Celebrate rhubarb season with this easy, one-bowl Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake. This cake features a moist orange-scented pound cake baked on a bed of tart, sweet, juicy rhubarb strips. It all gets flipped upside-down after baking for a show-stopping presentation. Serve this friendly little cake at a springtime soirée or eat it with your hands over the sink, just promise me you'll make it before rhubarb season is over! Or make it with frozen rhubarb any time of year.
Recipe Background and Details
I love springtime for a lot of reasons, and rhubarb is at the tippy-top of the list. I love the versatility of rhubarb as an ingredient. It can be sweet or savory which makes it really fun to work with. I've been itching to make an upside-down cake with it for some time and decided to use my Orange Pound Cake as a jumping off point. To make it even easier, I used melted butter to eliminate the creaming step and thus eliminating the need for a mixer. It worked perfectly and makes this an easy, no-fuss, one-bowl cake.
If you love rhubarb, check out all of my other rhubarb recipes: rhubarb crumble scones, rhubarb muffins, pickled rhubarb, rhubarb chutney, rhubarb curd, rhubarb galette, and rhubarb elderflower refresher cocktail.
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Ingredients
A short list of ingredients are all you need to make this easy rhubarb upside-down cake. Be sure to check out the substitutions and variations heading below for some ideas to mix things up. See recipe card for exact quantities.
- melted butter - for the pan and the batter. I call for unsalted but I almost always use salted butter so just use what you have.
- granulated sugar - for the pan and the batter
- fresh rhubarb - frozen can be used as well but be sure to toss it with a bit of flour as it will be much juicier.
- eggs - room temperature is best
- vanilla extract - for that lovely flavor
- orange zest and juice - combined with the vanilla this flavor combo is hard to beat!
- all purpose flour
- baking powder and baking soda
- kosher salt
- plain whole milk yogurt - or sour cream, buttermilk, or kefir.
Instructions - how to make rhubarb upside-down cake
This cake comes together very quickly. The baking time is a tad long just because it is more of a pound cake batter which takes longer to bake than a lighter, airier cake. Also, the long bake time ensures that the rhubarb becomes nice and tender. Nobody wants a crunchy rhubarb upside-down cake.
Begin by gathering ingredients, preheating oven, slicing rhubarb. Prepare pan with melted butter and sugar before adding sliced rhubarb.
Combine yogurt and orange juice in a jar or small measuring cup, mix well, and set aside.
Next, combine melted butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add eggs and vanilla and mix very well. Add orange zest and then alternate adding the yogurt-orange juice mixture with the dry mixture, stirring well in between each addition. I usually do this in about 3 additions. So add ⅓ of the yogurt mixture, stir. Add ⅓ of the flour mixture, stir. Repeat until all ingredients have been added.
Spread the batter evenly over rhubarb in the prepared pan. Place pan on parchment or foil lined baking sheet just in case anything bubbles over. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached.
Allow cake to cool for 5-10 minutes before loosening the edges with a thin knife and carefully inverting onto a plate or cake stand. Slice and enjoy!
Top Tips
- Be sure to butter the sides of the cake pan very well or use non-stick spray.
- Due to the long baking time, I like to tent the cake loosely with foil after about 30 minutes to prevent over-browning.
- When ready to serve, use a very sharp, thin knife to gently slice through the rhubarb layer for the prettiest presentation. Also, clean the crumbs off the knife in between each slice.
- Don't stress if some of the fruit slips out of place or sticks to the pan - you can just nudge it back where it belongs and nobody will ever know.
Substitutions and Variations
- The rhubarb can be sliced or diced practically any way you prefer. The long strips are really pretty, but they don't serve an essential purpose.
- I have not tested this, but I think this would work well with a cup-for-cup gluten free flour blend such as King Arthur or Bob's Red Mill.
- Substitute half of the rhubarb for some sliced strawberries or another berry or fruit. If using something very juicy I recommend tossing it in a tablespoon or two of flour before adding to the cake pan.
- In place of the yogurt feel free to use sour cream, buttermilk, or kefir. If using buttermilk or kefir reduce the measurement from a full cup to ¾ cup.
- When adding sugar to the cake pan, feel free to use brown sugar in place of the white - I chose white only so the color of the rhubarb would really shine.
- Spice it up: It's hard to beat the orange and vanilla combo but you could add a different extract and/or some spices like ginger, cinnamon, cardamon, or nutmeg.
- Add a crumble topping! It will eventually become the bottom of course, but I think a crumble topping would be so good on this cake. Use the crumble topping from my Rhubarb Crumble Scones. Just be sure to tent with foil after 30 minutes or so to prevent over-browning.
What is the best way to store an upside-down cake?
Because of the high moisture content of this cake, it is best to store the cooled cake in the refrigerator wrapped or covered well. The rhubarb will continue to release moisture into the cake as it sits, so it's best eaten within a day or two.
I do not recommend freezing this cake as it would become very wet upon thawing.
How to flip an upside-down cake
- Let the cake cool for 5-10 minutes.
- Loosen the edges by running a knife around the outside of the cake.
- Place a platter or cake stand over the cake pan, right side down.
- Carefully flip the cake and platter together - I like to wear oven mitts when I do this
- Tap the bottom of the pan to help the cake come out.
- Give it a second and let gravity slowly drop the cake out of the pan.
- Don't worry if any fruit has slipped out of place or stuck to the pan. Just pop it back in place.
FAQ
An upside-down cake should be flipped while still quite warm to avoid any sticking. Allow the cake to cool for a maximum of 10 minutes before carefully flipping onto a cake stand or plate. Use oven mitts to avoid any burns!
Yes, you can use frozen rhubarb to make this rhubarb upside-down cake. Frozen rhubarb will often release more juice than fresh so I recommend tossing it in about a tablespoon of flour before layering it into the cake pan.
Rhubarb is a vegetable that is part of the buckwheat family. It is most commonly used as if it were a fruit though which can be confusing. To add to this confusion, in 1947 the USDA classified it as a fruit because fruit tariffs were lower than vegetable tariffs at the time. Click here for more fun rhubarb facts.
Related - dessert recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
- Sourdough Discard Apple Bread
- Sourdough Discard Coffee Cake
- Sourdough Peach Cobbler
- Sourdough Discard Blondies
Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake Recipe
Celebrate rhubarb season with this easy, one-bowl Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake. This cake features a moist orange-scented pound cake baked on a bed of tart, sweet, juicy rhubarb strips. It all gets flipped upside-down after baking for a show-stopping presentation. Serve this friendly little cake at a springtime soirée or eat it with your hands over the sink, just promise me you'll make it before rhubarb season is over! Or make it with frozen rhubarb any time of year.
- Total Time: 80 minutes
- Yield: 1 9-inch cake
Ingredients
for the pan:
1 ounce (2 tablespoons) butter, melted
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 pound fresh rhubarb (about 3 large stalks), sliced very thinly on a sharp diagonal
For the cake batter:
3 ounces (6 tablespoons) butter, melted
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
zest of one orange (about 1-2 tablespoons - use less if you don't want a strong orange flavor)
1.5 cups (180 grams) all purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup plain whole milk yogurt
3 tablespoons orange juice
Instructions
- Begin by gathering ingredients, preheating oven to 350 degrees F, slicing rhubarb.
- Prepare pan: Add 2 tablespoons melted butter and ¼ cup sugar to a 9-inch round cake pan in an even layer. Be sure to butter the sides of the pan as well before adding sliced rhubarb in a tight, even layer.
- Combine yogurt and orange juice in a jar or small measuring cup, mix well, and set aside.
- Next, combine 6 tablespoons melted butter and ¾ cup sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add eggs and vanilla and mix very well. Add orange zest and then alternate adding the yogurt-orange juice mixture with the dry mixture, stirring well in between each addition. I usually do this in about 3 additions. So add ⅓ of the yogurt mixture, stir. Add ⅓ of the flour mixture, stir. Repeat until all ingredients have been added.
- Spread the batter evenly over rhubarb in the prepared pan. Place pan on parchment or foil lined baking sheet just in case anything bubbles over. Bake in the center of preheated oven for 60 to 70 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached. Cover cake loosely with foil after 30 minutes or so to prevent over browning.
- Allow cake to cool for 5-10 minutes before carefully inverting onto a cake stand or large platter. See how-to tips above in blog post.
- Slice and enjoy with whipped cream or ice cream!
Notes
You can use frozen rhubarb to make this rhubarb upside-down cake. Frozen rhubarb will often release more juice than fresh so I recommend tossing it in about a tablespoon of flour before layering it into the cake pan.
The rhubarb can be sliced or diced practically any way you prefer. The long strips are really pretty, but they don't serve an essential purpose.
If you don't want to use orange zest or juice, just use 3 tablespoons of milk in place of the oj.
I have not tested this, but I think this would work well with a cup-for-cup gluten free flour blend such as King Arthur or Bob's Red Mill.
Substitute half of the rhubarb for some sliced strawberries or another berry or fruit. If using something very juicy I recommend tossing it in a tablespoon or two of flour before adding to the cake pan.
Spice it up: It's hard to beat the orange and vanilla combo but you could add a different extract and/or some spices like ginger, cinnamon, cardamon, or nutmeg.
When adding sugar to the cake pan, feel free to use brown sugar in place of the white - I chose white only so the color of the rhubarb would really shine.
In place of the yogurt feel free to use sour cream, buttermilk, or kefir. If using buttermilk or kefir reduce the measurement from a full cup to ¾ cup.
Add a crumble topping! It will eventually become the bottom of course, but I think a crumble topping would be so good on this cake. Use the crumble topping from my Rhubarb Crumble Scones. Just be sure to tent with foil after 30 minutes or so to prevent over-browning.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 60-70 minutes
- Category: desserts, cakes
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: American
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