Upside Down Rhubarb Muffins (Printable)
Sweet-tart caramelized rhubarb crowns each tender, golden muffin for a stunning upside down treat.
# What You Need:
→ Rhubarb Topping
01 - 1½ cups fresh rhubarb, diced into ½-inch pieces
02 - ½ cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
→ Muffin Batter
04 - 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
05 - ½ cup granulated sugar
06 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
07 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
08 - ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
09 - ⅓ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
10 - 1 large egg, at room temperature
11 - ¾ cup buttermilk
12 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
# How-To:
01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a standard 12-cup muffin tin generously with butter or line with paper liners.
02 - In a medium bowl, toss together the diced rhubarb, ½ cup granulated sugar, and 2 tablespoons melted butter until the rhubarb is evenly coated. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of the mixture into the bottom of each muffin cup, pressing gently to form an even layer.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, remaining ½ cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well blended.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk the cooled melted butter, egg, buttermilk, and vanilla extract until smooth and fully incorporated.
05 - Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and fold together gently with a spatula just until no dry streaks remain. Take care not to overmix, as this will produce tough muffins.
06 - Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups, spooning it directly over the rhubarb layer. Smooth the tops lightly.
07 - Bake on the center rack for 22 to 25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
08 - Let the muffins rest in the pan for 5 minutes. Run a butter knife around the edges of each muffin, then carefully invert the pan onto a wire rack so the rhubarb side faces up. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The rhubarb layer caramelizes into a sticky, glossy crown that makes each muffin look like it came from a bakery case.
- These straddle the line between brunch and dessert so effortlessly you will find excuses to make them for both.
02 -
- Do not wait too long to invert these or the rhubarb layer will glue itself to the pan and you will lose half the topping when you flip them.
- Buttermilk that has been sitting in the back of your fridge for weeks will not perform the same way as fresh, so give it a sniff before adding it to the batter.
03 -
- Dice the rhubarb small and uniform so every single bite gets that concentrated jammy burst rather than a chewy chunk.
- Tossing the rhubarb pieces in a pinch of flour before layering them prevents the topping from turning into soup at the bottom of the pan.