Oma’s easy rhubarb coffee cake with streusel topping

Rhubarb is one of those old-school ingredients many seem to have forgotten about. I re-discovered this hardy vegetable through a traditional rhubarb coffee cake with streusel topping, and it has been a staple in our household ever since. 

There’s something so nostalgic about tangy rhubarb. I remember how as a kid I had a bite of rhubarb cake for the first time. I didn’t like it. Being so used to plain chocolate and vanilla cakes, little me thought the flavours of tart rhubarb to be highly suspicious. So while my parents dug into the tender cake while sipping their cup of coffee, I focussed my attention on yet another slice of marble cake. 

Oh how things changed a few decades later.

With its tangy kick, it‘s become one of my favourite ingredients for everyday sweets and treats. Its special way of balancing the sweetness of cakes and desserts that‘s not overly sugary is exactly what I want in my life. Packed with flavour and beautifully bright, rhubarb adds a special touch to anything you pair it with. 

This easy rhubarb coffee cake with streusel topping is no different. It‘s one of those „taste of home“ recipes that fills your home with a irresistible aroma. It‘s a bit nostalgic, a bit old-fashioned and 100% delicious. Perfect to enjoy it yourself with a good book and a cup of homemade lemon verbena tea, or with friends and family over a cozy afternoon catch-up. 

I love how simple this cake is. A few staple ingredients paired with a bunch of fresh rhubarb are all you need. There‘s very little skill involved, which makes this rhubarb coffee cake recipe a low-stress item to keep on rotation. My kids love to get involved in making and spreading the streusel topping. Always a winner when you can get the little ones involved. 

So let‘s gather your kiddos and get baking.

Ingredients

Rhubarb, the star of our show. When visiting your local farmers markets, grab some extra rhubarb to make this delicious fresh rhubarb coffee cake with streusel topping. 

Flour. I often use a flour mixture of all purpose flour and spelt. Spelt adds some extra nutrients but still keeps the cake base fairly white and light. I would stay away from using a heavy flour like rye, as this will dry the cake out faster and make it a bit chewy. 

Sugar, because every great recipe needs some. We’ll be using sugar for both the cake base, as well as the moist crumb. This is a great way to incorporate brown sugar, which I personally use in my streusel topping. White sugar is my preference for the base. 

Butter, for both the base and the streusel topping. Use unsalted butter. We’ll use softened butter for the base and cold butter for the streusel. 

Eggs

Baking powder

Milk

Vanilla extract or a little vanilla paste

How to Make Rhubarb Coffee Cake with Streusel Topping

We’ll start by preparing our rhubarb. Cut off the leaves where they meet the stem, as well as the ends of your rhubarb. Wash the stems and cut them into 1cm (1/2 inch) pieces. Place the pieces into a large mixing bowl, sprinkle them with sugar and mix. Set the bowl aside for later. 

Preheat your oven to 180°C (355°F). Grease a round 25cm cake pan or line it with parchment paper.

In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the softened butter and sugar. Whisk on medium speed until creamy, then slowly incorporate one egg at a time. Make sure not to over mix. 

While the wet ingredients are being combined, mix your dry ingredients in a medium bowl. 

When your sugar mixture has come together, reduce your mixer to low speed and slowly add the flour mix until all is well combined. 

Transfer your batter into the prepared cake tin and spread it evenly. 

Spread your juicy rhubarb pieces in a single layer over the cake batter after draining any excess liquid. Make you’re you spread it evenly to the edges. 

To prepare the streusel, place cold butter, sugar, flour and vanilla essence into a small bowl. Mix and knead the ingredients with your hands until you achieve a crumby texture. You can use your fingers to rub the butter into the flour and sugar, this will help create little crumb pieces. 

Top your rhubarb with the streusel and bake the cake for about 30 minutes. 

Allow the cake to cool on a wire rack before serving with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. 

Store the cake cool in the fridge or at room temperature for up to 3 days. Alternatively freeze in portions for the weeks to come. 

Tips and Tricks

    •    Use fresh Rhubarb and freeze. Make this cake during rhubarb season and freeze it for the months to come. 

    •    Make It Ahead. Rhubarb streusel coffee cake is one of those perfect recipes that stay delicious for a few days. Prepare it a day or two before you host. For best results, wrap it in aluminum foil and store in the fridge or at room temperature. 

    •    Even Streusel Distribution: Make sure to cover the cake evenly with crunchy streusel topping. I usually just tip the whole streusel topping over the top and spread it with my flat hand to get into all the corners and along the edges. 

Easy Substitutes

    •    Rhubarb Alternatives: If rhubarb’s not in season, try swapping it for apples, pears, or sour cherries. Use my rhubarb coffee cake with streusel topping as the base to create many seasonal recipes. It’s a super easy recipe to mix and match as your seasons change. 

    •    Gluten-Free Version: Replace the all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend to make this cake gluten-free.

    •    Vegan Option: Substitute the butter with a vegan alternative and use a flax egg or apple sauce in place of each egg.

Other sweet recipes to try

Frequently Asked Questions

What does rhubarb taste like in cake?

Rhubarb has a fruity, but very tangy flavour that pairs perfectly well with most sweets. When baked into a cake, rhubarb retains the tanginess and balances the sweetness of the baked goods.Think about the way lemon juice adds a little tang to sweets.Rhubarb has the same effect in homemade rhubarb cake recipes. 

How to tell if rhubarb is bad?

Rhubarb is known for its straight, crunchy red stalks and beautiful bright green leaves. That’s exactly how you can identify it as being fresh. Once the stalks or leaves start to wilt, go mushy, dry out or develop discolouration, your rhubarb is on the way out and should no longer be consumed. Another obvious sign is mild forming on either leaves or stems. If you spot some, please discard of your rhubarb. 

Should the streusel topping be added before or after baking?

Streusel topping should be added over a dish before baking it. Because the streusel consists of flour, sugar and butter, it will need to be thoroughly heated and baked in order to become crunchy and crumbly. If you find your streusel topping to stay too soft while the remainder of your dish is fully baked, you can use the grill function of your oven to crisp it up a little. If your dish contains a lot of liquid, try and only use as much as it needs to not touch your streusel, as this may otherwise make the streusel absorb the liquid and turn soggy.

What is streusel topping made of?

Streusel topping is usually made of sugar, butter and flour. Combining these three simple ingredients with your hands creates a crumble mixture, that can be easily spread over cakes and other baked goods. Simple additions like vanilla essence, almond extract or lemon zest infuse the streusel with added flavours, which can elevate your dish.