A spiced strawberry & rhubarb upside-down cake to celebrate 9 years of blogging
Author: 
Recipe type: Cake
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 15
 
This cake is simple to make and uses up a lot of rhubarb if you have a surfeit - there is rhubarb both in the batter and the topping!
Ingredients
  • 114 g (1/2 cup) butter, softened
  • 150g (3/4 cup) soft brown sugar
  • 150g (3/4 cup) white sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 5ml (1 tsp) vanilla essence
  • 250g (2 cups) plain white flour
  • 2.5ml (1/2 tsp) ground cinnamon
  • 1.25ml (1/4 tsp) ground ginger
  • 5ml (1 tsp) bicarbonate of soda
  • 2.5ml (1/2 tsp) baking powder
  • 250mk (1 cup) Greek yogurt
  • 2 cups (about 2.5 large stalks) of finely chopped rhubarb tossed and coated with 1 Tbsp of flour
  • FOR THE TOPPING:
  • 55 g (1/4 cup) melted butter
  • 200g (1 cup) packed soft brown sugar
  • 400g (2 cups) sliced fresh strawberries
  • 200g (2 cups) chopped fresh rhubarb
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C.
  2. Prepare a 32 x 22cm (13×9-inch) cake tin or Pyrex baking dish pan by greasing the sides with butter and pouring the melted butter for the topping over the base, tilting the dish to ensure even coverage.
  3. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the melted butter. Arrange the sliced strawberries on top of the sugar - feel free to be as random or artistic as you like - and then add the shopped rhubarb for the topping. Press all the fruit gently into the sugar.
  4. For the batter, cream the butter and both sugars together using an electric mixer. When fully incorporated, beat in the eggs one at a time, add the vanilla and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.
  5. In a separate bowl, mix all the dry ingredients. Gradually add the dry ingredients and the yoghurt to the sugar-butter mixture in an electric mixer on low speed - add about ⅓ of the flour, then ⅓ of the yoghurt and mix until fully incorporated; then repeat until all the dry ingredients and yoghurt have been added.
  6. Add the two cups of chopped rhubarb dusted in flour and gently mix into the batter until evenly distributed.
  7. The battter will be relatively dry - spreadable rather than pourable. Spread the batter carefully over the top of the strawberry & rhubarb topping mixture in the baking dish.
  8. Bake at 180C (350F) for about 30 minutes, then cover the cake with aluminium foil to prevent over-browning. Continue to check the cake every 10 minutes or so until the centre starts to crack a little and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean - mine took a whopping 70 minutes, but ovens vary.
  9. Remove from the oven and onto a cooling rack. Run a palette knife or spatula around the edges of the cake to ensure that it is not sticking to the sides of the dish.
  10. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then place a large platter or chopping board upside down over the baking dish (it must be large enough to cover the baking dish completely). Using pot holders or oven gloves, hold both the platter/board and the baking dish firmly and quickly flip over. Carefully lift the baking dish, shaking gently to release any bits of fruit or caramel - the cake should drop easily onto the platter/board.
  11. Allow to cool to room temperature and serve with a dollop of crême fraiche.
  12. Makes 15 square servings.
Recipe by Cooksister | Food, Travel, Photography at https://www.cooksister.com/2013/05/strawberry-rhubarb-upside-down-cake.html