Rhubarb Upside Down Cake

5 from 2 votes

Light and fluffy hazelnut cake, baked with a layer of sugar roasted rhubarb this Rhubarb Upside Down cake is simple but so yummy! The sour cream whip dollop is also a game changer and works so well with both the rich nutty hazelnut and the tart rhubarb.

Prep Time30

Cook Time50

Chilling10

Total Time1 30

Course: Afternoon Kaffee, Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine: American, German

Keyword: hazelnut, rhubarb

Servings:

Calories: 355kcal

Equipment

9" springform pan
Stand Mixer

Ingredients

Rhubarb Layer

300 grams rhubarb up to 50 grams more as needed
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon butter soft for greasing the pan

Hazelnut Cake

160 grams unsalted butter softened
250 grams granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
4 eggs standard large, room temperature
100 grams hazelnut flour almond flour will work too
125 grams all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Sour Cream Whipped Cream

85 milliliters heavy whipping cream cold
30 grams granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
60 grams sour cream cold

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350º F and place a rack in the center of the oven.

Prepare the Rhubarb

Rinse the rhubarb stalks and cut the stalks so that they fit into your metal pan and cover the bottom.
Line a 9" metal pan with a piece of parchment paper. Then grease the pan with soft butter before sprinkling 1 tablespoon of sugar across the bottom.
Arrange the rhubarb across the bottom of the pan so it covers the surface. Sprinkle with another tablespoon of sugar and set aside.

Hazelnut Cake

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add in the butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract.
Use the paddle attachment to beat on medium high speed for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
Add in the eggs, one at a time, mixing completely before adding the next. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl in between each egg. After the first two eggs, add in the hazelnut flour and beat until just combined.
Then continue with the remaining two eggs.
Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl again.
Pour in the all purpose flour and baking powder and mix again on medium speed for about 30 seconds until combined.
Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan with the rhubarb and smooth out the top.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, then rotate 180 degrees and bake for another 20-25 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center, comes out clean.
Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and leave to cool on a rack for 10 minutes. Then, run a knife between the edge of the cake and the pan.
Release the springform pan and remove the collar. Place a sheet of parchment paper over the cake, followed by a plate turned upside down that is larger than the cake.
Holding onto the cooling rack and upside down plate, with the cake sandwiched in between, flip the whole sandwich over so the cooling rack is on top and the plate on the bottom.

Sour Cream Whipped Cream

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add in the heavy cream, vanilla, sugar, and salt. Use a whisk attachment to whip on medium high until just before stiff peaks form.
Turn off the mixer and add in the sour cream. Turn the mixer back to medium high and whip until stiff peaks form.

Cooling & Serving

Remove the cooking rack and cake base. Gently peel the parchment away from the bottom of the cake. Allow to cool for at least another 10 minutes before cutting with a long sharp knife.
Optionally serve with a dollop of the sour cream whipped cream.

Notes

Tips for making Rhubarb Cake

- Young fresh rhubarb is best for this cake but frozen rhubarb will work as well. Ideally you still want the rhubarb to be stiff and not flopping. To get that bright pink color you will need forced rhubarb but if you can only find late season, natural rhubarb that will still work and be beautiful!
- It's best if you can let the rhubarb sit in sugar for an hour but I rarely have the time/patience to do so.
- In order for the cake batter to mix quickly and evenly, all ingredients need to be room temperature or slightly warm.
- Don't underbake this cake, it should be golden brown because much of the moisture from the rhubarb will soak into the cake which will keep it from drying out.
- Be sure the sour cream and heavy cream are cold before you start whipping them.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge or wrap individual slices in plastic and place in a ziploc bag in the freezer.

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