Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake

When rhubarb comes into season in the spring, take advantage of its beautiful pink hue and sweet-tart flavor. This elegant rhubarb upside-down cake shows off the fruit in all its glory, no decoration or fiddling with frosting necessary. Rhubarb reminds Ree of her grandmother—and she loves it just as much for its unique, one-of-a-kind taste. “Strange and beautiful and tart,” she says. Can't argue with that!

If you end up with a surplus of rhubarb in your kitchen, treat yourself to a rhubarb crisp or strawberry rhubarb pie next.

Why is it called an upside-down cake?

An upside-down cake is a cake that's baked with its toppings on the bottom. Once the cake is fully baked, it is flipped out onto a serving platter to reveal the beautiful underside. In this recipe, pink rhubarb is cut into diagonal pieces and arranged on the bottom of the cake pan. Then, a sticky-sweet caramel sauce is poured over the rhubarb. Finally, the batter goes in, and the cake is baked. Once the baked cake cools for a few minutes in the pan, it's flipped onto a plate so the rhubarb and caramel sauce are on top. The same process is used for pineapple upside-down cake.

How do you pick out and store rhubarb?

Look for thick stalks of rhubarb with the boldest color. You can store stalks on the counter for a day or two, but to keep rhubarb fresh for longer, stick it in the refrigerator. Store the stalks in a plastic bag with a few holes poked in it for air. Place the bag in a crisper drawer to keep it crunchy and fresh.

How do you prepare rhubarb before cooking?

Rhubarb is a lot like celery, and you can treat it in a similar way. Before cooking the stalks, remove the tougher, woody bottom portion.

How do you prevent an upside-down cake from sticking to the pan?

The surest way to make sure a cake doesn't stick is to properly prepare the pan. An easy, no-fuss way to grease a pan is to use baking spray followed by a dusting of flour. For this cake, since you want to keep the fruit in place, line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. The beautiful, smooth caramel drizzled over the rhubarb helps to create a barrier between the cake and pan, but a little parchment paper offers extra insurance.

When should you flip an upside-down cake?

Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before flipping. If you wait too long, the caramel may set and stick to the pan. Flip while it’s still warm—when the caramel is smooth and fluid, but not so hot that it runs everywhere.