Rhubarb cake

I realised that I haven't had any forced rhubarb this year at all. Quite ridiculous. Also it has been quite some time since I last took a cake in to work and people have been clamouring for some cake action.

Thus a cake was required to remedy both situation. [It was also because I wanted some roasted rhubarb to top my macaroni trifle and had a load leftover. Happy days!]

This went down pretty well a light vanilla sponge punctuated by bright pink strips of fruity tart rhubarb. The crumble topping was really much more gingery than I expected but in the context of the whole cake was OK. Putting half the rhubarb on the top (before the crumble) certainly helps to distribute the fruit better. I think that how to prevent sinking fruit may be one of life's eternal mysteries.

P.S. It was with some irony that having popped out this rhubarb slice at work today, one of the principle cake "demanders" was missing. Oh, well.

Recipe for Rhubarb Slice (taken from Sainsbury's)

Ingredients:

300g rhubarb

Juice of ½ a lemon

6oz plain flour

6oz butter

6oz caster sugar

3 eggs

2tsp vanilla extract
1tsp baking powder

For the topping:

25g butter

2tbsp plain flour
1/2tsp baking powder

1tbsp caster sugar

2tsp ground ginger

Method:

1.Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 23cm square cake tin and line with baking parchment.

2.Trim the rhubarb and chop into 3cm pieces. Place in a bowl with the lemon juice.
3. In a separate bowl, beat together the flour, baking powder, butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla extract.
4. Fold in half the rhubarb and spoon the mixture into the bottom of the tin, spreading it out with a spatula. Scatter over the remaining rhubarb.

5.For the topping, rub the butter into the flour, then stir in the sugar and ginger. Sprinkle over the cake mixture
6. Bake for 40-50 minutes. Leave to cool for 10 minutes, then remove from the tin and cut into slices.