The combination of saucy tart rhubarb and fluffy cake makes this wonderful Rhubarb Upside Down Cake. Mind you anything with rhubarb in it is wonderful in my books. This cake is the perfect recipe to make for a special dinner as it looks quite impressive even though the process of making it is quite simple. The rhubarb cooks at the bottom of the pan into a delicious sticky sauce which when you flip the cake out onto a serving plate makes a very pretty topping.
It amazes me that such a tart vegetable can transform into such a delicious treat with just the addition of a little sugar and some heat. It makes you wonder what enticed the first person to try cooking rhubarb..they took a bite of a stalk and said ” wow this is really sour, I think I should try cooking it!” Well anyway I sure am glad someone figured it out because it is one of the sure signs of spring and all of the good things to come now that the snow has finally gone.
Now that the rhubarb is sprouting up, the next will be the wild strawberries. But we will have at least 5 or 6 weeks before that tiny little package with the big wallop of flavour ripens. Soon the blossoms on the strawberry and blueberry bushes will open and that is when the promise of all the summer fruit to come seems plausible. The nights here are still going down to the freezing point so we know it still is just spring and we have to be patient for the summer heat to come.
In the meantime we will be happy that we have the spring rhubarb to keep us occupied in the kitchen – concocting new ways to use it and making tried and true recipes. So enjoy the rhubarb while it is in season as like all good things it seems to slip by so quickly.
- 3 cups sliced fresh rhubarb
- ½ tbsp butter
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup strawberry or apple jelly
- ⅔ cup butter, room temp
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1½ cups all purpose flour
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp salt
- 2½ tsp baking powder
- ⅓ cup milk
- ¼ tsp almond extract
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- Butter a 9" round cake pan very well. Sprinkle the ¼ cup sugar evenly over the bottom.
- Microwave the jelly in a small glass bowl for 20-30 seconds until it melts.
- Mix the rhubarb and jelly until the rhubarb is well coated.
- Spread the rhubarb in an even layer on top of the sugar in the cake pan.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy - about 3 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well. Scrape down the bowl to ensure all of the butter is incorporated.
- In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, cinnamon, salt and baking powder.
- In a glass measure mix together the milk and extracts.
- Add the flour and milk mixtures alternately to the butter mixture blending just until well combined.
- Spread the cake batter evenly over the rhubarb.
- Bake for about 30 minutes until golden on the top, then place a piece of aluminum foil loosely over the top and continue baking for 10 minutes longer or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Let the cake rest sit for about 8-10 minutes (no longer) then run a knife around the edge to loosen the cake then invert onto a serving plate.