Strawberry-Rhubarb Coffee Cake Recipe

Inspired by a recipe from The Taste of Home Cookbook.

There are lots of lovely, traditional dishes and baked goods we can make with strawberries and rhubarb, but if you’re looking for something new, or something easier to make, this is the recipe for you!

Easy Quick Coffee Cake for a Crowd

This is a quick cake to make from scratch. Other than the strawberries and rhubarb, the ingredients are all basic ingredients any baker is apt to have in their kitchen or pantry.

Fresh berries and fresh rhubarb are excellent, but frozen fruit can be used, too, and you’re unlikely to notice much of a difference if you follow the recommended instructions. Instructions for using frozen strawberries and frozen rhubarb are given at the end.

Now, to the recipe.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Buttermilk Coffeecake Recipe

Oven temp: 350 F, 176 C
Baking time: 27-30 minutes
Pan size: 9-inch square cake pan or 8-inch round pan

Ingredients

• 1 cup de-stemmed, sliced fresh strawberries
• 1 cup diced fresh rhubarb
• ½ cup softened butter
• ¼ cup sugar plus 2/3 cup sugar, divided
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract (preferably pure)
• 2 eggs
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose or cake flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda (also called bicarb soda or sodium bicarbonate)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup sour milk or buttermilk* (may substitute sour cream or plain yogurt)

Topping ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar (loose, not packed)
• ½ tablespoon cinnamon

Directions

*If you do not have buttermilk on hand, make buttermilk by pouring 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, white vinegar, or lemon juice into a liquid measuring cup. Pour milk into the cup until it measures ¾ cup. Stir, then let sit until ready to use.

1. Preheat your oven.
2. Grease your baking pan, then dust lightly with flour. Set aside.
3. Trim and slice the strawberries and chop the rhubarb.

4. Combine the strawberries and rhubarb together in a bowl, then add the ¼ cup of sugar. Stir to combine and then set aside while you prepare the cake batter.
5. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir to combine, then set aside until ready to use.
6. Using a mixer, cream together the 2/3 cup sugar and the ½ cup butter. Mix until fluffy and light.
7. Add eggs one at a time. Beat the mixture after you add each egg.
8. Stir in the vanilla, just until mixed in.
9. Add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the creamed mixture, alternating. First, add part of the dry mix, then part of the liquid. Beat after each addition. Repeat until both mixtures are used up. End with the buttermilk so the mixture incorporates more easily. As you mix, scrape the sides of the bowl as needed to make sure that all the dry ingredients are mixed in. End with a smooth, fluffy cake batter.
10. Fold in the strawberry and rhubarb mixture. Mix and fold only until the fruit is mostly distributed.
11. Pour the contents into the prepared baking pan.
12. Combine the topping ingredients (brown sugar and cinnamon). Toss with a fork to combine.
13. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the top of the coffee cake batter.
14. Place in the middle of the middle rack of your oven. Bake for 27 to 30 minutes or until done. The coffee cake is done when a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean and free of batter or crumbs. This is a moist cake, and the moisture of the fruit can change the baking time, so it may take longer than 30 minutes to bake.
15. Cool on a cooling rack for at least one-half hour before serving. The cake is best served warm or at room temperature. The flavor will improve if set overnight.

How to make this cake with frozen strawberries and/or rhubarb

If you are using frozen strawberries and/or frozen rhubarb, you need to thaw the fruit first.

Measure one cup of frozen sliced strawberries into a colander. Measure one cup of frozen rhubarb into the same colander. Let the fruit sit until it is thawed. As it thaws, let the juices drain away. Do not press or squeeze extra juice from the strawberries or the rhubarb; just drain the juice that is released as it thaws.

Discard drained juices, then use as directed in the recipe, starting with mixing the ¼ cup sugar, rhubarb, and strawberries together.

Find More Delicious Strawberry Recipes Here

This strawberry-rhubarb coffee cake is easy but impressive. It’s a real crowd-pleaser. For more crowd-pleasing strawberry recipes, peruse our recipe section here.

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Yield: 9-16 Slices

Strawberry-Rhubarb Coffee Cake Recipe

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Indulge in the perfect combination of sweet strawberries and tangy rhubarb with this delicious coffee cake recipe. Try it today!

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

• 1 cup de-stemmed, sliced fresh strawberries
• 1 cup diced fresh rhubarb
• ½ cup softened butter
• ¼ cup sugar plus 2/3 cup sugar, divided
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract (preferably pure)
• 2 eggs
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose or cake flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda (also called bicarb soda or sodium bicarbonate)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup sour milk or buttermilk* (may substitute sour cream or plain yogurt)

Topping ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar (loose, not packed)
• ½ tablespoon cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven.
2. Grease your baking pan, then dust lightly with flour. Set aside.
3. Trim and slice the strawberries and chop the rhubarb.
4. Combine the strawberries and rhubarb together in a bowl, then add the ¼ cup of sugar. Stir to combine and then set aside while you prepare the cake batter.
5. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir to combine, then set aside until ready to use.
6. Using a mixer, cream together the 2/3 cup sugar and the ½ cup butter. Mix until fluffy and light.
7. Add eggs one at a time. Beat the mixture after you add each egg.
8. Stir in the vanilla, just until mixed in.
9. Add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the creamed mixture, alternating. First, add part of the dry mix, then part of the liquid. Beat after each addition. Repeat until both mixtures are used up. End with the buttermilk so the mixture incorporates more easily. As you mix, scrape the sides of the bowl as needed to make sure that all the dry ingredients are mixed in. End with a smooth, fluffy cake batter.
10. Fold in the strawberry and rhubarb mixture. Mix and fold only until the fruit is mostly distributed.
11. Pour the contents into the prepared baking pan.
12. Combine the topping ingredients (brown sugar and cinnamon). Toss with a fork to combine.
13. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the top of the coffee cake batter.
14. Place in the middle of the middle rack of your oven. Bake for 27 to 30 minutes or until done. The coffee cake is done when a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean and free of batter or crumbs. This is a moist cake, and the moisture of the fruit can change the baking time, so it may take longer than 30 minutes to bake.
15. Cool on a cooling rack for at least one-half hour before serving. The cake is best served warm or at room temperature. The flavor will improve if set overnight.
    
    

Notes

• If you are using frozen strawberries and/or frozen rhubarb, you need to thaw the fruit first.
  
• Measure one cup of frozen sliced strawberries into a colander. Measure one cup of frozen rhubarb into the same colander. Let the fruit sit until it is thawed. As it thaws, let the juices drain away. Do not press or squeeze extra juice from the strawberries or the rhubarb; just drain the juice that is released as it thaws.
  
• Discard drained juices, then use as directed in the recipe, starting with mixing the ¼ cup sugar, rhubarb, and strawberries together.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

9

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 283Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 71mgSodium: 349mgCarbohydrates: 40gFiber: 1gSugar: 26gProtein: 5g