This easy rhubarb sour cream cake is a moist sour cream cake filled with tart rhubarb and topped with buttery streusel. It’s perfect for brunch, an afternook snack, or light dessert!
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This sour cream rhubarb cake has a soft, tender texture and is studded with tart rhubarb. It’s topped with a crunchy pistachio lime crumble topping!
You’ll love this cake for for breakfast or brunch, or if you’re looking for a rhubarb dessert that’s not overly sweet.
If you’re looking for another rhubarb recipe, try these Blueberry Rhubarb Cream Cheese Bars.
For more coffee cake recipes, try my blueberry banana coffee cake and this apple cider coffee cake!
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Why This Recipe Works
- This rhubarb and sour cream cake is super easy to make.
- If you’re looking for an extra moist rhubarb cake, this is the recipe for you! Sour cream makes the cake moist and tender and adds extra tangy flavor just like in these lemon and white chocolate cookies and this almond coffee cake recipe.
- Lime and rhubarb are a delicious combination! It’s the perfect spring and summer cake just like these yummy rhubarb banana muffins!
- The buttery streusel makes the perfect sweet, crunchy topping. It’s made with pistachios, cinnamon and lime zest. If you love pistachios, try my pistachio chocolate chip cookies!
Ingredients
Below are some useful notes about some ingredients for this sour cream rhubarb coffee cake.
- Butter– The amount of salt in salted butter can vary among brands. I prefer to use unsalted butter and add my own salt.
- 2 large Eggs- Take eggs out of refrigerator at least 1 hour before baking.
- Sour Cream-Sour cream creates a moist and tender texture. If you love baking with sour cream, try my Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Cookies and Lemon Sour Cream Cookies!
- Lime– Use the zest and juice. You don’t extactly taste lime, but it adds extra tangy flavor. For another lime recipe, try these luscious lemon lime bars!
- Fresh Rhubarb-Rhubarb is a vegetable that grows in stalks straight from the ground. It’s sour and tangy but also a bit fruity. Depending on where you get your rhubarb, it can have big stalks or small stalks. Both kinds work.
See recipe card below for full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions & Variations
- Instead of pistachios, use almonds, pecans or walnut for this rhubarb coffee cake with streusel topping. If you want to make this nut-free, replace pistachios for additional flour.
- I recommend using sour cream. You can use full fat plain yogurt as a substitute.
- Fresh rhubarb is best, but frozen sliced rhubarb also works. If you use frozen rhubarb, don’t thaw it first.
Instructions
Step 1 (Picture 1 above)–Stir together the streusel ingredients. Chill in the refrigerator until needed.
Step 2 (Picture 2 above)–Rub the lime zest into the sugars with your fingertips in a large bowl. Add the butter and cream together the butter and sugars with a mixer. Mix in the eggs and vanilla.
Step 3 (Picture 3 above)– Alternatively stir in the sour cream and flour til just combined.
Step 4 (Picture 4 above)–Toss the rhubarb with 1 tablespoon of flour. Stir rhubarb into the batter.
Step 5 (Picture 5 above)–Spread the batter into an 9 x 9 inch square pan. Top with the crumble.
Step 6 (Picture 6 above)–Bake at 350 degrees for 33-37 minutes.
Recipe FAQs
Rhubarb has a citrusy, fruity flavor but is overpoweringly tart. It becomes less bitter and more delicious when you add sugar to it and bake it!
Rhubarb season is mainly the summer months (May through July).
Yes! Fresh rhubarb is best, but frozen sliced rhubarb also works. If you use frozen rhubarb, don’t thaw it first.
Store this rhubarb cake with sour cream in an air tight container in the refrigerator or at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Expert Tips
- Use room temperature butter. Leave the butter on the counter for about an hour.
- I recommend a light colored metal 9 by 9 inch baking pan to make this rhubarb streusel cake.
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Rhubarb Sour Cream Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
Streusel
- 3 tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter melted
- ¼ teaspoon (0.5 g) cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon (2 g) lime zest
- ⅛ teaspoon (⅛ teaspoon) salt
- ½ cup (110 g) light brown sugar
- ¼ cup (31.25 g) all purpose flour
- ¼ cup (30.75 g) pistachios finely chopped
Rhubarb Cake
- ½ cup (113.5 g) unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (110 g) brown sugar light or dark, packed
- 2 large (2 large) eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract
- ½ cup (115 g) sour cream room temperature
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) lime zest
- 2 teaspoons (2 teaspoons) lime juice
- 1 ½ cups (187.5 g) all purpose flour plus 1 tablespoon of flour for coating the rhubarb
- 1 ½ teaspoons (1 ½ teaspoons) baking powder
- ½ tsp (½ tsp) salt
- 1 ¾ cups (213.5 g) rhubarb chopped in 1/4-1/2 inch pieces
Instructions
Streusel
- In a medium bowl, use a fork to stir together all the ingredients for the streusel til crumbly. Place in the fridge to chill until needed.
Rhubarb Coffee Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly butter or spray then line a 9×9″ pan with parchment paper. Leave some excess parchment paper hanging over two sides to make it easier to remove the cake from the pan.
- In a large bowl using a hand held mixer or in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugars.
- Mix in the eggs one at a time and mix until combined. Mix in the vanilla and lime zest. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Using a rubber spatula, mix in half of the sour cream then stir in the half of the flour mixture and then the rest of the sour cream followed by the rest of the flour mixture until completely combined being careful not to overmix.
- Toss the rhubarb bits with the tablespoon of flour. Stir in the rhubarb (making sure it's evenly distributed). Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Top with the crumble.
- Bake 33-37 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean or with just a few crumbs when inserted in the center. If the crumble starts to get too browned before the cake’s done, tent the top of the cake loosely with aluminum foil. Allow to cool to room temperature before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Please note that nutritional values are created by an online calculator and should only be used as an estimate.
Nicki
So delicious! It was so moist and fluffy. I loved the pistachios and cinnamon in the streusel toppings. I used rhubarb that I froze a few weeks ago, and it turned out perfectly.
Natalie Ward
Thank you so much Nicki! I’m glad it worked out well with your frozen rhubarb and so happy you enjoyed it!
Mary Lynk
This is an amazing coffee cake. I made 11/2recipe for streusel, skipped lime and used chopped pecans. Measured vanilla with love, had to bake at least 10 more minutes than recipe as it was far from done. Thinking the rhubarb is extra moist with all the rain lately. It was hard to stop eating. Will share recipe often
Natalie
Hi Mary, Thank you so much for your kind words and for sharing your helpful recipe notes. I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe and appreciate you sharing it! Have a great day. -Natalie
Jenny
Easy to make and delicious 😋 recipe!
Natalie
Hey Jenny! Thank you so much for making this cake! I’m thrilled you enjoyed it 🙂
Lena
Going to make as soon as i find some rhubarb. Sounds delicious!!
Natalie
Thanks Lena! Excited for you to try it! 🙂
Barbara Briggs Ward
Sounds so Delicious! Will have to try it.
Natalie
They are such a treat! Thank you! Excited for you to try them 🙂