The walnuts and apple pair well with rhubarb in this coffee cake recipe from The Pocket Rhubarb Cookbook by Nina Mukerjee Furstenau. Sprinkle a generous amount of turbinado or other raw sugar on top for a little extra pizzaz. Not to mention, in a surprising twist for most baked goods, this recipe gets better the next day. If using frozen rhubarb for this recipe, be sure to measure it out while still frozen, then completely thaw in a colander. Just be sure not to press the liquid out of the rhubarb before making this coffee cake.
Why Does Coffee Cake Not Use Coffee?
The curious case of coffee cake and its lack of coffee lies in its historical purpose rather than its ingredients. Originating in Europe, likely Germany, in the 17th century, coffee cake did not intend to contain coffee, but rather to be the perfect accompaniment to a cup of coffee. As coffee houses became popular, these sweet and spice-full cakes and breads were served alongside the bitter beverage to create a balanced experience. This tradition of pairing a sweet treat with coffee takes coffee cakes to America, where they often feature a crumbly streusel topping and then sometimes a swirl of cinnamon, maintaining its identity as the ideal partner for your morning or afternoon coffee break.
Rhubarb, Apple, and Walnut Coffee Cake
- Yield: Makes 1 Loaf, 12 Slices 1x
Description
Get your morning wake-me-up in the form of a seasonal coffee cake.
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ½ tsp vanilla
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 ¼ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¾ cup chopped peeled apple
- ¾ cup chopped fresh or frozen rhubarb (thawed)
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- Turbinado or other raw sugar to sprinkle on top
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl, whisk eggs, sugar, oil, and vanilla until blended.
- In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon; add the dry mixture to the egg mixture and stir just until moistened.
- Fold in the apples, rhubarb, and walnuts. The batter will be thick.
- Transfer into a greased 8 ½- or 9-inch loaf pan.
- Sprinkle a generous amount of turbinado sugar over the top. Bake 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool.
Recipe Excerpted from The Pocket Rhubarb Cookbook by Nina Mukerjee Furstenau (Belt Publishing, © 2025)
Story by Julia Platt Leonard
Styling by Keith Recker
Photography by Dave Bryce
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