6 – 8 serving(s)
PREP TIME: 30 mins
TOTAL TIME: 1 hr 10 mins
CAL/SERV: 605
Ingredients
- Baking spray with flour
- 12 oz. rhubarb, trimmed
- 1 c. plus 2 tbsp. granulated sugar, divided
- 2 tsp. cornstarch
- 3/4 c. unsalted butter, softened and divided
- 1/4 c. firmly packed light brown sugar
- 2 tbsp. honey
- 3/4 tsp. kosher salt, divided
- 1 tbsp. orange juice
- 1 tsp. orange zest
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 3/4 tsp. ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 c. sour cream, room temperature
- Ice cream or whipped cream, to serve
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Spray a 9-inch round cake pan with baking spray with flour. Line the bottom with parchment; do not spray again.
- Cut the rhubarb into 2-inch diagonal pieces. Cut each piece in half widthwise so that each piece has a pink side and a green-white side. Place the rhubarb in a large bowl and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of sugar and the cornstarch. Toss to combine. Place the rhubarb in the prepared pan pink side down, trimming the pieces to fit snugly in the pan.
- In a medium stainless-steel skillet, melt ¼ cup of butter over medium heat; stir in the brown sugar, honey, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Bring the mixture to a simmer; cook until the sugar is melted and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Slowly pour in the orange juice, whisk until combined and smooth. Pour the caramel over the rhubarb.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the remaining ½ cup of butter, remaining 1 cup of granulated sugar, orange zest, and vanilla at medium speed until creamy, 2 to 3 minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, ginger, baking soda, and the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture alternately with the sour cream, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, beating just until combined after each addition. Carefully spread the batter onto the rhubarb in the pan.
- Bake for 30 minutes. Place a piece of foil on top of the cake to prevent excess browning and bake until a wooden pick comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes more. Remove the foil and let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the sides of the cake to loosen; carefully invert the cake onto a serving plate, removing the parchment. Let cool.
- Serve warm, room temperature, or cold with ice cream or whipped cream.
How to choose and preserve rhubarb?
For this recipe, choose nice, thick rhubarb stalks. If possible, choose the most colorful ones for a bright pink dessert. If you plan to use the rhubarb in a day or two, you can leave the stalks on the counter, as long as they are kept in a cool, dry place. To keep rhubarb fresh longer, store it in the refrigerator. Store the stalks in a plastic bag with a few holes in it. Place the bag in a refrigerator drawer so that air circulation prevents the rhubarb from softening. To prepare rhubarb, treat it as you would celery. Just cut off the tough ends and discard the leaves.
How can I make sure my upside-down cake doesn’t stick?
The first way to make sure a cake won’t stick is to prepare the pan. A simple and easy way to grease a pan is to use oil spray with flour. To keep the fruit in place, line the bottom of the pan with baking paper. The soft caramel drizzled over the rhubarb also helps create a barrier between the cake and the pan. This recipe uses orange juice and cornstarch to make the caramel smooth. Finally, be sure to flip the cake after 10 minutes of cooling. The cake is more likely to stick if the caramel is at room temperature.
