Recipe: Rhubarb, Vanilla and Almond Cake
Vanilla adds a sweet yet aromatic note to rhubarb recipes. I love adding it to my poached fruit so it was not long before it made its way into a cake. This rhubarb vanilla and almond cake balances sweet and sharp rich and wholesome flavours. It gets tastier each day as the vanilla continues to infuse and it is lovely warmed with custard.
Ingredients
For the cake
120g butter
120g sugar
90g self raising flour
30g ground almonds
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
100g rhubarb half chopped and half kept for the top
For the topping
2 tbsp flaked almonds
Method
Preheat the oven to 160°C fan and grease and line a 20cm round baking tin. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time with a little flour then fold in the remaining flour ground almonds and vanilla extract. Gently fold through half of the chopped rhubarb.
Pour the batter into the prepared tin then level the surface and place the remaining rhubarb pieces on top. Scatter with flaked almonds and bake for 45 to 50 minutes until golden and cooked through.
A Seasonal Note
Published in early April this recipe belongs to Beltane the Celtic season of blossom fresh growth and soft bright mornings. Rhubarb is one of the first fruits of spring and its sharpness pairs beautifully with the warmth of vanilla. This cake captures the feeling of early Beltane perfectly a moment of sweetness light and new beginnings.
