You may recall I was full of rage perturbed on Mother’s Day when I couldn’t find rhubarb in time to make this dessert. So obvs I made it for Father’s Day instead!

Let’s make this very clear: this is one for the rhubarb lovers of the world. The rhubarb isn’t diced into little pieces like in this cake, or boiled down to a syrup like for this cocktail, or combined with strawberries to add sweetness. Oh no. The rhubarb in this cake is center stage, loud and proud, and at least one point in eating it, your mouth will pucker from the tartness.

Of course, my parents loved it, and I thought it was just so pretty. I actually should have made it a day before, because cakes like this tend to get better as they sit. One more interesting thing about this cake is that it has a crumble topping, that turns into a crumble bottom once you turn it out. I think I would leave it out next time, so I didn’t include it in the recipe below.

Previous upside-down cakes: Pineapple! Peach! Strawberry!

Rhubarb Upside Down Cake

Source: Patent and the Pantry

Yield: one 9″ cake, 12 slices, depending on how you slice it

Ingredients

Topping

1 lb rhubarb, sliced on a pretty diagonal

3/4 cup sugar

Cake

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp salt

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

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 cup sour cream

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350, and spray a 9″ cake pan with non-stick spray.
  2. Toss the rhubarb and sugar together, and let sit while you make the cake.
  3. For cake, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a small bowl and set aside.
  4. In a large bowl, mix the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
  5. Beat in flour in three additions, alternating with the sour cream, beginning and ending with the flour.
  6. Add the rhubarb to the pan, and spread out evenly. Pour the cake batter overtop, and spread evenly over the rhubarb. Bake the cake for 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a plate or platter.