Coffee cake often gets a bad rep for being dry and crumbly, but the only crumble here is the delicious crumble top to this incredibly soft, fluffy and flavourful cake. I am absolutely in love with this cake for its simplicity and versatility. You can easily replace the strawberries and rhubarb with just about any other kind of fruit, like raspberries, blueberries, apples, pears, plums, and the list goes on! If you are short on time you could skip the crumble, but I highly suggest that you don't, it's absolutely delicious! The layer of fruit adds the perfect amount of moisture and softness to the cake.
It's always a good idea to use the same size of pan as the recipe suggests as it can really affect the outcome of your cake. I also highly recommend investing in a kitchen scale. They are inexpensive and so much more accurate than volume based measurements! As much as possible, I try to include both options but I am a big fan of weighing my ingredients. It's also less dishes!
This cake freezes very well wrapped in aluminum foil and sealed in a freezer bag up to two months. Otherwise, it can stay out at room temperature in a sealed container up to four days. I hope you enjoy this perfect tea time snack (or anytime snack)!
Strawberry-Rhubarb Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Yields one 9-inch cake
Ingredients
For the crumble topping:
1 cup (140 g) all-purpose flour
2/3 cup (130 g) granulated sugar
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup (1 stick - 115 g) unsalted butter, melted
For the cake:
1 1/2 cups (210 g) all-purpose flour
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1/3 cup (60 ml) canola or vegetable oil
3/4 cup (190 g) full-fat sour cream
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups (250 g) strawberries and rhubarb combined, chopped
Procedure
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9-inch round springform pan.
For the topping: mix together the flour, sugar and lemon zest. Add the melted butter and stir with a fork until all combined and crumbly. Set aside.
For the cake: in a medium bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Either in a separate bowl or an electric mixer, whisk the eggs until lightened in colour about 2 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the oil and continue beating on medium speed until well combined, another minute or two. Stop the mixer and add the sour cream and vanilla. Mix another 30 seconds. Lastly, add all the dry ingredients and mix on medium speed until the flour is just incorporated, about 30 seconds. Make sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and give it one last whisk. Do not overmix.
Pour the batter into the prepared tin and spread it evenly. Cover evenly with the chopped strawberries and rhubarb and then sprinkle the crumble all over the top. Break up any large clumps with your fingers.
Bake for about 45-60 minutes until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out *almost* clean. It's ok if there are a few crumbs stuck to the toothpick but it shouldn't be raw batter. Be careful not to overbake the cake as it will result in a dry and tough cake. Leave to cool in the pan about 20 minutes. Run a small paring knife along the sides of the cake and release the sides of the springform pan. Leave to cool at least one hour before attempting to remove the bottom. But you can also start cutting into it while it's still warm and delicious!
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