Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake {Vegan}
I saw a few versions of rhubarb cake and decided to try and "veganize" it. Challenging when most cakes of this sort use several eggs, but with the use of applesauce, sour cream and an increase in baking powder, it was a success! This decadent dessert features a sweet rhubarb topping, a moist, light cake and a crunchy crust. Serve with your favorite dairy-free vanilla ice cream. Yum!
Servings 10
Ingredients
- FOR THE TOPPING:
- 4 Tbl vegan Margarine melted
- ½ C All-Purpose Flour
- ¼ C vegan Sugar
- Pinch of Salt
- TO PREPARE THE PAN:
- 1 Tbl COLD vegan Margarine to butter the pan
- 4 Tbl vegan Margarine cut into small pieces
- FOR THE CAKE:
- 1 stick 8 Tbl vegan Margarine, room temperature
- 1 Lb Rhubarb cut into small pieces (defrost if using frozen)
- 1-1/2 C Sugar 1/2 for the rhubarb, 1 C for the cake
- 1-1/2 C All-Purpose Flour
- 2-1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- Pinch of Salt
- ¼ C Unsweetened Applesauce
- 1 C vegan Sour Cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Make the topping stirring all ingredients together until coarse crumbles occur. Set aside.
- Using foil, wrap the bottom edge of a springform pan to avoid any leaks that may occur. The rhubarb is very juicy. I also place a sheet pan on the bottom rack of the oven to catch any potential drips. (You can use a traditional 9” cake pan (drips shouldn’t be a problem here), I just like the assurance of a springform during the removal process).
- To make the cake, use the 1 Tbl of margarine to grease the springform pan, bottom and sides. Dot the bottom of the pan with the 4 Tbl of cut margarine pieces.
- Toss the rhubarb with ¾ C of the sugar. Allow to sit for a few minutes, then toss again. Spread evenly over the cut butter pieces in the bottom of the pan.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt to combine.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the stick of margarine and cup of sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the applesauce. Alternately add the flour and sour cream and beat until smooth. Spread evenly over the rhubarb using and offset spatula, taking care not to displace the rhubarb pieces.
- Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the batter and press lightly to adhere.
- Bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted comes clean. It should be fully set and the crumb topping browned slightly. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes or so. Then, using your cake plate, invert onto the plate and remove the springform pan. Allow to cool completely. Serve with vanilla ice cream, if desired.
Paulina says
Looks so tasty!
But 350 degrees?
I don’t think that most ovens can do that:d
aimee says
Hi Paulina. It’s 350 degrees Fahrenheit (and 176 degrees Celsius is the conversion) 🙂
Tim says
Just wondering, when you refer to 1 stick of margarine–are all sticks of vegan margarine the same size? I have some that are 4 oz/8Tbls but was afraid you might have a different size. Thanks for any clarification!
aimee says
Hi Tim. I guess that would make a big difference, wouldn’t it! 🙂 It was an 8 Tbl stick of butter (not necessarily a low-calorie dish, but soooo yummy).