Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake Recipe

Why It's Good:

Giant stalks of this tart-bitter vegetable combined with sugar magically transforms into delicious desserts (like for your dad on Father's Day, hint, hint). It is also a good source of magnesium, and a very good source of fiber, vitamins C and K, calcium, potassium, and manganese.

Why It's Green:

In the raw, rhubarb is so tart and bitter that bugs won't even eat it (the leaves contain large amounts of oxalates, which are toxic to bugs and humans), requiring no pesticides. In fact, you can boil rhubarb leaves in water, strain them, and use them as a natural pesticide (for ornamentals only). It's an easy to grow, plentiful plant—use it as a perennial shrub in your garden.

Let 'Em Eat Cake

Rhubarb is one of those things you buy that the cashier always asks, "What's that?"

Then I always say: Well, it's this super-tart stalk that you can chop up and use in a pie, crisp, cake, or jam and it tastes really, really, really good.

Then the cashier just looks at me and shrugs: "Oh."

I only wish I could take her home and make her my rhubarb upside-down cake then maybe she'd rave like a lunatic about rhubarb in public like I do.

  Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake



I like to make upside-down cakes in an ovenproof 10-inch iron or heavy skillet as it caramelizes the bottom nicely, which will be your cake top! (No rubber handles, please.) If you don't have one, use a 9-inch round cake pan instead.

Topping:

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, organic if possible

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 tablespoon orange juice

3 cups rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 1/4 pounds rhubarb)

Cake:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 large eggs, from a local producer if possible, at room temperature

3/4 cup organic milk or buttermilk


Preheat the oven to 375°F.


For the topping:

1. Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat until the foam subsides. Reduce the heat to low and sprinkle the brown sugar over the butter. Cook, without stirring, 2 to 3 minutes, or until most of the butter is melted. Remove the skillet from the heat. (If using a cake pan place the butter in the pan in the oven until melted and then top with brown sugar and leave in the oven 5 minutes longer).

2. Toss the orange juice and rhubarb together then scatter evenly over the top of the brown sugar.


Make the batter:

1. Stir together the flour, baking powder, soda, and salt in a small bowl.

2. With an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar, and extracts at medium speed until pale and fluffy, 4 minutes. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, then beat an extra 3 minutes until light and fluffy.

3. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in 3 parts, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Scrape sides and bottom well and fold into batter (do not overbeat). Spoon the batter over the rhubarb and gently spread to edges.


Bake the cake:

1. Bake the cake until edges are pulled slightly from sides and are golden brown, about 40 to 45 minutes.

2. Remove from oven and wearing oven mitts, place a large plate over the skillet or pan. Invert cake onto place. Replace any rhubarb that sticks to the bottom. Serve warm or at room temperature.—Susie Quick