Fresh rhubarb is mixed into a light cake dough for a tender crumb texture. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon on top of the cake; you seriously can’t go wrong!

This coffee cake is made for sharing and perfect for the Spring and Summer seasons.

The only coffee cake you need for Spring brunch

You can find me cooking up rhubarb recipes like my Strawberry Rhubarb Toasted Oat Sundaes or my Strawberry Rhubarb Hand Pies as soon as rhubarb is in season. 

Rhubarb stalks on their own can be fairly tart and sour; however, when it’s cooked rhubarb displays it’s amazing taste which adds to the sweetness of the cake.

This recipe is from my Mom’s archives and I changed up the ingredients just a bit with the main swap being greek yogurt for sour cream.

While this Rhubarb Coffee Cake is delicious on the day you bake it, it’s even better day two! And if my past experience of ‘sharing’ this cake in a family of four is any indication, it will be gone really quick so make sure to enjoy the cake ASAP!

What ingredients do you need to make a rhubarb coffee cake?

The ingredient list for this rhubarb coffee cake recipe is fairly straightforward. Please see my notes below on substitutions and how to use frozen rhubarb in this cake.

For the cake:

• All-purpose flour
• Baking soda
• Salted butter
• Granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• Pure vanilla extract
• Whole milk greek yogurt **can substitute with sour cream
• Chopped rhubarb (fresh)

For the topping:

• Brown sugar
• Ground cinnamon

What is the secret to a good coffee cake?

• Full-fat butter and Greek yogurt: It’s important to use full-fat ingredients because the cake needs the moisture for it’s tender texture.
• Fresh rhubarb: Use fresh rhubarb where you can; nothing beats the flavor of fresh! See my tips below if using frozen rhubarb.
• Don’t over mix: When combining the wet and dry ingredients in a large bowl, take care to fold the ingredients together until just combined. Over-mixing the mixture can produce a too dense cake.
• Parchment paper: Lining the pan with parchment paper allows you to easily remove the cake from the baking pan once fully cooled if desired. 
• Cooling time: Let the cake cool fully in the baking pan on a wire rack before cutting into pieces; this will give you cleaner / more uniform pieces of cake.

How to bake a delicious rhubarb coffee cake

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350F. Line a 9×12 inch pan (or rectangular baking pan) with parchment paper OR grease well with butter.
2. Make the topping and set aside.
3. Combine the wet and dry ingredients into a thick cake batter. Stir the rhubarb into the batter until just combined. Then, add the batter to the pan and pat down to make sure it’s spread out to all the corners. Top with the brown sugar & cinnamon topping.
4. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Leave in the pan to cool fully.

Rhurbarb cake serving suggestions

• Greek yogurt: I love serving this cake with a dollop of greek yogurt too. But also delicious on it’s own!
• Coffee: It’s not a coffee cake without a cup of coffee by it’s side.
• Vanilla ice cream: Serve this coffee cake as dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Variations and substitutions

Butter: Substitute the salted butter with unsalted butter BUT make sure to add 1/2 tsp salt to the dry ingredients in the cake batter if using unsalted butter.

Greek yogurt: You can substitute the plain Greek yogurt for an equal amount of sour cream.

Blueberries: If you can’t get your hands on fresh rhubarb, substitute for blueberries for an epic blueberry coffee cake!

Can I use frozen rhubarb in a coffee cake recipe?

I prefer to use fresh rhubarb in this cake. However, here’s now to use use frozen rhubarb in this cake recipe if desired:

1. Defrost the rhubarb at room temperature. I like to place the rhubarb in a strainer over a bowl and to let it defrost. 
2. Once defrosted, drain the rhubarb of excess liquid and then measure the required amount of rhubarb for the coffee cake. once defrosted.

Rhubarb Cake FAQs

How to store coffee cake

• Room temperature: Keep the rhubarb cake at room temperature in the prepared pan covered with plastic wrap for up to 1 day. Or, slice the cake and store in an airtight container for 1 day at room temperature.
• Refrigerator: Store this cake in an airtight container or in the pan wrapped with plastic wrap for up to 4 days in the fridge.

More rhubarb recipes to love from the blog

• Quick and Easy Puff Pastry Rhubarb Tart Recipe
• Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins with Streusel Topping
• Easy Strawberry Rhubarb Hand Pies with Lemon Icing

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Easy Rhubarb Coffee Cake Recipe With Crumb Topping

Filled with rhubarb and topped with brown sugar & cinnamon, this Rhubarb Cake is easy to make and made for sharing! Spring or Summer, this cake is a hit!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword rhubarb, rhubarb cake

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 16 pieces of cake

Author Jess

Ingredients

For the cake

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup salted butter, melted
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup whole milk greek yogurt **can substitute with sour cream
• 2 1/2 cups chopped fresh rhubarb

For the topping

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

• Pre-heat the oven to 350F. Line a 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper OR grease well with butter.
• In a small bowl mix together the brown sugar & cinnamon for the topping and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the flour and baking soda and set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk melted butter with sugar until combined and a smooth paste forms.
• Into the butter-sugar mixture, whisk in the egg, vanilla extract and yogurt until combined and smooth.
• Add in the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and stir with a spoon or spatula until just combined. (The batter will be quite thick).
• Stir chopped rhubarb into the batter until just combined. Then, add the batter to the pan and pat down to make sure it's spread out to all the corners. Top with the brown sugar & cinnamon mixture.
• Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Leave in the pan to cool fully before cutting and serving.

Notes

• Butter: Substitute the salted butter with unsalted butter BUT make sure to add 1/2 tsp salt to the dry ingredients in the cake batter if using unsalted butter.
• Greek yogurt: You can substitute the plain Greek yogurt for an equal amount of sour cream.
• Frozen rhubarb: 
  • Defrost the rhubarb at room temperature. I like to place the rhubarb in a strainer over a bowl and to let it defrost. 
  • Once defrosted, drain the rhubarb of excess liquid and then measure the required amount of rhubarb for the coffee cake. once defrosted.

The post Easy Rhubarb Coffee Cake Recipe With Crumb Topping appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

Simply made in one bowl, this cake combines sweetened coconut, carrots and warming cinnamon for a truly delightful bite.

If you love a traditional carrot cake recipe, this coconut carrot cake is a nice way to upgrade on those flavours!

A light, single layer cake that’s perfect for any Springtime day.

Carrots and sweet coconut pair so well together making this a flavorful cake! The coconut brings a lovely sweetness to the cake, while the carrots make this a moist carrot cake. And warming cinnamon and nutmeg are just the right spices to bring all the flavours together.

And you can’t forget the homemade cream cheese frosting! Just like my apple cake with cream cheese frosting, it’s easily made by just stirring a few ingredients together, It’s truly my favorite frosting!

This is truly the BEST dessert to whip up for any gathering! Whether it’s Easter, Mother’s Day or any special occasion, this cake will delight everyone.

Just one bite of this cake and you might already know you’ll need a second piece! I think this is the best carrot cake recipe.

Why you’ll love this simple cake

• This is a simple one-bowl cake that’s easy to make!
• It’s perfectly delicious.
• You don’t need to use a mixer with a paddle attachment, hand mixer or anything fancy to make this cake.
• It has lots of carrot and coconut flavor!
• Easy to make ahead for any gathering, whether it’s brunch or a dinner party.

Ingredients needed to make this easy carrot cake recipe

Sweetened Shredded Coconut: This cake is filled with sweetened shredded coconut for the perfect touch of sweetness! It also adds to keeping the cake moist.

Carrots: A classic ingredient in a carrot cake, you’ve got to have shredded carrots of course! The fresh carrots keep this cake moist.

Greek Yogurt: Make sure to use a plain full-fat / whole milk greek yogurt in this cake.

Unsalted butter, sugar & eggs: The base wet ingredients of this cake include unsalted butter, white sugar and eggs.

All Purpose Flour, baking powder & salt: The base dry ingredients of this coconut carrot cake are classic cake ingredients of flour, baking powder and salt.

Cinnamon & Nutmeg: Warming spices of ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg round out the flavours of this cake and are classic carrot cake flavours.

Cream Cheese Icing: softened cream cheese, icing sugar (powdered sugar) and vanilla extract is all you need to make the icing.

Step by step process to make this coconut carrot cake

Step 1: Pre heat the oven to 350F. Line a 9×9 inch pan with parchment paper, long enough to line the bottom of the pan with extra hanging over the sides. Spray the parchment paper with your favourite cooking spary OR grease well with butter.

Step 2: Shred carrots on the large side of a cheese grater. Set aside the shredded carrots.

Step 3: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together melted butter, eggs and sugar until combined.

Step 4: Then whisk in the greek yogurt and vanilla extract until fully combined.

Step 5: Switch to a spoon and stir in the sweetened shredded coconut. Then add the flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg and salt and stir until combined to create the cake batter.

Step 6: Finally stir the grated carrots into the cake batter.

Step 7: Then, add the cake batter to the pan and pat down to make sure it’s spread out to all the corners.

Step 8: Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean and the edges are golden and pulling away from the sides of the pan. Leave the cake in the pan to cool. Once cooled, move to a plate and make the icing.

Step 9: To make the icing, microwave the cream cheese for 10-20 seconds until warm and quite soft. To the cream cheese add 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp icing sugar and vanilla extract and stir until smooth.

Step 10: Once the cake is cooled, frost just the top of the cake and then top with additional shredded coconut if desired. Alternatively top th ecake with toasted coconut flakes for a beautiful presentation.

Step 11: Cake can be stored at room temperature, covered, for up to 3 days.

Expert tips

• Make sure you shred the carrots at home for this cake. I do not recommend use pre-packaged shredded carrots as they can be very dry and will not impart any moisture to the cake.
• Top the cake with shredded coconut or go the extra mile by toasting shredded or flaked coconut for a beautiful presentation.
• Make this carrot coconut cake one day ahead of time and wrap just the cooled cake in parchment paper then plastic wrap. Store at room temperature and frost before serving. Alternatively you can bake the cake, let it cool and then frost and store at room temperature to enjoy the next day.

Common questions

Can I use unsweetened coconut instead of sweetened?
I recommend using sweetened shredded coconut in this recipe as it adds to the overall flavour profile and helps keep the simple coconut carrot cake moist. Unsweetened shredded coconut is a bit more on the drier, less sweet side so it can affect the taste and texture of the cake slightly.

Can I make this cake ahead of time?
As this cake sits, it gets even better so making it one day ahead of time is perfectly fine. Make the cake; let it fully cool; and then ice it with the cream cheese frosting.

What if I want to make this in a round pan?
I have not tested this cake in a 9-inch round pan. A 9-inch round pan holds less volume than a 9-inch square pan so you risk the cake taking longer to bake and/or the cake over-flowing if using a round instead of square pan.

Storage

This cake can be stored at room temperature, covered, for up to 3 days since this cake tastes even better as the flavours meld together.

More simple and delicious cake recipes from the blog:

Apple Cinnamon Crumble Cake

Rhubarb Cake

The Best Dark Chocolate Cake

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Simple Coconut Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

A delicious one layer Simple Coconut Carrot Cake made with sweetened coconut and carrots. Topped with a delectable cream cheese frosting!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword carrot cake, coconut cake

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 9 -12 slices

Author Jess

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup whole milk greek yogurt
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 cups shredded carrots about 3 carrots

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup icing sugar
• 2 tbsp icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

• Pre heat the oven to 350F. Line a 9x9 inch pan with parchment paper, long enough to line the bottom of the pan with extra hanging over the sides. Spray the parchment paper OR grease well with butter.
• Shred carrots on the large side of a cheese grater and set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter, eggs and sugar.
• Then whisk in the greek yogurt and vanilla extract.
• Switch to a spoon and stir in the shredded coconut. Then add the flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg and salt and stir until combined.
• Finally stir in the shredded carrots.
• Then, add the batter to the pan and pat down to make sure it's spread out to all the corners.
• Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean and the edges are golden and pulling away from the sides of the pan.

  Leave in the pan to cool. Once cooled, move to a plate and make the frosting.
• To make the frosting, microwave the cream cheese for 10-20 seconds until warm and quite soft. To the cream cheese add 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp icing sugar and vanilla extract and stir until smooth.
• Frost the cooled cake and then top with additional shredded coconut if desired.
• Cake can be stored at room temperature, covered, for up to 3 days.

Notes

• Make sure you shred the carrots at home for this cake. I do not recommend use pre-packaged shredded carrots as they can be very dry and will not impart any moisture to the cake. 
• Top the cake with shredded coconut or go the extra mile by toasting shredded or flaked coconut for a beautiful presentation.
• Make this carrot coconut cake one day ahead of time and wrap just the cooled cake in parchment paper then plastic wrap. Store at room temperature and frost before serving. Alternatively you can bake the cake, let it cool and then frost and store at room temperature to enjoy the next day.

The post Simple Coconut Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.