This easy rhubarb coffee cake comes together in one bowl and bakes up tender, moist, and absolutely loaded with flavor — tangy rhubarb tucked inside a simple old fashioned cake with a buttery cinnamon crumb topping that makes the whole house smell amazing.

Old Fashioned Rhubarb Cake baked in a 9 x 13 inch pan.

The original recipe of this rhubarb cake was given to me by a sweet older lady the very first year we were married. I remember her telling me I must try it, but I don’t think I ever did.

Til now.

And, I’m telling you what – it’s SO DELICIOUS!

Why You’ll Love this Old Fashioned Rhubarb Cake Recipe

I’m a super fan of coffee cake, and this old fashioned rhubarb cake is similar to that. It’s an easy dessert made with diced rhubarb, a simple cake, and a crunchy sugary topping. It’s a wonderful way to use up fresh rhubarb from your garden. Our whole family loved it, and I think yours will, too!

It’s a great cake recipe that can be frozen, if you want to have it handy to use later.

Ingredients

(A printable recipe card with exact ingredient measurments is included below for your convenience.)

Fresh rhubarb — cut into small pieces and lightly coated in flour to keep it from sinking to the bottom
Softened butter — gives the cake its rich, tender crumb
White sugar — sweetens the batter and balances the tartness of the rhubarb beautifully
Egg — binds everything together and adds moisture
Flour — the base of the cake; a small amount is also used to coat the rhubarb
Baking soda — helps the cake rise up light and fluffy
Buttermilk — the secret to that wonderfully moist, old fashioned texture (see the recipe card for a quick homemade substitute!)

Topping:

Butter — keeps the topping rich and helps it crisp up in the oven
Cinnamon — adds that warm, cozy spice that makes the whole kitchen smell incredible
Brown sugar — creates the sweet, slightly caramelized crunch on top

Photos of how to make this tender rhubarb coffee cake

1. Mix together the cake batter in a medium bowl.
2.Stir in the rhubarb.
3.Sprinkle on the coffee cake crumb topping.

(This picture was taken when the cake was hot and fresh out of the oven. It was so yummy hot and fresh, but it was also delicious and moist for the next few days.)

How to Serve & Store Rhubarb Cake

For best results, let the cake cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting and serving.
This tender cake is delicious cold, and also delicious served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Store the cake tightly covered at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If you want to store it longer than that, place in an airtight container and freeze.

A piece of rhubarb cake on a dessert plate.

Variations

Strawberry and rhubarb play together so well in desserts, so feel free to cut back on some of the rhubarb and add sliced strawberries with it.

Equipment

Disclosure: The following are Amazon affilate links for your shopping convenience.

I used my favorite Hamilton Beach stand mixer for this cake recipe, along with my favorite blue baking pan I got as a wedding gift. (I can’t find it online anymore but here’s something similar.)

(Don’t forget to check out my Amazon storefront for some of my favorite kitchen tools!)