This delicious cake is absolutely perfect for someone who has never baked with rhubarb before. In other words, ME! Honestly, I've never baked or cooked with that weird, red, long, skinny, celery-shaped, strange-smelling vegetable before. I'm glad Tuesdays With Dorie gave me the nudge to do so!
The recipe is supposed to be baked in little "baby cake" pans, but I chose to bake the entire recipe in a 10 inch square pan.
As with other upside-down cakes, the recipe begins with making a simple caramel on the stove top. Since I don't drink or purchase alcohol, I exchanged the called-for bourbon with vanilla extract. I love, love, love vanilla, so it was just right.
The rhubarb (again, what an odd veggie it is) is washed, sliced, and arranged over the caramel in the baking pan.
The batter is soooooo lovely! I substituted sour cream for the creme fraiche (though if I'd worked ahead of time I could have made homemade), but that was the only other change I made. Buttery, creamy, smooth.....just a perfect batter. It's spread gently over the rhubarb and caramel. The cake is then ready for the oven!
With a swipe of a sharp knife around the edges of the pan, and a quick prayer, the cake is flipped onto a serving dish. I only had one or two sliced of rhubarb stick in the pan, but they were easy to place back on the cake.
The pink of the rhubarb, and the golden brown of the caramel and pecans were so beautiful! The kids and I enjoyed a slice BEFORE DINNER as snack. Go me! (yeah, typically I'm a eat-your-dinner-before-dessert kinda mom.) So delicious!
I will most definitely make this recipe again, likely with another fruit. Peaches, plums, apples, even pineapple would be scrumptious!
Today's TWD host is Erin of When in Doubt.....Leave it at 350. (Adorable name, Erin!) Please visit her blog for the recipe! Erin should have some great news any day now too.......! :)
