Have I ever told you I’m nuts about Rhubarb? Ever since I was little – we kids used to take the old blue Melamine sugar bowl (this is before we got the Corelle) and sit in the shade of our honeysuckle hedge and pull rhubarb, dip it in the sugar and take a bite. And repeat. Sweet & tart. Just like this Sour Cream Rhubarb Coffee Cake.

Sour Cream Rhubarb Coffee Cake

I love this Sour Cream Rhubarb Coffee Cake or any Rhubarb Coffee Cake for that matter! Coffee Cakes are just the thing to have on hand when you have a brunch or overnight guests. Or maybe just for the family. I already have a Rhubarb Coffee Cake on my blog. It’s a little delicate and has a gorgeous Vanilla Sauce. You might want to check it out, too. It’s a whole different animal from this coffee cake which is super easy and casual.

About Sour Cream Rhubarb Coffee Cake:

Sour Cream Rhubarb Coffee Cake is so easy (no mixer needed) and is big and fluffy and supremely moist! It is a beautiful thing. Seriously, it’s outstanding. If you love cinnamon, you can add a teaspoon to the batter, but I like this just plain. I think it lets the Rhubarb flavor shine through in all its unadulterated glory. And if you’d rather use yogurt instead of sour cream, that works well, too.

The streusel topping with the white sugar may not be the standard streusel we think of today. In this recipe and almost all the older Rhubarb recipes I’ve seen, white sugar is used rather than brown sugar with rhubarb. So the topping is almost just a crispy layer on the top. It complements the rhubarb flavor perfectly.

The white sugar topping doesn’t get melty and gooey like a brown sugar streusel, though; the sugar stays a little grainy and crunchy. You’ll find after a day or two the topping softens up, and while it’s still delish, isn’t quite at its peak.

Sour Cream Rhubarb Coffee Cake

Making Sour Cream Rhubarb Coffee Cake:

Did I mention “mix by hand!” Yes, I did. Seriously this is going to be the easiest coffee cake you’ve ever made. You might want to think about using this as a base for other coffee cakes. Just sub out the rhubarb. This cake would be a perfect 1st project for a budding baker, too.

Usually I have quite a few hints and helps when I post a recipe but in this case, there’s hardly anything to it. Ya gotta love that! Actually, I think I need more recipes like this in my life. The only thing I can think to add is if you use a frozen rhubarb, don’t thaw it, just put it in frozen.

Saving Money on Sour Cream Rhubarb Coffee Cake:

The interesting thing about this recipe is there is no butter, which is usually one of the pricier ingredients when baking. There is a good amount of sour cream, though. I make an effort to buy sour cream during the holiday sales; almost any holiday will have sour cream on special in the preceding weeks. Then I make sure to keep it clean, don’t leave it open on the counter and only dip into it with clean utensils. And store it upside down in the fridge. It makes an airtight seal.

It goes without saying that picking your rhubarb, either your own or some from a neighbors is going to cost less than buying. So many people have rhubarb they don’t do anything with. It’s a shame because as the stalks are picked, more grow in. It’s like magic! If your neighbor gives you rhubarb, make sure to give them a piece of the Sour Cream Rhubarb Coffee Cake. 🙂 If you are picking or buying fresh rhubarb, you’ll need a little more than a pound because you’ll need to trim the leaves and ends off.

Rhubarb comes frozen in 1 pound bags, which, depending on how it is cut, may be just slightly less than you need for this recipe. I wouldn’t sweat it, just use the pound bag. Look to see if rhubarb isn’t included when frozen berries are on sale. It’s usually not going to go on sale by itself, it’s just not popular enough. Frozen items like this are usually cheapest in late summer after harvest. Supply and demand, right? Prices will rise over winter, but look for sales around holidays.

Sour Cream Rhubarb Coffee Cake

Sour Cream Rhubarb Coffee Cake

Print Recipe

A big, fluffy, super easy (mix by hand) rhubarb coffee cake.

• Author: mollie kirby
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 45 minutes
• Total Time: 55 minutes
• Yield: 24 servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Topping:

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) softened butter
• 1/3 cup flour

Cake:

• 1 1/4 cups white sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups flour
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup sour cream
• 4 cups diced rhubarb, about 3/8‘s to 1/2″ an inch

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil and flour a 9 x 13″ pan.

Topping:

In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and butter until smooth. Add the flour and mix until crumbs form. Set aside.

Cake:

In a large bowl, stir together sugar, baking soda, salt and flour. In a smaller bowl, mix eggs and sour cream until smooth, then add to the above mixture, stirring until incorporated.

Fold in the rhubarb, spread into the baking pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Sprinkle with the topping.

Bake about 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

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I’ll be sharing at Throwback Thursday Link Party, hosted by Quinn of Dad What’s for Dinner, Meaghan of 4 Sons are Us, Alli of Tornadough, Carlee from Cooking with Carlee and Moi! That’s right – me! And sharing at Angie’s Fiesta Friday – this week is Fiesta Friday 124, and the co-hosts this week are Lindy @ Love in the Kitchen and Liz @ spades, spatulas & spoons.

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