Grand-Maman Irène’s Rhubarb Cake

Apple Blossom
The sun is visiting Le Meadow’s Pantry this week, revealing the blossoms in the apple tree, drying the last blossoms in the cherry tree and, making the rhubarb blush.
Dandelion FieldThere are still a lot of dandelions and bees in the field. Enough to make more dandelion nectar.
Dandelion Petals
We use 365 flowers to make 5 jars. Why 365? To celebrate the 365 suns that have risen and set since last year’s spring.
Dandelion Nectar
Dandelion Nectar is as bright as the sun and taste as sweet as honey. It is simply spring in a jar.
Grand-Maman Irène’s upside down rhubarb cake
We harvested the first rhubarb in our garden and made our first batches of rhubarb jam and a cake! More rhubarb is growing, but we won’t have enough to make all the jam we need for the market. We were delighted to learn that  Camel’s Back Harvest in Pemberton will be able to supply Le Meadow’s Pantry this summer!
Rhubarb Macerating
Rhubarb releasing it’s juice before we turn it into a luscious jam.
Upside down rhubarb cakeThis is the cake my beloved grand-maman Irène used to make every spring with the first rhubarb from her garden. They also grew red and black current and gooseberries to make delicious jellies. The jars were kept sealed and served on cold days to brighten up the long winter back east.Rhubarb upside down cake~ I used a well-seasoned cast-iron pan skillet but a cake pan would work too.For topping:4 tablespoons  unsalted butter3/4 cup packed brown sugar ~ I used sucanat sugar~1 1/2 pounds rhubarb stalk, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces ~about 3 cups
For cake:1 1/2 cups unbleached flour1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder1 teaspoon baking soda1/2 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature2/3 cup brown sugar~ I used sucanat1 teaspoon vanilla extract1 teaspoon almond extract2 large eggs3/4 cup whole milk
Preheat oven at 350 F
Make the topping:Heat butter in skillet gently until foam subsides. Reduce heat to low and sprinkle sugar and cook without stirring for 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and place rhubarb in one layer on sugar mixture. Set aside.
Make the cake:1.In a large bowl mix all the dry ingredients.2.Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed, about 1 minute.3.Add vanilla and almond extract to the sugar and butter and add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.4.Reduce speed and add flour mixture alternately in batches with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.5.Mix until just combined.
Bake the cake:1.Spoon cake batter over the rhubarb without disturbing the rhubarb.2.Bake cake until golden and a wooden skewer inserted in center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes.3.Cool in skillet on a rack for 15 minutes.4.Run a thin knife around edge of skillet. Wearing oven mitts, invert a plate over skillet and, keeping plate and skillet firmly pressed together, invert cake onto plate.5.Carefully lift skillet off cake.6.Serve cake warm or at room temperature.