Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake

From EatingWell: Spring 2004, The Essential EatingWell Cookbook (2004) — Subscribe Now!

Rosy-pink rhubarb makes a particularly pretty upside-down cake. We balanced the fruit's tang with a crunchy nut-and-brown-sugar topping.

READER'S COMMENT:

"THis was the absolute worst cake I have ever made. It was dry and tasted just awful though I love rhubarb. I followed the directions exactly. I am an experienced baker and have never had a cake so miserable as this one. I definitley...

10 servings

Active Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

Topping

1 tablespoon dark corn syrup
2 teaspoons butter
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons chopped pecans, or walnuts
1 pound rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (3 cups)

Cake

3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/3 cup pecans, or walnuts
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large egg whites
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar, divided
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

To prepare topping: Coat a 10-inch ovenproof skillet (such as cast-iron) with cooking spray. Add corn syrup and butter; heat over low heat until butter has melted, swirling the pan to coat the bottom evenly. Remove from the heat; spread brown sugar evenly over the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle nuts over the sugar and arrange rhubarb, rounded sides down, in a circular pattern on top. Set aside.
To prepare cake: Preheat oven to 375° F. Combine flour, nuts, baking powder and salt in a food processor or blender; process until finely ground.
Beat 2 egg whites in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1/3 cup brown sugar, beating until stiff and glossy. Set aside. (It is not necessary to wash beaters.) Beat whole eggs with the remaining 1/3 cup brown sugar in another large bowl on high speed until thickened and pale, 3 to 5 minutes. Blend in orange zest and vanilla.
Whisk one-fourth of the beaten whites into the whole-egg mixture. Gently fold in half the flour mixture. Fold in the remaining beaten whites, followed by the remaining flour mixture. Spread the batter evenly over the rhubarb.
Bake the cake until the top springs back when touched lightly, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Loosen the edges with a knife. Invert a serving platter over the cake. Using oven mitts, grasp platter and skillet together and carefully flip them over. Let the skillet sit for a few minutes to allow any caramel clinging to it to drip onto the cake. Remove the skillet. Let the cake cool for at least 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Equipment: 10-inch ovenproof skillet (This cake can also be baked in an 8-inch-square glass baking dish. Heat corn syrup and butter in a small pan and brush over the bottom of the baking dish. Bake the cake for 30 to 35 minutes.)

Nutrition

Per serving: 195 calories; 6 g fat (1 g sat, 3 g mono); 44 mg cholesterol; 33 g carbohydrates; 4 g protein; 2 g fiber; 126 mg sodium; 154 mg potassium.

2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1/3 starch, 2 other carbohydrate, 1/3 lean protein, 1/2 fat