A method for forming tubular solid oxide cells is described. The methods include co-extrusion of an electrode precursor and a sacrificial material to form a multi-layered precursor followed by phase inversion and sintering to remove the sacrificial layer and form an electrode substrate for use in a tubular solid oxide cell. Upon phase inversion and sintering of the precursor, a micro-channel array can be generated in the electrode that is generally perpendicular to the tube surface. The open pored micro-scale geometry of the porous electrode substrate can significantly reduce resistance for fuel/gas transport and increase effective surface area for electrochemical reactions.