Rhubarb Hazelnut Upside-Down Cake

Rhubarb Hazelnut Upside-Down Cake has wonderful nutty hazelnut sponge topped with sweet, tart rhubarb. This combination makes a surprisingly delicious and flavourful dessert.

Rhubarb is back in town!

Firstly, let’s all say a huge YAY that rhubarb’s come into season. It follows on from blood oranges and the citrus season and gives us a hint of the berry season to come.  I adore rhubarb and it’s intricate flavour profile that encompasses an interesting balance of tart and sweet. It’s been on my seasonal baking roster year in, year out and the whole family follow in my footsteps of loving rhubarb.

However, I understand that there are some (slightly crazy people) who aren’t sold on rhubarb. They don’t get the tartness especially when using it in a sweet dessert, they don’t like the stringy texture when cooked and they aren’t convinced by the variations of candy pink, deep red and moss-green rhubarb, the latter looking a little murky when cooked.

While I don’t understand the upturned noses, I rejoice in their dislike, quite simply because there’s more for us rhubarb lovers!

Still loving those blood oranges though

Now I know that rhubarb precursors citrus season, but I’m not quite ready to say goodbye to blood oranges as over the last couple of months they’ve become my new favourite citrus fruit to bake with.

I still had a couple of blood oranges in my fruit bowl when I came home from picking up my rhubarb and I know as a fact that rhubarb and orange are a great combination together. As a result I decided to use the zest in the hazelnut sponge and then make a syrup out of the juice that could be drizzled on afterwards.

Umm hello … deliciousness right there! And boy does it work so well together. Maybe, just maybe, I might turn the haters into lovers!!

Yes to hazelnut sponge!

The hazelnut sponge is so light and fluffy and yes you guessed it, nutty! I first tried the combination of rhubarb and hazelnut together when my sister-in-law bought me Donna Hay’s Season’s cookbook. In it Donna shares the recipe for a hazelnut and rhubarb cake and it very quickly became a firm hit in our household.

How my Rhubarb Hazelnut Upside-Down Cake tested me creatively

In terms of photography and styling, this cake pushed my creative limits. It was so pretty when I lined up the rhubarb in the pan prior to baking, but when I up turned the cake after its time in the oven, the deeper red rhubarb had turned a dull shade of green. Even though I knew it would taste amazing and the it smelt out of this world, it didn’t look that appealing.

So I set myself the challenge to pull out all the stops and make her photogenic. My Rhubarb Hazelnut Upside-Down Cake needed to LOOK as good as she TASTED. At the end of the day we all eat with our eyes and this had to jump off the screen and entice you in.

I hope that I’ve accomplished my mission and you’ll have a go at baking this delicious cake.

For another recipe utilising fresh seasonal fruit, try my Fruit Pavlova with roasted plums and fresh figs. Recipe found here.

Rhubarb Hazelnut Upside Down Cake

• Author: Emma
• Prep Time: 15
• Cook Time: 50
• Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
• Yield: 8 1x
• Category: Cakes & Cupcakes
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: English

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Description

A wonderful nutty, light hazelnut sponge topped with sweet, tart rhubarb and a drizzle of blood orange syrup – this makes a surprisingly delicious and flavourful dessert.

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Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

For the Rhubarb

1 tablespoon softened butter

2 tablespoons caster sugar

400g rhubarb, trimmed

For the Hazelnut Cake

1 cup (120g) plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup (100g) ground hazelnuts

3/4 cup (180g) butter at room temperature

1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar

3 eggs at room temperature

1 egg yolk at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 Blood Orange, zest

1/4 cup (60ml) milk at room temperature

For the Blood Orange Syrup

1 cup (240ml) blood orange juice (about 3 to 4 oranges)

3 tablespoons sugar

Creme Fraiche to serve, optional

Chopped hazelnuts to serve, optional

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Instructions

For the Rhubarb

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C. Grease a 20cm square cake pan and line the base and sides with a layer of baking paper. Spoon dollops of butter evenly over base of the lined pan. Sprinkle with 2 caster sugar. Arrange rhubarb in a diamond pattern over the sugar, trimming to fit.

 

For the Hazelnut Cake

1. Add the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt and ground hazelnuts into a medium bowl, and stir until combined. Set aside.
2. Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl, with an electric mixer or handheld beaters until pale and fluffy, this takes approximately 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Add the eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, ensuring the eggs are fully combined and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addiction. Add the vanilla and blood orange zest and mix till combined.
4. Slowly add the flour in three additions, alternating with the milk. Begin and end with the flour and mix until just combined.
5. Pour the cake batter over the rhubarb and spread evenly with a spatula.
6. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Let the cake rest for 10 minutes. Gently run a thin bladed knife around the edge of the pan and invert the cake onto a plate. Remove the parchment and cool completely.

 

For the Blood Orange Syrup

1. Stir the juice and sugar in a small saucepan, over medium heat, until the sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil the syrup until it thickens. Make sure to skim away any froth that developes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
2. To serve, drizzle blood orange syrup over the cake and dollop with creme fraiche or cream and sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts. Enjoy!

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Keywords: Upside-down cake, rhubarb, blood orange, rhubarb upside-down cake