Rhubarb season is on the way, and this is a simple but tasty recipe to boost your antioxidants and bring a little pop of pink to your cooking.
We’re all about shopping locally, seasonal cooking and good provenance at LGL. Thank you to my good friend, Annabel, chef supremo, for sharing this rhubarb cake recipe, a perfect Spring boost with a twist of rosemary and a splash of Amaretto.
RHUBARB AND AMARETTI CAKE
INGREDIENTS:
225 softened unsalted butter
200g caster sugar
1tsp caster sugar
4 eggs, beaten
Grated zest of 2 oranges
50g plain flour
1tsp baking powder
8 amaretti biscuits, crumbled into small chunks
2 sticks of rhubarb, trimmed into 6cm pieces, then halved lengthways (to give 12-16 lengths)
Granulated sugar to sprinkle
FOR THE GLAZE:
Juice of 1 orange
1 sprig of rosemary
20g granulated sugar
23cm loose-bottomed fluted tart tin or cake tin, oiled with sunflower oil, bottom lined with baking paper.
METHOD:
Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4. Put the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until the mixture is light and fluffy. Next, add the vanilla extract and then the eggs, one by one, beating well between additions until they’re incorporated. Don’t worry if the mixture looks curdled – it will come together as it bakes.
Once the eggs are incorporated, gently stir in the orange zest, ground almonds, flour and baking powder, then the amaretti chunks. Pour the mixture into the cake tin, level the top, then gently push the rhubarb pieces in a spoke pattern, leaving them two-thirds uncovered (they’ll sink a little in the oven).
Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 35-40 minutes until the top is golden and a skewer pushed into the middle comes out clean (cover the cake with foil once it turns golden). Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then lift out (still on the base) onto a wire rack.
For the glaze, put the orange juice, rosemary sprig and granulated sugar in a heavy-based pan, bring to a simmer and bubble rapidly for 4-5 minutes to reduce slightly. Once the cake has cooled, pour over the syrup, letting it sink in before adding more. Sprinkle with the granulated sugar, then serve with crème fraîche or cream, whipped with a bit of icing sugar and a splash of Amaretto, brandy or rum.
Source your fresh rhubarb from The Fruit Basket on Church St, Farmers Greengrocers on Mill St, Ludlow Market, or Ludlow Farmshop.
