Tropical flavors like mango, pineapple and passionfruit remind me of home. But, there are certain flavors of the Pacific Northwest that I’ve come to know and love as well. One of my go-tos is rhubarb. And just like I look forward to pumpkin-recipes in the fall, I always look forward to rhubarb-recipes in the spring. Some of my favorite rhubarb recipes include Rhubarb Custard Pie and Homemade Rhubarb Frozen Yogurt. But this year I’m adding a new favorite to the mix: Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
I love this recipe because it’s a great play on the traditional Hawaiian Pineapple Upside-Down Cake. Only, Oregon-style. It’s the perfect collision of my two worlds. Plus, I’ve never liked canned pineapple.
If you live in Hawaii or another location that doesn’t grow fresh rhubarb – I’m finding that it’s increasingly more common to find it pre-cut in the freezer aisle along with the other frozen fruits and veggies. I bet this recipe would be just as good with the frozen fruit. Just, make sure to defrost first. Duh.
Anyway, I gotta run. There’s a piece of cake with my name on it.
¾ lb. rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 1 ½” pieces on an angle
1 ½ cups sugar
4 T unsalted butter, plus 6 T cut into ½” cubes and chilled
1 T fresh lemon juice
2 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp salt
2 ½ cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ cup vegetable shortening
⅓ cup milk
2 eggs
Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Heat oven to 375°. Combine rhubarb, 1 cup sugar, 4 T butter, lemon juice, vanilla, and ¼ tsp salt in a 9″ cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar is melted and rhubarb is tender and slightly caramelized, 8-10 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk together remaining sugar and salt, plus flour and baking powder in a bowl. Add remaining butter and the shortening and, using your fingers, rub into flour mixture to form coarse pea-size pieces. Add milk and eggs and stir until a soft, sticky dough forms. Place spoonfuls of dough over rhubarb mixture and smooth with a nonstick spatula. Bake until the crust is golden and cooked through, about 30 minutes. Remove skillet from oven; place a large flat serving platter on top of the skillet and invert quickly and carefully. Serve warm or at room temperature with ice cream or whipped cream, if you like.
Adapted from http://www.saveur.com/article/recipes/Rhubarb-Upside-Down-Cake
Adapted from http://www.saveur.com/article/recipes/Rhubarb-Upside-Down-Cake
Margaritas in the Rain http://margaritasintherain.com/
Image may be NSFW.
