Rhubarb Coffee Cake

With two whole cups of chopped rhubarb and a good amount of lemon zest, this Rhubarb Coffee Cake tastes tangy, sweet, and very refreshing. With a sweet walnut crumb topping, this is one cake that should be served with a hot tea or coffee. Perfect served with whipped cream for dessert, as an afternoon snack, or for a fancy brunch too!

It’s rhubarb season, so it’s time to make the most of them, because, let’s face it – the season is short! I’m not a big lover of sugary sweet desserts, which is why this particular cake is perfect for someone like me. The dominant flavours in this Rhubarb Coffee Cake are rhubarb and lemon – which can both be quite tart. The sugary sweetness that you are likely to find in other cakes is nowhere to be found!

Don’t mistake me – this cake is anything but bland! In fact, I ate a slice of it without anything on it at all. It is super moist and soft and so delicately sweetened. If you’re a lover of rhubarb, this cake is for you! And, because it’s such a mellow cake, it’s perfect for pairing with a little bit of whipped cream and a piping hot cup of tea or coffee!

DECORATING SKILLS ARE NOT NEEDED

My Rhubarb Coffee Cake is the ideal cake for me because my cake decorating skills are terrible! I could have taken the lazy way out and simply dusted the top with confectioner’s sugar, but even that wasn’t needed. I’ve tried many times to decorate a cake using frosting and fondant, but I can’t seem to master the art at all.  I’ve purchased the frosting bags and tips in all shapes and sizes, but even they don’t help.

I think the main reason for my lack of cake decorating skills is that I consider myself to be a comfort food, self-taught, home cook.  When I was growing up, food wasn’t about pretty, it was about family, friends, and filling your belly!  This, of course, was long before the invention of Instagram and the term foodie was born.  

I love pretty things, just like everyone else, but I also pride myself on catering to the home cook, just like me, who doesn’t rely on a fancy cooking apparatus, who doesn’t have any formal chef training, and who has one goal: get a great tasting dish on the table.  It’s that simple.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

For the Cake

• Flour – No need for anything special. Just use regular all-purpose flour. I have not tried this recipe with any other type of flour.
• Sugar – Sugar will caramelize when baked, which will help to brown cookies and cakes. 
• Baking Powder – This is used to increase the volume of the batter and to add texture as well.
• Eggs – Whenever you set out to bake, make sure your eggs are at room temperature too – just like your butter!
• Milk – When a baking recipe requires milk, I always use whole milk, unless otherwise stated. 
• Butter – Make sure your butter is at room temperature!
• Lemon Zest – You will need one whole, fresh lemon for this.
• Rhubarb – Please use fresh rhubarb for this cake.

For the Crumb Topping

• Sugar – Use regular granulated sugar
• Flour – Once again, I’m using regular all purpose flour.
• Walnuts – Walnuts have a mild, buttery flavour which is why they are perfect in cookies and cakes.  When they are baked, the soften slightly, which makes them easier to slice through too, so they won’t ruin those perfect slices of cake!
• Cinnamon – Cinnamon is a spice created from the inner bark of the Cinnamomum tree.   The bark is dried until it curls into a roll known as a cinnamon stick.  These are ground into powder.  Commonly found in baked goods, cinnamon is an aromatic with a warming flavour.
• Butter – You can use salted or unsalted butter here.

HOW TO MAKE A RHUBARB COFFEE CAKE

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 9 inch springform cake pan with parchment paper. Set aside. Add the flour, sugar, and baking powder to a mixing bowl. Whisk together. Next, add the beaten egg, softened butter, milk, and lemon zest. Beat until just combined. Batter will be very thick. Add the rhubarb and use a wooden spoon or spatula to mix the fruit through the batter.

Transfer batter to prepared baking pan. Spread the batter out until level. Next, add all of the crumb topping ingredients to a bowl. Use a mixer to beat in the butter. This mixture will be crumbly. Evenly distribute the topping over the batter.

Bake for one hour. Depending on your oven, the cake may bake faster. Check at the 50 minute mark. Insert a wooden toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is done. If not, close the oven door and bake for 10 minutes more. Test with an unused toothpick once again. When done, remove from oven and allow to fully cool in the pan. Slice into 8 or 16 slices and serve. Cake can be stored, covered, for 3 days.

STORING

You will get 8 large slices or 16 small slices from this cake. If you can’t eat it all, don’t worry. Simply transfer the cake to a cakestand with a lid and keep it on your counter top. It will keep fresh for at least three days.

Alternatively, you can keep the cake in the fridge. Again, cover it well and it will last 5-7 days. I do find that the refrigerated version looses some of it’s moistness. But, it still tastes good!

Lastly, you can freeze this cake. Transfer it to a freezer-friendly container. Make sure it has a tight lid. You can freeze it for up to 3 months. To defrost, remove the desired amount from the freezer and transfer to a wire cooling rack. This will allow air to circulate and the cake will taste just like the day you made it! Enjoy!

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down below the recipe card to find my Follow Me on Social Media box and never miss another recipe!