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RHUBARB UPSIDE DOWN CRUMB CAKE

Martha’s tasty take on Rhubarb cake.

Prep Time: 20 Min. 

Total Time: 1 Hr. 30 Min.

Makes: One 9-inch cake


I have had a lifelong relationship with rhubarb which began as a child in my father’s garden in Nutley, New Jersey. I loved seeing the new springtime growth, but especially the rhubarb that my mother, Big Martha, baked into pies and cakes for all of us. To this day, rhubarb growing in the garden is a happy reminder that spring is here again! I enjoy this cake with a crumb “topping” that actually ends up on the bottom. Each bite has a surprisingly crunchy texture.


Ingredients

Topping: 

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 
  • 1/4 cup sugar 
  • Coarse salt 

Cake: 

  • 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for buttering pan 
  • 1 pound rhubarb, trimmed and cut on a very sharp diagonal about 1/2 inch thick 
  • 1 3/4 cups sugar 
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 
  • Coarse salt 
  • 1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest plus 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice 
  • 2 large eggs 
  • 1 cup sour cream 

Directions

Topping

1. Preheat oven

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine topping ingredients

Stir together butter, flour, sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt until moist and crumbly. Set aside.


Cake

1. Prep cake pan

Butter a 9-inch round cake pan (2 inches deep). Dot with 4 tablespoons butter (cut into pieces). Toss rhubarb with 3/4 cup sugar; let stand for 2 minutes. Toss again and spread in pan.

2. Combine dry ingredients

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt.

3. Combine wet ingredients

Beat remaining stick butter and cup sugar with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in zest and juice. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, until incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl.

4. Fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients

Beat in flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with sour cream, until smooth.

5. Spread in pan and bake

Spread the cake batter evenly over rhubarb. Crumble topping evenly over batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and top springs back when touched, about 1 hour. Let cool for 10 minutes. Run a knife around edge of cake, and invert onto a wire rack. Let cool completely.


COOK’S NOTE

Let the cake cool for 10 minutes before removing it from the pan. The rhubarb will be too hot to handle safely right after baking. But if the cake sits much longer, it may stick.


Recipe by Martha Stewart, as part of the Growing with Martha Stewart partnership.