I’m off on an adventure today! A visit to Sacramento, where my dad’s side of the family lives, and some quiet time in nature (Tahoe! for a whole week!), and then a dear friend’s graduation from college. It’s been a very long time since I’ve taken a chunk of time off from the grind, and I’m actually a bit scared to step away—which I take as evidence of how badly I need to do so.
It’s the right time for a pause, a change, a respite for reflection and consideration of all that is coming ahead. There are some big projects in the works that I’ll share with you soon, and I want to be stepping forward with clarity. It’s easy—too easy—to forge ahead with maximal force and minimal focus. That’s not chic, nor is it my preferred approach.
Instead, I suggest making this cake.
This week on my Intuitive Eating with Kale & Caramel recipe column, we make a cake. A cake for dealing with change. A cake for slowing down. A cake for making better decisions.
And speaking of making better decisions, this cake is 99% vegan. I actually tried to remove that 1% (which is butter used in the upside down part of the topping), but it didn’t work. Alas! Coconut oil just doesn’t coalesce with sugar the way butter does. But everything else is completely vegan.
Including the whipped cream, which was quite an adventure. I’d been hearing about coconut whipped cream for the past year, but was a bit skeptical. Would it really be like whipped cream? Could it hold a candle? I’m here to tell you that the answer is YES. Absolutely.
Particularly in glorious strawberry harmony, this coconut whipped cream is the stuff of creamy dreams. That sounds dirty, but you get my point. It’s mega fluffy yum. Plus: It’s pink! My inner girly girl is doing pirouettes in her pink tulle tutu.
This recipe was heavily adapted from both Renee Loux and the New York Times—feel free to make your own adaptations, too. Click through to Sonima for the full recipe, and enjoy!
Strawberry Rhubarb Upside Down Cake with Strawberry Coconut Whipped Cream recipe.
Ingredients
Strawberry Rhubarb Topping
- 1 pound rhubarb about 3 cups sliced
- 1/2 pound strawberries about 1 cup sliced
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- pinch sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
Cake Batter
- 2 cups unbleached white flour
- 2 2/3 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/3 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/3 cup agave nectar
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1/3 cup almond (or othemilk
- 2 2/3 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2/3 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons melted coconut oil
Strawberry Coconut Whipped Cream
- 1 can full fat coconut milk (refrigerated 2 hours or at least the duration of cake prep and baking)
- 4-6 strawberries
- 1 tablespoon agave nectar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºPlace can of full fat coconut milk in your fridge if you haven’t already. Place a large glass bowl for whipping coconut cream in your freezer, along with your metal beaters from your mixer.
- Line an 8” cake pan (or 9” pie pan, like I usewith parchment paper buttered (or oileon both sides, and butter (or oithe sides of the pan.
- Wash and dry rhubarb and strawberries. Slice strawberries and rhubarb; rhubarb should be sliced lengthwise, in half-inch pieces. Place in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
- In a small saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter with 1/2 cup light brown sugar over low heat. Whisk constantly until sugar melts and homogenizes with the butter, making a creamy, near caramel sauce. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, and sea salt in a bowl. In a separate large bowl, whisk agave, maple, almond milk, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla, and apple cider vinegar until they’re fully blended. Then slowly pour in the coconut oil, whisking as you pour.
- Gradually add dry ingredients to wet, whisking as you go (or use an electric mixer). Do not overmix.
- In bowl of rhubarb and strawberry, toss fruit with cornstarch, pinch of sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1/3 cup granulated sugar.
- Spoon the butter and sugar mixture into prepared pan and spread evenly over the bottom. Then add the prepared strawberry and rhubarb. Spread cake batter evenly atop the fruit, smoothing with a spatula at the end.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, checking every five minutes after 3Remove from oven when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out nearly clean.
- Cool on a rack for 15 minutes, then slide knife around the sides to loosen the cake. Cover the top with a large serving plate and invert. Place serving plate with upside down cake back on cooling rack and let cool before serving. Top with strawberry coconut whipped cream before eating!
- To make strawberry coconut whipped cream, first refrigerate 1 can of full fat coconut milk. De-stem and mash up your strawberries in a small bowl or mortar and pestle. Remove whipping bowl and beaters from freezer and assemble electric mixer. Remove coconut milk can from fridge and turn upside down. Open it up and pour off the liquid. Spoon out the remaining coconut cream into your frozen whipping bowl. Add agave and vanilla extract and get to beating. Whip until smooth, then slowly add in mashed strawberries. Incorporate them fully or leave them to marble the cream—up to you. When whipped to perfect deliciousness, cover bowl and place in fridge until you’re ready to serve the cake.
- This cake keeps well for several days, as it’s so moist and dense. Cover with plastic wrap and keep in a cool place on your counter or in your fridge.
