Strawberry Rhubarb Upside Down Cake

I love rhubarb. It reminds me of my grandparents. I don't have a plant, but my aunt does, and every spring she gives me some. I like to just eat it raw with some salt on it, but she gives me way too much to eat it all, so I end up baking with it and freezing whatever I can't use immediately. This week I happened to have a flat of strawberries from Bountiful Baskets, so I went with Strawberry Rhubarb Upside Down Cake. The recipe came out of one of those mini cookbooks you buy at the checkout stand at the grocery store. It's a Betty Crocker cake mix recipe book.

Strawberry Rhubarb Upside Down Cake

1/4 c. butter
1 c. packed brown sugar
2 c. sliced fresh strawberries
2 c. chopped fresh rhubarb
1 box yellow cake mix
1 c. water
1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce OR 1/3 c. oil
3 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. While oven is heating, put butter in 13x9 pan and place in oven to melt. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over butter. Arrange strawberries on brown sugar, then sprinkle evenly with rhubarb. Press fruit gently into brown sugar. In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, applesauce, and eggs on low speed just until combined, then on medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour batter over fruit. Bake 46-52 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Immediately run knife around sides of pan to loosen cake. Place serving plate (I actually used a cookie sheet because it's the only thing I had that fit) upside down on cake pan and flip plate and pan over. Leave pan over cake for 1 minute so brown sugar topping can drizzle over the cake. Cool 30 minutes and serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. I recommend ice cream. Store leftovers covered in refrigerator.