In this rhubarb upside-down cake recipe, tart fresh rhubarb is topped with a very sweet and simple homemade cake!

Baked until golden, this cake is fluffy and moist with an incredibly fresh topping that has the perfect amount of sweetness and tartness. This is bound to be an all-time favorite rhubarb dessert yet!

piece of Rhubarb Upside Down Cake on a plate with a fork and ice cream on top

What is Upside Down Cake?

Upside-down cake refers to the method of making the cake. The fruit topping (in this case, the rhubarb), is added to the bottom of a cake pan.

Then the cake mix is poured over the top and then cooked. For the final step, the cake is flipped out of the pan so that the hot and sweet fruit filling is on the top!

This is an extra moist cake with lots of rhubarb flavor.

Rhubarb Upside Down Cake on a serving plate

An Easy Upside Down Cake

  • With just a little prep, it is so easy to bake this homemade cake.
  • Made with pantry ingredients you likely have on hand this cake is so moist.
  • Tart rhubarb is mixed with some sugar and butter so that it reaches the perfect balance of sweet and tart.
  • Topped with a homemade cake that is moist and fluffy, it will be hard not to reach for seconds!
ingredients assembled to make rhubarb upside down cake including rhubarb, sugar, flour, and butter.

Ingredients

RHUBARB: If picking rhubarb, twist the stalks off and be sure to discard the leaves. If buying these pinkish stalks at grocery stores or a farmer’s market, they should be crisp (not limp) and should snap easily. If rhubarb isn’t in season, then use frozen rhubarb.

CAKE: The cake mix for this recipe is a simple cake from scratch.

A little butter (unsalted & room temperature), sugar, all purpose flour, milk, and eggs are just a few of the easy-to-find ingredients. Not much time on your hands? Replace the homemade cake with a boxed cake mix.

VARIATIONS: Add some sliced strawberries to the rhubarb for a sweeter fruit topping. Add some lemon or orange zest.

Process of making rhubarb upside down cake

How to Make Rhubarb Upside Down Cake

This sweet and decadent cake just sings spring and is so easy to bake!

  1. Chop the rhubarb and toss with flour.
  2. Add butter and sugar to a pan and arrange rhubarb overtop.
  3. Prepare the cake batter (as per the recipe below) and spread over the rhubarb.
  4. Bake. Let cool slightly and flip upside down.

Top with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream and serve warm or room temperature.

Steps showing how to make Rhubarb Upside Down cake

Storage and Leftovers

Rhubarb cake will keep in the refrigerator for 3 days. Cover and keep in an air-tight container.

It also freezes very well. Let cool, wrap, and then store in the freezer and have ready for when guests are on their way over.

Rhubarb Upside Down Cake on a plate

Got Rhubarb in the Garden?

Did your family love this Rhubarb Upside Down Cake? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!

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piece of Rhubarb Upside Down Cake with a fork and ice cream on top
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Rhubarb Upside Down Cake

Fresh rhubarb is topped with a simple moist cake and baked until golden!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 8
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Ingredients  

  • 3 cups fresh rhubarb 2-3 medium stalks, chopped
  • 1 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup butter melted
  • ½ cup brown sugar

Batter

  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup butter melted
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice + zest from lemon
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 pinch salt
  • cup milk

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Toss rhubarb & flour in a small bowl.
  • Pour ¼ cup melted butter into a 9" round pan. Top with brown sugar. Arrange the rhubarb mixture on the brown sugar. Set aside.

Batter

  • Combine sugar & melted butter. Stir in egg & lemon juice.
  • In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, lemon zest, & a pinch of salt.
  • Add flour mixture alternately with the milk to the butter mixture. Stir just until combined.
  • Spread the batter over the rhubarb mixture and bake 32-36 minutes or just until a toothpick comes out clean.
  • Remove from the oven, let cool in the pan 15-20 minutes. Run a knife along the edge of the cake and invert onto a platter. Serve warm with ice cream if desired.

Notes

To add strawberries, reduce the rhubarb to 2 1/2 cups and add 1 1/2 cups of fresh strawberries. Toss the berries with the flour and proceed with the rest of the recipe as written.
It is important to wait 15 minutes before turning the cake over to allow the topping to set.
Leftover cake will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days. 
To freeze: Let cool, wrap, and then store in the freezer for up to 2 months. 
5 from 55 votes

Nutrition Information

Calories: 357 | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 125mg | Potassium: 364mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 35g | Vitamin A: 460IU | Vitamin C: 31.4mg | Calcium: 131mg | Iron: 1.7mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Cake, Dessert
Cuisine American
Rhubarb Upside Down Cake on a plate with a title
piece of Rhubarb Upside Down Cake on a plate with iced cream and writing
Rhubarb Upside Down Cake on a plate with a fork and writing
ingredients to make Rhubarb Upside Down Cake and a piece of Rhubarb Upside Down Cake on a plate with a title

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About the author

Holly Nilsson is the creator of Spend With Pennies, where she creates easy, comforting recipes made for real life. With a passion for nostalgic flavors and simplified techniques, Holly helps busy home cooks create delicious meals that always work. She is also the author of “Everyday Comfort,” which promises to inspire even more hearty, home-cooked meals.
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Comments

  1. This was a tart and moist rhubarb cake – as it should be! Thank you for creating and sharing this simple and delicious recipe.5 stars