The thing I like about coffee cake is that it isn’t just for breakfast or brunch, it’s also nice to whip up for a homey weeknight dessert. Our whole family adores the strawberry rhubarb combination in this coffee cake, with our homegrown rhubarb and fresh strawberries from Wegmeyer Farms, and the crispy topping and the holes in the top crust, which fill up with ice cream or whipped cream like floating puddles of milky goodness. It’s a dream of a cake that’s easy to make and perfect for a family meal.
Whole Wheat Strawberry Rhubarb Coffee Cake
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Adapted from King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking.
Author: Andrea Meyers
Serves: Makes 2 (9-inch) round coffeecakes, or 1 (9×13-inch) coffeecake.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (226 g) white whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup (60 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 stick (4 ounces/113 g) unsalted butter
- 1 cup (175 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk
- 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup (122 g) diced fresh rhubarb
- 1 cup (170 g) chopped fresh strawberries
- TOPPING
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup (88 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 350° F/175° C.
- In the medium bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. In the bowl of the stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Stir the vanilla extract in with the buttermilk. Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients and mix, then half the buttermilk, and mix. Repeat, and finish with the last of the dry ingredients. Fold the rhubarb and strawberries into the batter,
- Spread the batter evenly among the 2 pans and sprinkle on the topping. Bake in the preheated oven until the top is golden brown and a tester comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes (30 to 35 minutes for a 9×13 cake.) Allow to cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.
More Information
Equipment:
2 (9-inch) round or 1 (9×13-inch) cake pans, lightly greased
stand mixer with paddle attachment, or hand mixer with large bowl
medium mixing bowl
Recipe Notes:
If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make an easy substitute. Just stir together 1 tablespoon lemon juice with enough milk to make 1 cup, then allow it to rest at room temperature for about 10 to 15 minutes before using.
2 (9-inch) round or 1 (9×13-inch) cake pans, lightly greased
stand mixer with paddle attachment, or hand mixer with large bowl
medium mixing bowl
Recipe Notes:
If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make an easy substitute. Just stir together 1 tablespoon lemon juice with enough milk to make 1 cup, then allow it to rest at room temperature for about 10 to 15 minutes before using.
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Can you use frozen strawberries and frozen rhubarbs?
Hi Leslie. Yes, you can use frozen strawberries and rhubarb. I thaw it out first, and if there is too much liquid from the thawed fruit, I strain off some of it.