Rhubarb Upside Down Cake

I have read through many Rhubarb Upside Down Cake recipes - all with tons of sugar-so I decided to make my own version, specially I had lots of rhubarb. Due to the new layering technique I used double the rhubarb amount and I was able to use up all my stock (hurrah- I hate to bin any food). The end result is rather fresh and tangy (not perfect looking), but married up with a dollop of ice cream it was perfect.

Rhubarb Upside Down Cake

For the topping
1kg rhubarb 
190g sugar
60g flour
zest of 2oranges
2 tbsp butter

For the batter
125g plain flour 
140g sugar
60g butter
120ml milk
1vanilla pod
1 tbsp baking powder
1egg

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Clean the rhubarb and cut them to 3cm pieces. I placed them straight into the tin to see how much more I need. After the trimmings it weighted 920g based on a 23cm spring form tin.

Place the rhubarb pieces with the sugar orange zest and the flour into a bowl and fold them together, try to coat every rhubarb with the mix. If you would prefer a sweeter rhubarb topping, put 50g extra sugar into the mix.

Arrange again the rhubarb pieces into the tin, (probably you will need a little less rhubarb because of the baking paper+flour coating) and sprinkle on top the floury mixture that didn't stick on side of the rhubarb pieces. 

Learning from my mistake, leave some space at the side of the tin, so when you put on the butter it would leak to the bottom and this thin pastry part would hold together the cake better when finished.

Place the butter on top of the rhubarb, and put it to the oven and bake it for 5-10minutes until you prepare the batter. 

For the batter mix together the flour, baking powder, sugar, butter, vanilla seeds and the milk with an electric mixer. When everything is well incorporated add the egg and mix it again.

Pour on top of the rhubarb and bake it for 40-60 minutes or until the inserted wooden skewer comes out clean.

Leave to cool for 5minutes, then Turn upside down onto a serving plate. Best served when it is still warm with some ice cream.

Hints and tips

If you don't want to fiddle around with the standing rhubarb pieces, just halve the metrics for the topping (still use the same butter quantity) and simply put the rhubarb into the tin...no need arranging them.