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Strawberry Rhubarb Coffee Cake

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This sweet strawberry rhubarb coffee cake is the perfect combination of sweet cake and tangy jam. If you’re still looking for the best sweet treat to bring for Mother’s Day brunch this needs to be on the menu. Eat for breakfast or for dessert, it’s perfect either way! 

This sweet strawberry rhubarb coffee cake is the perfect combination of sweet cake and tangy jam.

I made this cake a few weeks ago and ate it within 2 days. Now you know my shame.

I have always had a passionate love for rhubarb. My dad had several plants growing in our yard and we used to walk outside with the salt shaker and cut off a few stalks. Then we would pull off the leaves (they’re toxic), peel off the outer red layer, sprinkle the stalk with salt and chow down. Raw rhubarb is super tart and had the texture of celery. Oh man, my mouth waters just thinking about it. I’m also a little freaky in the fact that I will happily eat an entire lemon (sprinkled with salt) like it’s an orange. My tooth enamel hates me.

I cannot be the only person out there that likes raw rhubarb. Right….right?

 

This sweet strawberry rhubarb coffee cake is the perfect combination of sweet cake and tangy jam.

I personally think this coffee cake would be perfect for a Mother’s Day brunch but it’s also great for everyday breakfast, everyday lunch, everyday dinner, everyday dessert and midnight snacks. Pretty much it’s the perfect cake for any occasion.  The filling layer is more “jammy” in consistency than thick chunks of fruit. I could have eaten that jam with a spoon but I obviously needed it for the cake…sigh. My plan is to make the same filling mixture for some scones this weekend. So good!

The most important thing to know about this strawberry rhubarb coffee cake is that you must let it cool before you devour. Since it’s made with a jam layer that layer is very runny until it’s cool and set. If you try to cut out a hot slice of that cake you will be left with a runny jammy mess. Not horrible, but not great either.

This sweet strawberry rhubarb coffee cake is the perfect combination of sweet cake and tangy jam.

{Looking for more cake recipes? Try my zucchini coffee cake, blueberry fritter cake, maple cake with maple cream cheese frosting or my pumpkin spice latte coffee cake.}

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Strawberry Rhubarb Coffee Cake

This sweet strawberry rhubarb coffee cake is the perfect combination of sweet cake and tangy jam. Make for breakfast or enjoy for dessert. It's perfect either way.

Yield: 8 inch cake

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 60 minutes

Ingredients:

For filling:

  • 1-1/2 cups diced fresh rhubarb
  • 2 cups cut and slightly mashed fresh strawberries
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 heaping tablespoons cornstarch

For topping:

  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar

For cake:

  • 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
  • 3/4 cups buttermilk
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • Powdered sugar, optional

Slightly adapted from YesterDish

Directions:

For filling:
In a large saucepan add rhubarb, strawberries and lemon juice. Cook on low heat for about 5 minutes until the rhubarb and the strawberries start to soften. While stirring the fruit mash it so it starts to breakdown and become smooth.

In a small bowl mix together browns sugar and cornstarch. Pour into the hot fruit mixture, stir constantly and bring to a boil. Keep stirring until the mixture is thick and then remove from heat and set aside.

For topping:
In a small microwave safe mixing bowl add butter and melt. Once melted stir in the flour and brown sugar until it looks like coarse crumbs, set aside.

For cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line the bottom a 8-inch cake pan with parchment paper and then spray the pan with non-stick spray, set aside.

In a large mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using a pastry blender cut in butter until mixture resembles wet sand and has some pea size crumbles.

In a small bowl whisk together buttermilk, eggs and vanilla extract.

Pour buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture and stir till combined.

Spread half the batter into the prepared pan making sure to cover the bottom. Carefully spread the cooled filling on top of the batter in the pan. Gently drop the remaining batter on top of the filling and if you can gently spread it over the filling.

Sprinkle crumbly topping over top the cake and add to the oven.

Bake for about 35-45 minutes until the cake is fully cooked. The jam will bake up around the edges and be slightly jiggly but you should be able to see that the top is browned and the top layer is fully cooked.

Once cooked remove from the oven and let cool completely. This is an important step - if you do not let the cake completely cook and attempt to cut a slice or remove from the pan the jam will run. The cooling process helps the jam set up so it cuts nicely with the cake.

Sprinkle the top with powdered sugar if desired.

 

Pauline

Wednesday 6th of October 2021

I have some strawberry rhubarb jam I already made. Can I use this for the filling instead of the fresh ingredients?

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Rebecca

Friday 16th of May 2014

It looks amazing! I never had raw rhubarb, but I would happily endure this cake ;) Such a great combination! Thanks, Rebecca

Jocelyn@Brucrewlife

Wednesday 7th of May 2014

I've never had raw rhubarb, but now I'm intrigued by the thought of it! And this coffee cake has my name written all over it! Yum!