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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!
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.
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
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.
How to Make Rhubarb Upside Down Cake
This sweet and decadent cake just sings spring and is so easy to bake!
- Chop the rhubarb and toss with flour.
- Add butter and sugar to a pan and arrange rhubarb overtop.
- Prepare the cake batter (as per the recipe below) and spread over the rhubarb.
- Bake. Let cool slightly and flip upside down.
Top with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream and serve warm or room temperature.
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.
Got Rhubarb in the Garden?
Did your family love this Rhubarb Upside Down Cake? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
Rhubarb Upside Down Cake
Equipment
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
- ⅔ 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
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Cake, Dessert
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
this looks awesome! I want to also add strawberries. should I just do 1 1/2 cups strawberries and 1 1/2 cups rhubarb?
I think that would be delicious, Michelle! I would love to hear how it turns out for you.
could I use I springform pan for this? sounds delish, can’t wait to try!
I have never tried this recipe in a springform pan but I think it would work. To prevent any leaking you might want to wrap the bottom of the pan in tin foil and place on a baking sheet to cook but I would love to hear how it turns out for you.
This was a tart and moist rhubarb cake – as it should be! Thank you for creating and sharing this simple and delicious recipe.