• Recipe of the season

Rhubarb and Orange Cake

Rhubarb is a vegetable with a unique taste that makes it a favourite in many pies and desserts. Often commonly mistaken to be a fruit but is actually a close relative of garden sorrel. Rhubarb is rich in vitamin C and dietary fibre. The rhubarb stalk grows in a spectrum of colours from red to green. When buying rhubarb look for firm, upright stalks. The leaves, which should not be eaten as they are toxic, will tell you how fresh the rhubarb is. Avoid rhubarb with brown or black leaves.

Ingredients

  • 320grm Fresh rhubarb stalks
  • 70grm Caster sugar for poaching
  • Zest and juice of 1 orange
  • 180grm butter
  • 180grm caster sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 120grm self raising flour
  • 125g desiccated coconut

For the topping

  • 40grm icing sugar
  • 40grm butter
  • 100grm flaked almonds
  • Pinch of ground cinnamon






Method

1. Heat oven to 180°c and grease and line a 10” cake tin

2. Wash and cut the rhubarb stems into 2cm chunks (you will need 12 nice pieces). Place the rhubarb in a pan with the sugar and the orange juice and zest. Over a medium heat, poach the rhubarb for approx 4 minutes or until tender but still retaining shape. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

3. Cream the butter and 2nd lot of sugar in a bowl until pale. Gradually add the eggs , beating in well.

4. Add the flour and coconut fold in until combined.

5. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and cook in the oven for approximately 25 minutes or until the cake is firm to touch , remove from the oven and allow to cool

6. Allow the cake to cool completely before adding the topping

7. For the topping, cream the butter and sugar with the ground cinnamon until light and fluffy.

8. Spoon the buttercream onto the cooled cake and spread with a palette knife.

9. Place 12 pieces of the poached rhubarb onto the top of the buttercream

About the chef

Lucia Wilde
Lucia Wilde
Imperial War Museum in Manchester

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