This rhubarb upside down cake recipe is a delicious combination of a plush velvety sour cream cake topped with tart rhubarb and caramelized sugar and butter. My recipe is uses a flavorful combination of ground ginger, orange zest, and vanilla in the cake which pair beautifully with the bright tart rhubarb.
Single layer cakes are great when you want a simple sweet treat and since I love rhubarb I decided to make this upside down rhubarb cake recipe. I made my first one a few years ago with another recipe and absolutely loved the sweet tart combination of this dessert.
One of the things I learned in my other upside down cake recipes, like my blackberry upside down cake, was to control the sweetness in the cake so it offered a nice contrast to the sweetness in the fruit topping. So for this cake I use almost equal amounts of sugar and flour, which give just the right amount of sweetness.
Three of the Things I Love About this Rhubarb Cake
- I love how the tart rhubarb filling contrasts with the sweet cake. The rhubarb mellows the sweetness of the cake and the cake mellows the tartness of the rhubarb for the perfect combo.
- How soft the rhubarb becomes during the baking, making it easy to slice through the topping and the cake with a spoon.
- The combination of orange zest, vanilla extract, and ground ginger. This combo adds a sweet citrus note, a sweet floral note, and a little spice.
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Cheryl's Baker's Notes
- Orange + Rhubarb: I discovered this pairing through The Flavor Bible and I love it. While the rhubarb is tart as it should be, the orange zest adds a citrusy floral taste and aroma that complements the sharp taste of the rhubarb.
- Brown Sugar + White Sugar: After testing I decided to use both sugars. The brown sugar's caramel notes taste good with the rhubarb, but I didn't want the rhubarb flavor to be overwhelmed with that caramel flavor, so I replaced half of it with granulated sugar which gave me the perfect level of sweetness and caramelization without diluting the rhubarb flavor.
- Temperature Check: Because of the abundance of fruit and the sugary syrup this cake takes at least 50 minutes to completely bake, so I found that using an instant-read thermometer is the best way to check for doneness without under or overbaking the cake.
Rhubarb Upside Down Cake Ingredients
- Fresh Rhubarb: For a pretty display look for rhubarb stalks that are bright red, though green stalks will work in terms of tartness. The stalks should have a slight shine to them. I don't recommend using frozen rhubarb for this recipe, because the water adds too much liquid to the topping.
Full ingredients, measurements, and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Make This Upside Down Cake
Before you start baking make sure you have a cake pan that is 9x2-inches. It will need to be at least 2-inches deep to accommodate the fruit and the cake batter.
Step 1: Melt the butter and pour it into a parchment-lined cake pan.
Step 2: Spread the brown sugar over the melted butter.
Step 3: Arrange the rhubarb over the sugar butter mixture.
Step 4: Zest the oranges on top of the sugar in the mixing bowl.
Step 5: Use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar
Step 6: Add the butter and beat on medium speed until creamy.
Step 7: Beat in the eggs one at a time then add the vanilla extract.
Step 8: Add 1/3 of the flour and mix on low. Always mix the flour in on low to limit gluten development
Step 9: Mix in half the sour cream then alternate the remaining flour and sour cream.
Step 10: Spoon the batter on top of the rhubarb.
Step 11: Smooth the top with an offset spatula.
Step 10: Bake the cake until a cake tester comes out clean or the internal temperature registers 200°F in the center.
Step 11: Cool the cake for 10 minutes then invert cake onto a plate or a platter.
My Tips for a Successful Bake
- Weigh your ingredients. Weighing the rhubarb will ensure you have enough and weighing the flour will ensure your cake isn't too dry from too much flour or it doesn't sink in the middle from having too much. Plus you end up with fewer dirty dishes.
- Take your time fitting the rhubarb into the pan. You can also use different patterns depending on how long your stalks are.
- Check your ginger. If your jar of ginger is old (more than 6 months) the flavor may have diminished and it won't add much flavor to the cake. If you want that hint of ginger flavor buy a new jar if yours is old.
If you make this sweet tart rhubarb dessert please leave a rating and a comment below.
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Rhubarb Upside Down Cake (with Orange and Ginger)
Equipment
- 9x2-inch Round Cake Pan
- Microplane Grater
Ingredients
Rhubarb Topping
- 4 tablespoons (57 grams) unsalted butter melted
- 1/3 cup (67 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup (67 grams) packed light brown sugar
- 1 pound (454 grams) rhubarb stalks cut into pieces to fit a 9-inch cake pan
Make the Cake
- 1-1/2 cups + 2 tablespoons (200 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon Diamond kosher salt
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- 1-1/2 teaspoons (3 grams) orange zest
- 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 large (100 grams) eggs room temperature
- 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup (180 grams) sour cream room temperature
Instructions
Mise en Place
- Wash and trip the rhubarb pieces and fit them into the pan before prepping the pan and adding the butter. Remove the pieces and lay them in the same order they'll be added back to the pan on top of the sugar layer.
Prepare Cake Pan
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 9x2-inch round cake pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper.
Make the Rhubarb Topping
- Melt the butter and pour it into the cake pan, tilting the pan to spread the butter evenly across the bottom. Whisk together the granulated sugar and brown sugar, then sprinkle the sugar mixture across the bottom of the pan, creating an even layer. Lightly press the sugar into the butter. Arrange the rhubarb pieces in the pan in a single layer, cutting pieces as needed to fit snugly.
Make the Cake Batter
- Place the all-purpose flour, baking powder, ground ginger, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk together.
- Place the sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Zest the orange directly into the sugar and use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar until fragrant. Add the butter and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed with the paddle attachment until creamy and lighter in color, about 3 minutes. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until well combined. Scrape the bottom and sides of the mixing bowl.
- Add 1/3 of the flour mixture and beat on low speed until the flour is just mixed in. Do not overmix. Add half of the sour cream and beat until combined. Add half of the remaining flour and mix on low until just combined. Scrape any flour from the sides of the mixing bowl.
- Add the remaining sour cream, mix on low, then add the remaining flour and mix on low until combined. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl and mix on low speed for another 10–20 seconds to make sure everything is well combined.
- Add the cake batter on top of the rhubarb in dollops. Use an offset spatula to gently spread the cake batter across the rhubarb, being careful not to disturb the fruit arrangement.
Bake the Cake
- Place the pan in the oven and bake for 55–60 minutes. The temperature of the cake in the center should be about 200°F.
- Remove from the oven, run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake and then let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Place your serving plate firmly on top of the pan before inverting it. Carefully remove the parchment paper if it sticks to the cake. If any rhubarb pieces stick to the parchment, pull them off and place them back on the cake.
Serving the Cake
- Serve warm or at room temperature. The cake is delicious on its own and also pairs beautifully with lightly sweetened whipped cream or ice cream.
Storage
- Store the cake loosely covered at room temperature for up to 2 days. The rhubarb topping will soften the top layer of the cake slightly as it sits. For longer storage, refrigerate for up to 4 days and bring to room temperature before serving.
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