We planted a rhubarb crown in a dolly tub in our garden about 3 years ago. Gardening/allotment experts say you should allow a young plant at least a year without harvesting to encourage vigour. We’ve finally felt able to pick a few stalks this year.

I’d normally use it to make a crumble however, I’ve never made a rhubarb upside-down cake before and thought it would go down a treat.

I tweaked a recipe I found on the Guardian website. The results were so delicious, I’m already planning on reusing the recipe to make a pear upside-down cake next week.

I love the pretty patterns that you can make with fruit on the ‘top’ of upside-down cakes.

The cake batter is one of the easiest I’ve ever thrown together. It calls for vegetable oil instead of butter, a couple of eggs, caster sugar, flour and baking powder – just mix the wet into the dry ingredients. It takes all of about 3 minutes!

The soft brown sugar and butter in the base of the skillet came together to form the most wonderful, chewy caramelised edges.

It was lovely with a little pouring cream but it would be equally good – hot or room temperature – with vanilla ice cream or on its own.

Save the recipe to Pinterest here!

Rhubarb upside-down cake

2017-07-05 11:29:27

Serves 8

Ingredients

1. 80g/3oz diced unsalted butter and a bit more for greasing
2. 140g/5oz soft brown sugar
3. 4-5 stalks rhubarb
4. 150g/5¼oz caster sugar
5. 175g/6oz plain flour
6. 1 heaped tsp baking powder
7. 150ml/5 fl oz sunflower oil
8. 2 large eggs

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas mark 4
2. Grease a 30cm/12-inch cast iron skillet with a little butter
3. Scatter the brown sugar and butter over the bottom of the skillet and put it in the oven for 5 minutes
4. Remove the skillet from the oven and press the raw rhubarb into the melted butter and sugar
5. Mix the sugar, flour and baking powder in a large bowl
6. In a measuring jug, beat the vegetable oil and eggs together
7. Add the liquid to the dry ingredients and mix well
8. Pour the batter over the rhubarb in the skillet and return the pan to the oven for about 35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes away clean
9. Allow the cake to cool in the skillet on the top of the stove before running a sharp knife around the rim and carefully turning the pan upside down on to a plate

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By Claire Thomson

Adapted from The Guardian

Adapted from The Guardian

H is for Home Harbinger https://hisforhomeblog.com/