Strawberry-Rhubarb Coffee Cake

Summer is here and what better way to celebrate the season than with the classic pairing of fresh, juicy strawberries and tart rhubarb? While there are countless ways to enjoy strawberries and rhubarb, this Strawberry Rhubarb Coffee Cake stands out as one of the best. The pairing of the two classic ingredients is a match made in dessert heaven. When baked together, they transform into a luscious, jam-like filling that’s both sweet and tart—perfect for topping a tender, moist coffee cake.

The Perfect Pairing: Strawberries and Rhubarb

The magic of this coffee cake lies in the perfect balance between the strawberries and rhubarb. The natural sweetness of the strawberries complements the rhubarb’s tartness, creating a flavour combination that’s both vibrant and comforting. When baked, the fruit becomes soft and juicy, almost like a homemade jam, which seeps into the cake and adds an extra layer of deliciousness.

The Secret to a Moist and Fluffy Coffee Cake

While the fruit filling is undoubtedly the star, the coffee cake itself is equally important. The secret? A combination of Greek yogurt and milk. The Greek yogurt (I use 2%) adds richness and a slight density to the cake, while the milk keeps it light and tender. This duo ensures the cake is moist without being heavy, making it the perfect base for the fruity topping.

Another key tip is baking the cake at a lower temperature (325°F) for a longer time (about 1 hour and 15 minutes). This gentle baking process ensures the cake cooks evenly and stays moist throughout, without drying out or becoming overly dense.

The Finishing Touch: A Simple Glaze

Once the cake has baked to golden perfection and cooled, I like to drizzle it with a simple glaze made from icing sugar and milk. This adds a touch of sweetness and a delightful crunch as the glaze hardens. For a final flourish, I garnish the cake with rhubarb curls and a few fresh strawberries, making it as beautiful as it is delicious.

When you slice into the cake, you’ll find it’s perfectly risen, spongy, and studded with pockets of juicy strawberry-rhubarb goodness. Each bite is a celebration of summer flavours, making it an ideal dessert for brunches, picnics, or even as a sweet treat with your afternoon coffee.

A Seasonal Dessert to Savour

This Strawberry Rhubarb Coffee Cake is more than just a dessert—it’s a celebration of seasonal produce and the joy of summer. It’s simple enough to whip up on a lazy weekend morning but impressive enough to serve at a gathering with friends and family. Plus, it’s a great way to make the most of fresh, local strawberries and rhubarb while they’re at their peak.

So, what seasonal produce are you most excited to see at the markets this summer? Are you team strawberry-rhubarb, or do you have another favorite summer flavor combination? Let me know in the comments below—I’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas!

Happy baking, and here’s to a sweet and sunny summer ahead! 🍓✨

Get the Recipe: Strawberry-Rhubarb Coffee Cake

Strawberry-Rhubarb Coffee Cake

Melissa

Strawberries have come back into season and that can only mean one thing: summer is on the way! Fresh sliced strawberries and rhubarb are nestled in a light and sweet vanilla cake and are topped with a rich brown sugar crumble. My Strawberry-Rhubarb Coffee Cake is perfect for the early summer months and will have everyone begging for the recipe!

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 45 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine Canadian

Servings 8

Ingredients

  

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For the Cake Batter:

• 1/2 cup butter softened
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt plain
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 pint fresh strawberries sliced in half, or quartered if larger
• 2 stalks fresh rhubarb sliced into 1-cm pieces

For the Crumble Topping:

• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 tablespoons butter softened

For the Glaze:

• 1-2 tablespoons milk
• 1/4 cup icing sugar

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 325°F.
• Grease an 8-inch spring form pan with butter. Set aside.
• Using a hand blender or stand mixer, cream the butter and white sugar on high speed for 1 minute until fluffy. Add the egg and beat to combine. Add the milk, Greek yogurt, and vanilla and mix to combine again. Set aside.
• In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg together. Add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix to combine. Add the rest of the flour mixture and mix until combined. Do not over mix the batter or else the cake will be tough.
• Pour the cake batter into the greased spring-form pan. Sprinkle the sliced strawberries and rhubarb on top of the cake, making sure to get them evenly distributed. Press them slightly into the cake batter.
• In a separate bowl, use your hands to crumble the brown sugar, flour and butter together until you have crumbles the size of peas. Sprinkle this mixture evenly across the top of the strawberries and rhubarb.
• Bake the cake in the oven for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Once the cake is fully cooked, remove it from the oven and let it cool completely.
• Once the cake has cooled, make the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk the milk and icing sugar together until smooth. Use a spoon to drizzle the glaze on top of the cooled cake.
• Let the glaze harden for 10 minutes, then serve and enjoy!

Keyword coffee cake recipe, spring desserts, strawberry rhubarb, Strawberry-Rhubarb Coffee Cake, summer cake, summer desserts

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