This Cornmeal Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake is a great way to use your backyard rhubarb. The cake is easy to make and makes a great dessert.
I love baking and cooking with my backyard rhubarb in the spring and summer. Most often I make Rhubarb Crisp because I love it and it's a taste of my childhood. If I'm choosing rhubarb favorites, that would probably be it, but who knows, favorites can change.
This year, I'm looking to expand my rhubarb horizons, starting with this Cornmeal Upside-Down Rhubarb Cake. Believe it or not, I have never made any type of upside-down cake before. But, I would say making it was a great experience, and I would definitely make this and other upside-down cakes again.
How to make Cornmeal Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake:
Making this Cornmeal Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake is easy. There is no special equipment and no complicated techniques required. You do however need to make sure to use the correct size of pan. I used a 9" round cake pan and you cannot use a smaller one. See the FAQ below for other sizes that will work for this recipe.
Start by getting the rhubarb ready. I sliced mine on the bias about ½" thick. However, I have seen other versions of rhubarb upside-down cake where the rhubarb is cut into uniform shapes/sizes and arranged in a geometric pattern. I do not have the patience for this, so I just dumped it in. Maybe if I were making this for a dinner party, I'd make more effort with the presentation, but it tastes great either way.
Coat the bottom of the pan with melted butter, making sure to get some butter up the sides of the pan as well. Then toss the sliced rhubarb with sugar and spread it over the bottom of the pan.
Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk the yogurt, sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla together in a small bowl or large measuring cup. Fold the yogurt mixture into the flour mixture (the batter will be thick).
Dollop the batter over the yogurt in the pan, and carefully spread it evenly over the rhubarb, being careful not to mix the layers. Bake the cake for about 45 minutes.
Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. DO NOT let the cake cool completely in the pan, or it will be very difficult to remove it from the pan. Run a knife around the sides of the pan, then carefully invert the pan over a large plate or platter.
Let the cake cool a bit more before serving, but like many fruit-based desserts, I prefer this cake warm. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream if desired.
Can I use a different size pan to make this cake?
If you don't have a 9" round cake pan, don't substitute an 8" round cake pan as it will be too small, and the batter will overflow when baking.
Instead, use an 8" or 9" square baking pan.
Cornmeal Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake Ingredients:
- Unsalted butter - substitute your favorite dairy-free butter alternative to make this cake dairy-free.
- Sliced rhubarb - you will need about 4 large or 6 medium stalks. Rhubarb is not commonly available in grocery stores. Look for it at farmers markets, or ask friends if they have a plant when it is in season in the spring and early summer.
- Granulated sugar - You will need this for both the rhubarb topping and for the cake itself.
- All-purpose flour
- Cornmeal
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Baking soda
- Plain or vanilla yogurt - you can also use ½ cup Greek yogurt plus ¼ cup milk. Substitute your favorite dairy-free yogurt to make this cake dairy-free.
- Canola oil or other neutral-flavored cooking oil or melted butter
- Large eggs
- Vanilla
Want more rhubarb recipes?
Cornmeal Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake Nutrition Notes:
The nutrition information in the recipe below uses low-fat plain yogurt for the calculations. Using vanilla yogurt will slightly increase the sugar content of the cake, and using a higher-fat yogurt will slightly increase the fat content of the cake.
To make this Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake dairy-free, replace the butter in the rhubarb topping with a dairy-free butter alternative, and replace the yogurt in the cake with a dairy-free yogurt.
Cornmeal Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake
Equipment
- 9" cake pan (don't substitute an 8-inch pan)
Ingredients
Rhubarb Topping
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted (substitute dairy-free butter alternative to make this cake dairy-free)
- 3 cups sliced rhubarb (about 6 small/medium or 4 large stalks)
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
Cake
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup cornmeal
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ cup plain or vanilla yogurt (or use ½ cup Greek yogurt plus ¼ cup milk. Substitute dairy-free yogurt to make this cake dairy-free)
- ¼ cup canola oil or other neutral-flavored cooking oil or melted butter
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F.
Rhubarb Topping
- Spread the melted butter evenly over the bottom of the cake pan, brushing some up the sides to prevent the sides from sticking. Toss 3 cups sliced rhubarb and ⅓ cup granulated sugar together, then spread the mixture evenly in the pan.
Cake
- In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, ⅓ cup cornmeal, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon baking soda. Set aside.
- In a small bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together ¾ cup plain or vanilla yogurt, ¼ cup canola oil, 2 large eggs, ¾ cup granulated sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Fold the yogurt mixture into the flour mixture with a spatula, and stir gently until no flour bits remain. The batter will be thick.
- Carefully spread the batter over the top of the rhubarb in the pan, being careful not to mix the two layers.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with only a couple of crumbs clinging to it. Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then run a knife along the sides of the pan to release it, and carefully invert the pan over a large plate or platter. Serve warm or at room temperature alone, or with ice cream or whipped cream.
Nutrition
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