Rhubarb Spiced Cake

Oh What To Do With Rhubarb....

As you may or may not know, my family keeps a gorgeous vegetable patch, providing us with super fresh ingredients to cook with and share with our friends. Around this time of year, we usually have a glut of rhubarb- and unable to face a month of rhubarb crumble (very nice, but wears thin after a while) I went on the hunt for something different. 

I came across this recipe on the Internet, as my cook books were not providing something of interest for once, and I am glad I did. This cake is super moist, reminiscent of the sticky ginger cake I used to love as a kid, and everyone who tried it loved it. Easy peasy recipe by the amazing Mary Cadogan (although I will make some notes at the end) so crack on and enjoy! Very good for those who might never buy rhubarb in their weekly shop.

Rhubarb Spiced Cake

Ingredients:

• 5 oz (around 141g) butter , softened, plus extra for greasing
• 300g self-raising flour
• 2 tsp mixed spice
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 100g dark muscovado sugar
• 250g golden syrup
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 2 eggs , beaten, at room temp
• 300g rhubarb , cut into short lengths
• icing sugar , for dusting 

Method

1. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4 and put the kettle on. 
2. Butter and line a deep 20cm square cake tin. 
3. Sift the flour and spices into a bowl. 
4. Beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy in the food processor, then beat in the golden syrup. 
5. Dissolve the bicarbonate of soda in 200ml boiling water, then gradually pour through the spout of the processor. 
6. Pulse in the flour, then add the eggs, mixing briefly. Remove the bowl from the processor, then gently stir in the rhubarb.
7. Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 50-60 mins, until the cake feels firm to the touch and springs back when pressed. Cool in the tin for 5 mins, then turn out and cool on a wire rack.
8. Dust with icing sugar.

Notes

• Add more spice than the recipe suggests if you want a real kick- I added an extra 1/2 tsp of each, but probably could have even doubled that. Your call, but to make it special it needs that bit more
• The baking tin- I did not have a square tin, so just used a round one.
• The mixture will seem super runny when you put it in-don't worry!
• check at 60 minutes- I kept mine in for 70 minutes and it was perfect (I have a fan oven and cooked at 160C) so don't be afraid to increase the cooking time slightly
• Enjoy with a cup of tea and friends!

Also- I need to take lessons from Holly on food pictures... am very good at eating it, OK at making it, but RUBBISH at taking photo's of it!

Rachel x