Recipes Desserts Cake Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake with Orange Zest 3.0 (2) 2 Reviews Tender pieces of tart rhubarb balance perfectly with the brown-sugar topping of this vanilla- and orange-scented cake. Baking the cake in a cast-iron skillet helps the rhubarb caramelize, creating an unfussy but beautiful topping. To make the cake shine even more, serve it with softly whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. By Anna Theoktisto Published on May 13, 2021 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Active Time: 20 mins Total Time: 2 hrs Yield: 8 to 10 servings Ingredients 1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter, divided ¾ cup packed light brown sugar 1 pound fresh or thawed frozen rhubarb, cut into 1-inch pieces 1.3333 cups granulated sugar 1 tablespoon grated orange zest (from 1 orange) 3 large eggs ½ cup sour cream 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups (about 8 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon kosher salt Directions Preheat oven to 350°F. Melt butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium. Transfer 1/2 cup melted butter to a small bowl; set aside. Stir brown sugar into remaining butter in skillet. Remove from heat. Scatter rhubarb pieces in a single layer over mixture in skillet. Place granulated sugar and orange zest in a large bowl. Using your fingers, rub zest into sugar until mixture is uniform in color, about 2 minutes. Add eggs to zest-sugar mixture; beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes. Whisk in sour cream, vanilla, and reserved 1/2 cup melted butter until combined. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Fold flour mixture into egg mixture just until combined. Spoon batter over rhubarb in skillet; smooth top using an offset spatula. Bake until a wooden pick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Let cake cool in skillet 15 minutes. Invert cake onto a serving platter; let cool slightly, about 30 minutes. Cut into wedges to serve. Cake may be stored, covered, in refrigerator up to 3 days (remove the cake from the fridge 30 minutes before serving). Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Rate it Print