definitely do this again soon!
Would it work without strawberries, just increasing rhubarb?