This sweet strawberry rhubarb coffee cake is the perfect combination of sweet cake and tangy jam. Eat for breakfast or for dessert, it’s perfect either way!
Strawberry rhubarb coffee cake is a delightful and flavorful dessert that combines the tartness of rhubarb with the sweetness of strawberries in a moist and tender cake.
In fact, it’s one of my favorite springtime combinations!
This is a vintage recipe I found in my grandma’s recipe box so the method was a bit different than the typical coffee cake I have made in the past.
However, even though this is different than the usual it’s still delicious and moist and sure to please!
My favorite part is the homemade strawberry rhubarb jam that is baked right into the middle of the cake.
Totally scrumptious in every single way!
Table of Contents
Ingredients for strawberry rhubarb coffee cake
For filling:
- Strawberries
- Rhubarb
- Lemon juice
- Granulated sugar
- Cornstarch
For topping:
- Unsalted butter
- All-purpose flour
- Brown sugar
For cake:
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Baking powder and soda
- Kosher salt
- Butter
- Buttermilk
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
Storage and leftovers
Any leftover cake can be stored, covered, at room temperature for up to 3 days.
The longer the cake sits the less moist it will become. If your house is super warm it’s best to store it in the refrigerator.
Love this strawberry rhubarb coffee cake?
Why not try more snack cakes?
- Mixed Berry Coffee Cak
- Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Crumb Cake
- Vanilla Cranberry Buttermilk Cake
- Strawberry Rhubarb Pound Cake
Strawberry Rhubarb Coffee Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
For filling:
- 2 cups diced fresh strawberries
- 1-1/2 cups diced fresh rhubarb
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
For topping:
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
For cake:
- 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 tablespoons salted butter
- 3/4 cups buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Powdered sugar optional
Instructions
For filling:
- In a large saucepan add strawberries, rhubarb, and lemon juice.
- Cook on low heat for about 5 minutes until the rhubarb and the strawberries start to soften.
- While stirring, mash the fruit so it starts to breakdown and become smooth.
- In a small bowl mix together browns sugar and cornstarch.
- Pour the brown sugar and cornstarch 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:
- 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 of the pan.
- 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.
Notes
- You MUST let this cake cool before cutting into it or the jam will ooze out of the cake.