Courtesy Daniela Gerson
Celebrate spring’s rhubarb bounty with this spiced yogurt upside down cake. Orange juice and zest add a touch of brightness and complement the warm hints of ginger and cardamom. When choosing rhubarb, look for firm and crisp stalks with deep shades of red near the base. To align the stalks, place the cake pan on top of them to see the length and trim so they fit snugly inside. If you don’t have a springform cake pan, an ovenproof skillet works as well. Run a knife around the edges of the cake and let cool slightly before inverting. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
FOR THE RHUBARB TOPPING
6 stalks rhubarb, about 1½ pounds
¼ cup unsalted butter
½ cup brown sugar
1 orange, zest and juice
¼ teaspoon ground ginger or 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
½ teaspoon cardamom
1 teaspoon kosher salt
FOR THE CAKE
1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon cardamom
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¾ cup pistachios, finely chopped
8 tablespoons butter, room temperature
½ cup white sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
2 eggs
Remaining orange zest and juice
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350° F.
To make the topping, melt butter in a small saucepan and add the brown sugar, ½ the orange zest and juice, ½ teaspoon cardamom, ginger and salt. Heat and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture begins to bubble around the edges. Pour sugar mixture into a 9-inch springform cake pan, swirling or brushing to coat the pan evenly.
To prepare the cake, trim the rhubarb stalks to snugly fit into pan and arrange on top of brown sugar to cover the base.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, cardamom and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate small bowl, stir together the yogurt and remaining orange juice and zest.
In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat the butter and both sugars until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, until fully incorporated. Beat in the vanilla extract.
Fold the flour mixture and the yogurt mixture into the butter mixture in 3 additions alternating back and forth, beginning and ending with the flour.
Pour the resulting batter into the pan, on top of rhubarb stalks, and smooth the top. Bake in oven for 1¼ hours. The top should be browned and the edges bubbly. A cake tester inserted in the center will be clean.
Cool the cake for 5 minutes then run a small sharp knife around edges. Place a plate on top of the cake pan and invert. Slowly lift the cake pan away.
Cake is best served warm with freshly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
