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Rhubarb Sour Cream Cake

Rhubarb sour cream cake with tender, moist crumb studded with visible rhubarb pieces and a crunchy cinnamon streusel topping. Bakes in a 9x13 pan for a classic American coffee cake style slice.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Cooling 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 380
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For cake
  • 2.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1.5 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 0.5 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 cup fresh rhubarb, diced
For topping
  • 0.5 cup brown sugar
  • 0.25 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.25 cup butter, cold
  • 1 tsp cinnamon

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Bake the cake base
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13-inch baking pan.
  2. Whisk together all-purpose flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a bowl until evenly combined.
  3. In a separate bowl, mix sour cream, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract until combined and smooth.
  4. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until just mixed, then fold in fresh rhubarb, diced.
  5. Pour batter into the prepared 9x13-inch baking pan and spread into an even layer.
Add streusel and bake
  1. Mix brown sugar, all-purpose flour, and cinnamon, then cut in cold butter until crumbly.
  2. Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the batter so rhubarb stays visible beneath.
  3. Bake at 350°F for 45-50 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool and serve
  1. Cool the cake for 30 minutes, until set and easier to slice.

Notes

For the best crumb and rhubarb texture, dice rhubarb into small even pieces so they distribute throughout the pan. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; rewarm individual slices briefly if desired. Freezing is yes—wrap cooled slices tightly and freeze up to 2 months. For a lighter option, use low-fat sour cream (texture may be slightly less rich, but still works).