Is there anything that screams spring like a bunch of rhubarb on the farm stand? I think not. But then again, I get weak at the knees over the stuff. And judging from my recent website analytics, I am not alone. "Moist Rhubarb Muffins" has been the most popular blog post/recipe on this site for the past week. And if people are intrigued by that recipe, they will be blown away by this one for Rhubarb Upside Down Cake.......
When my mother asked me to 'make dessert' on Mother's Day, I knew I wanted to make something with rhubarb. And while rhubarb crisp would have garnered no complaints, I actually wanted to try something different. Maybe even a little more special? So I set out searching for some inspiration, and this recipe for a rhubarb upside-down cake caught my eye.
Until recently, I was very intimidated by 'upside-down' cakes -- reckoning that unmolding a hot cake with molten fruit on the bottom was nothing short of impossible (read crazy). But when I finally made one, I realized that it is much easier than I had imagined. And as a bonus, the end result is really quite elegant.
This recipe recommends cutting the rhubarb into long strips, on the bias, which turns to be both practical and esthetically pleasing. I made the cake in a 10 inch square pan, instead of using a nine inch round layer cake pan as recommended. The square pan made for easy work when placing the rhubarb in the pan, but the resulting cake came out quite thin. If I make the cake again, I will definitely double the cake batter recipe for a more substantial cake.
As you can see, there is a crumb 'topping' on this cake, which becomes a crust (of sorts) when the cake is flipped. The jury is still out as to whether this adds much to the overall cake, but it definitely didn't distract.
This cake is not overly sweet, and was lovely served with some vanilla ice cream. My grandmother took the leftovers home, and according to her, the cake stayed well (refrigerated) for several days.
Simple. Elegant. Delicious. Why not give it a try?
The printable recipe is here.