words Liz Seabrook
23rd April 2016
Homebaking isn't about perfection; it's about making something to share, taking time away from a screen or just satiating that need for something sweet without spending £3.50 on a single muffin.
For this Recipe Friday, our lifestyle editor Liz Seabrook picked some rhubarb from the garden and made a birthday cake for her mum with the things she could find in the kitchen cupboards and the garden. And don't worry, she didn't mind the slightly singed sugar one bit.
You will need
150g salted butter, at room temperature
50g golden caster sugar, plus 2 tbsp
2 medium eggs
200g ground almonds
finely grated zest of 1 orange
100g Doves Farm gluten free* self-raising flour (or normal SR Flour)
1 tsp baking powder
400g rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 4cm lengths (cut in half lengthways first if very fat)
2 tbsp flaked almonds
How to:
One. Preheat the oven 180°C, fan 160°C, gas 4. Grease a 22cm springform tin and line the base and sides with baking paper.
Two. Put the butter and sugar in a bowl and cream together with an electric whisk until pale and fluffy. Whisk in the eggs one at a time until creamy. Add the ground almonds and orange zest, sift over the flour and baking powder and mix well.
Three. Spoon half the mixture into the tin, carefully spreading it right to the edges. Arrange just under half the rhubarb on top, keeping it away from the edges of the tin. Sprinkle over 1 tablespoon of the extra sugar.
Four. Spoon over the rest of the cake mixture, then spread it to cover the rhubarb. Arrange the rest of the rhubarb on top, in a circle, filling in any gaps (keeping it away from the edges). Scatter over the flaked almonds and sprinkle with the remaining extra sugar.
Five. Bake for 1 hour until golden, cover with a tent of foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes until firm to the touch in the middle. Leave in the tin to cool before transferring to a wire rack. If not serving warm, allow to cool completely.
We recommend serving warm with a drizzle of ginger syrup and maybe some icecream! Mmmm YUM!
Recipe adapted from Sainsbury Magazine to be gluten-free using Doves Farm gluten free self raising.