Strawberry-Rhubarb Upside Down Cake

An upside-down cake is the perfect way to show-case the season's first strawberries and rhubarb. This recipe is a single-layer version of hot-milk cake, a standard for Southern home bakers. Serve it at room temperature with scoops of vanilla ice cream or dollops of whipped cream. If fresh rhubarb and strawberries aren't available, you can substitute frozen fruit. If the fruit is in large chunks, cut into 1/2"-inch pieces. Use the fruit straight from the freezer, without thawing. This came from Cooking Club of America. I have not tried this posting for safe keeping.

• Ready In: 59 mins
• Serves: 9

Ingredients

• Topping

• 1⁄2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1  cup  packed brown sugar
• 3⁄4 cup  chopped rhubarb (1/2-inch-inch)
• 3⁄4 cup  coarsely chopped strawberry

• Cake

• 1⁄2 cup  whole milk
• 6  tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 1⁄4 cups  all purpose flour
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 2  eggs
• 1  cup sugar
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350. Spray 9-inch square baking pan with cooking spray. Pour 1/2 cup melted butter over bottom of pan; sprinkle with brown sugar. Scatter rhubarb and strawberries over brown sugar.
2. Heat milk and 6 tablespoons butter in small saucepan over medium heat 3-4 minutes or until butter melts. Pour into medium bowl; cool.
3. Whisk flour, baking powder and salt in small bowl. Beat eggs, sugar and vanilla in large bowl at medium speed 3-4 minutes or until thick, pale yellow and smooth. At low speed, beat in flour mixture in three parts alternately with milk mixture just until blended, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Spread batter over fruit.
4. Bake 40-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes.
5. Invert cake onto serving platter, replacing any topping that remains in pan. Cool completely. Serve at room temperature.