Bake of the Week: Rhubarb Upside Down Cake

This rhubarb upside down cake is perfection.

And the good news is that it’s so easy to bake, even a novice will be able to cope with this impressive looking cake.

There’s forced rhubarb to buy in most supermarkets at the moment – it sounds odd but it just means it’s been grown in the dark.

Frozen rhubarb will do, too.

What you will need:

80g diced unsalted butter

140g soft brown sugar

Grated rind of one orange

A handful of thyme leaves – finely chopped (optional)

2-3 stalks of fresh or frozen rhubarb – chopped into 2.5cm chunks

150g golden caster sugar

175g plain flour

1 heaped tsp baking powder

2 tsp ground cinnamon

150ml rapeseed oil

2 large eggs – lightly beaten

Method:

Turn oven on to 180C, 350F or gas mark 4.

Line a 23 cm round baking tin with parchment paper, ensuring the circle comes up the sides a little to ensure the mixture doesn’t leak.

Put the butter, brown sugar, grated orange rind and thyme into the lined baking tin and melt in the oven.

Add the chopped rhubarb pieces to the warm melted mixture.

Beat the rest of the ingredients together in a food mixer and pour into the tin on top of the rhubarb.

Bake for 50 minutes or until the cake feels firm and comes away slightly from the sides of the tin.

Leave to cool. You should be able to hold the tin in your hands comfortably.

Turn out and serve with a lightly minted crème fraiche, lightly whipped cream, ice cream or custard.