We are so excited to have a special guest bake for us this Mother's Day! We posted an Instagram takeover from Chef Zac and wanted to share the recipe here with our readers. We hope you enjoy and Happy Mother's Day!
Let's flip Mother's Day with a Strawberry Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake! Before you start, make time for some
mise en place--French for "get your stuff together." Its way better than running to the store mid-recipe to get eggs or vanilla . . . oh, you've done that too?
Streusel = a fancy term for crumble (think the best part of a coffee cake). 1 part each of sugar, butter, AP flour, and almond flour. Or instead of almond flour, sub hazelnut flour, corn meal, or oats. I <3 Bob's cane sugar because it adds crunch. Thanks Bob!
Pretty much any fruit can be an upside-down cake. With the juicier fruits, toss them with a little all purpose flour to absorb extra moisture . . . pretty patterns are a plus. <- try saying that five times fast.
Batter up! I replaced a quarter of the flour in my classic buttermilk cake recipe with Bob's Medium Grind Corn Meal. Play with your cakes! Nut flours, graham flour, or whole wheat flours add flavor and texture.
Upside-Down Cake 101: Don't use too much batter; it will never bake! 1 inch of batter is enough. Use the extra to make mini muffins or cupcakes.
Patience is a virtue. My dog is trained to alert me when the cake is done. Otherwise, you can press the top of the cakeif it springs back, it's done. Save the toothpicks for your martini olives.
Golden. Brown. Delicious. The fear of over baking is real, but don't be afraid to get the top crispy. Texture = Good!
Yeah. I ate that slice. While it was warm. With vanilla ice cream. #SorryNotSorry. Its also good with whipped cream or crme fraiche (fancy sour cream). Thanks for letting me play, Bob. Let's bake again soon!
Strawberry Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake
Active Time: 1 hour | Total Time: 2 hours |
Yields one 9 or 10 inch cake. Serves 8 to 12.
Almond Streusel:
Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl until well incorporated.
Strawberry Upside-Down Cake:
Make the Rhubarb Jam (or use store bought):
In a small bowl, mix the sugar and flour with a fork to combine and break up any clumps. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan and then add the rhubarb and flour-sugar mixture. Cook for 2-4 minutes, until the rhubarb is just softened and the liquid had thickened slightly. Pour into a shallow dish and refrigerate until cool.
Prepare the Pan:
Grease and line a 9- or 10-inch cake pan with parchment paper. Cut the strawberries into -inch coins. In a bowl, toss the strawberry slices with the flour and arrange in the bottom of the pan in a single layer. Pour the cooled rhubarb jam evenly on top.
Make the Cake:
Preheat the oven to 350F.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, corn meal, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar, and eggs until well blended. Add the dry ingredients and stir until smooth. Add the buttermilk and whisk until fully incorporated
Pour the batter into the prepared pan, being careful not to upset the strawberry rhubarb layer. The batter should be about an inch thick. If you are using a smaller pan, you wont need all of the batter. Bake extra batter off as mini muffins!
Top the cake with a thin, even sprinkling of the almond streusel.
Bake for 30-45 minutes. The top of the cake and streusel should be golden brown, and the center should feel firm to the touch.
Let the cake cool at room temperature for 20 minutes, it will still be slightly warm. Run a small knife around the edges of the cake and then flip the pan on top of a serving plate or platter. A gentle tap should release the cake. Remove the parchment and serve with vanilla ice cream, crme fraiche, or whipped cream.
Named one of the Top Ten Pastry Chefs in America 2015 by Dessert Professional, Chef Zac Young is known for his playful takes on American desserts including the all-in-one Thanksgiving dessert sensation, The PieCaken, with additional versions such as the red velvet Valentines Day PieCuppen, Passover-friendly PassCaken, and Mothers Day PieCaken complete with buttercream flowers. After graduating with honors from the Baking and Pastry Arts program at the Institute of Culinary Education, he went straight to the top, working under Sebastian Rouxel and Richard Capizzi at Thomas Kellers Bouchon Bakery. In 2006, his talents were recognized by Alexandra Guarnaschelli and he spent four years working as Pastry Chef at her downtown New York hot-spot, Butter Restaurant. In 2012, Zac joined the David Burke Group, now known as Craveable Hospitality Group: a nationwide restaurant group specializing in food and beverage management, licensing, and consulting. As Pastry Director, he oversees the dessert creations of the companys proprietary restaurants and bars including David Burke Prime, David Burke at Bloomingdales, David Burke Kitchen, Aspen Kitchen, and JIMMY. Zac is best known for his Final Four finish on the inaugural season of Bravos Top Chef: Just Desserts
, and his signature wit and pastry wisdom showcased on The Cooking Channels long running show, Unique Sweets
. He frequently appears on Food Network as a judge on shows such as Chopped
, Beat Bobby Flay
, Worst Cooks in America
, King of Cones
, and Worst Bakers in America
. When Zac grows up, he wants to be a competitive Dim Sum Eater.
