Raspberry and cream sponge cake

Nothing groundbreaking here, just a standard victoria sponge with fruit and a whipped cream filling. However there is something extra lovely about filling and decorating a cake with homegrown raspberries and homemade jam (rhubarb and raspberry in this case.) 

It's hard to beat raspberries (or strawberries) and cream for a summery cake. It's light and fresh, perfect for a summer birthday.

Our "fruiting garden" is developing very nicely. I picked roughly 1kg of blackcurrants last night, our biggest haul to date. Next up will be the loganberries and second crop of raspberries. I know I should freeze some of them but they will most likely end up in jam as my obsession with making jam is still going strong. All the fruit means all the jam!

Rhubarb and raspberry tarts

As my pineapple tarts were such a raging success with my in-laws last month I couldn't resist making them again with some tweaks. I love a versatile recipe and this bake offers so many flavour possibilities by swapping out the jam filling.

For this version I used some of my homemade raspberry and rhubarb jam and coloured the icing on top pink. I also reduced the icing sugar in the whipped cream to 1tbsp (instead of 3 tbsp) and felt it balanced the sweetness of the jam better. I also had more time to assemble these tarts so they're a lot neater than my first batch.

The shortbread type pastry was better to work with this time, generally less crumbly although I didn't mix it very evenly for fear of over handling it. I'll perfect it eventually. It's worth the effort as it's so deliciously buttery.

We enjoyed the tarts as part of a mother's day high tea at my in-laws' house. I thought the tarts looked so cute on my favourite Royal Winton Grimwades 3 tier cake stand. Pastel perfection! It was lovely to have an excuse to use it. Long time readers (if they're still around?) may remember it from old posts, back when I used to take time to create pretty photos for the blog. Those were the good old days.

Don't be surprised if you see yet another version of these tarts on the blog. There's a strong possibility I'll try a lemon curd version for the Man's birthday next month.

Banana and rhubarb streuselcake

Yes, I know, it's another rhubarb cake, but damn this is a good one!

It's another recipe from the "Rhubarbaria" I received last Christmas from the Man. I had never come across the pairing of rhubarb and banana so naturally it piqued my interest. I love banana cake, streusel topping and rhubarb so it had to be a winner.

As was the case with the last recipe I baked from this book elements of the recipe were on the vague side, which you can either be infuriated by or view as a fun challenge. I'm in the latter camp.

The recipe mentioned a 9" tin but didn't specify round or square - I guessed round and feel I made the correct choice. The ingredients were also listed as a mixture of ounces and cups. As many recipes from the book are from old UK newspaper clippings or WRI type groups I wasn't sure whether it was referring to standard American cup measures or more an old fashioned "use a drinking cup" type expression similar to my granny's handwritten recipes. In the latter case, capacity of cups vary wildly so you have to use a bit of common sense.

In the end I decided to use my American cup measures but weighed those quantities out in ounces to help gauge the quantities of the ingredients against others. My biggest alteration to the recipe was not adding all of the milk, instead stopping when I felt I had achieved a good consistency with the cake batter.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I put the cake in the oven but what a glorious cake came out. It rose beautifully and smelled amazing. Look at the depth of those slices!

The recipe recommends eating the cake warm like a pudding but it is equally lovely cold. It has a beautiful, soft texture with pockets of squidgy rhubarb and banana contrasted with a spiced and sweet crunchy nut topping. There's also a subtle hint of lemon which is lovely. 

It might all sound a bit random but it absolutely works. I'm ridiculously pleased with this cake and can't wait to make it again. 

Banana and rhubarb streusel cake 

Recipe mildly adapted from Rhubarbaria by Mary Prior

For the cake:

5oz softened butter/baking margarine (I used Stork)

7oz soft light brown sugar 

2 large eggs

10oz plain flour

Pinch of salt

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 

1 cup milk (I used most but not all of it, I think about 1/4 pint - a bit of baking experience required here to gauge it)

1tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 cup of rhubarb, chopped into small chunks (I used 2 smallish stalks and forgot to weigh them in ounces here)

1 banana, chopped into small chunks/slices

For the streusel topping:

2oz walnuts, chopped

2oz granulated sugar 

1 tsp melted butter

1tsp ground cinnamon 

Preheat the oven to 180C/ 160C fan/ gas mark 4. Grease and line a 9" round cake tin with greaseproof paper. 

In a large bowl cream together the sugar and margarine until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well between each addition. 

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt and bicarbonate of soda. Add this mixture to the butter mixture alternately with the milk, one third at a time, mixing well between each addition.

Add the chopped rhubarb, banana, vanilla and lemon juice and stir until well combined. Pour the mixture into the cake tin.

Before putting the cake in the oven, combine the streusel toppings in a separate bowl then scatter it on top of the cake mixture.

Bake the cake on the middle shelf of the oven for 50-60 minutes until well risen, firm to touch and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. I put a layer of greaseproof paper on top of the cake after 50 minutes to stop the top from burning but allow the inside of the cake to continue cooking for another 5-10 minutes.

Leave to cool in the tin for at least 30 minutes before removing from the tin and transferring to a wire cooling rack.

Rhubarb and custard kisses

Years ago (here, actually) I made delicious custard biscuits which incorporated custard powder into the dough. The other week in one of my baking related ponderings I wondered if I could substitute the cornflour for custard powder in my Granny's recipe for kisses. . . So I tried it.

The custard powder gave the kisses (a shortbread sandwich biscuit) a lovely, golden yellow colour which the camera on my phone mostly decided to capture as a radioactive glow. The powder also gave the biscuits a sweet, vanilla-y, custard flavour.

For the filling I used a vanilla butter icing and some of last year's never-ending supply of rhubarb based jam. (I made more rhubarb jam than you can shake a stalk stick at.)

Basically I'm trying to find ways to use up the multiple jars of rhubarb jam I made last year. Despite giving away a large amount as Christmas presents (or just to any accepting friend or family member) I still have at least 10 jars left. 

Admittedly very little jam was used in this bake but the idea of rhubarb and custard kisses appealed to me and I'm happy my baking pondering was successful.

Granny's kisses with a rhubarb and custard twist

6oz margarine

2 1/2 oz Icing sugar

2oz Custard powder

6oz Self-raising flour

2oz Butter, softened 

4oz Icing sugar

A few drops of vanilla extract 

A few drops of boiling water

(Optional) A drop of pink food colouring 

A jar of rhubarb jam

Preheat the oven to gas mark 6/ 200C/ 180C Fan. Line two large baking sheets with greaseproof paper.

Cream together the softened butter and icing sugar until smooth and fluffy. Add the custard powder and self raising flour and mix together until it forms a dough.

Form the dough into 24 small balls and set onto the baking sheets, spacing them apart. Slightly flatten them with a fork. Bake in the oven for approx. 12 minutes or until the edges start looking slightly golden. Leave to cool on a cooling rack.

For the icing mix together the butter, icing sugar and vanilla extract until fluffy. If it needs softening slightly add a few drops of boiling water. Admittedly I rarely weigh out my butter or icing sugar for making icing so my written quantities here are a rough guess.

Once the biscuits are cool, sandwich them together with a dollop of butter icing and a smaller dollop of jam. A little jam goes a long way. You should end up with 12 kisses.

Orange, rhubarb and almond cake

This cake is the lovechild of two BBC Good Food recipes: Berry Bakewell cake and Stewed Rhubarb. 

I've made the Bakewell (almond) cake countless times over the years with various berries and substituting the vanilla extract for almond extract or ground spices. It's satisfyingly simple and adaptable - my favourite kind of cake.

The stewed rhubarb and orange is a recipe I only discovered last year. I absolutely loved the flavour combination so was keen to make it again this year when my rhubarb was ready to harvest.

When I was making a batch of stewed orange and rhubarb last weekend I had a brainwave to combine the two recipes. I had previously made the cake with stewed rhubarb (no extra flavours) with great success (see here) so it wasn't much of a change to include orange.

For the cake batter I added the zest of an orange and instead of adding berries I put a few dessertspoonfuls of the (cooled) stewed rhubarb in the middle of the cake. I smoothed it out as a jammy layer before topping with the remaining cake batter and flaked almonds.

It's not a flashy looking cake but it is very tasty and with most almond bakes the flavour improves the following day. The orange lifts the cake, adding a subtle, sweet zing to both the sponge and the squidgy rhubarb vein running through the centre. 

I'm delighted that I have created another successful variation of this almond cake. It's the recipe which keeps on giving!

rhubarb gingerbread pudding

"And so it begins...", said King Théoden (R.I.P. Bernard Hill.)

Also myself upon looking at my garden. Rhubarb season has begun and the "rhubarb empire" is growing larger with each passing day...

...resembling an exotic jungle for cats.

The Man gave me a Rhubarb cooking/baking book for Christmas so I've been eagerly awaiting rhubarb season to arrive to try out recipes. It's a quirky, little book called Rhubarbaria and it's full of sweet and savoury dishes the author has gathered from people all around the world along with a bit of rhubarb history and anecdotes. It's not a glossy, instagrammable book as it has no pictures but I think it's a gem. I'm especially looking forward to trying the jam recipes.

The rhubarb gingerbread pudding immediately appealed to me and became my first rhubarb experiment of 2024. Despite knowing rhubarb and ginger pair well together I hadn't ever considered rhubarb with a gingerbread cake. I also loved that the recipe originally came from a lady called Mavis from New Zealand. How could I be steared wrong by a Mavis?

Well, Mavis. Your pudding, especially after 2 days, is delicious. However, your timings are shocking. What was meant to be a 35-40 minute bake was actually at least 60 minutes. That's a fair old difference, Mavis.

But as I said, 2 days later served warm with custard it was exceptionally tasty. As with all gingerbread cakes the flavour and texture benefitted from maturing. This goes against the nature of hot puddings for me, which are always served fresh from the oven, but I guess this makes this pudding an excellent one to make in advance for an occasion.

What I liked most is that the rhubarb is left as its natural, tart self; no extra sugar before adding the cake mix. The cake is the sweet element, although that didn't feel overly sweet either. However I would say if you're using a particularly tart or green rhubarb you may want to add additional sugar. My rhubarb is naturally on the sweet side as it's very pink so it was perfect for me.

I'm sorry I ever doubted you, Mavis.

Rhubarb gingerbread cake 

Mildly adapted from "Rhubarbaria" by Mary Prior

450g/ 1lb rhubarb

25g/ 1oz muscovado sugar 

25g/ 1oz soft dark brown sugar

100g/ 4oz Stork margarine (or softened butter)

50g/ 2oz golden syrup

1 large egg 

150g/ 6oz plain flour

Pinch of salt

1tsp ground ginger 

1/2 tsp mixed spice

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon 

1/2tsp bicarbonate of soda 

2 tbsp hot milk

Preheat the oven to 180c/160c fan/375F and grease a baking dish with butter. My dish measured 16cm wide x 24cm long x 6cm deep and I found it was a suitable size.

Wash and dry your rhubarb stalks then chop up into 1" chunks. Arrange in the bottom of the baking dish. Add a sprinkling of extra sugar if you want a sweeter flavour.

Cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy (about 5 minutes) then mix in the syrup. Add the egg and mix again until combined. In a separate bowl sift together the flour, salt and spices then add to the egg mixture and mix until combined. Finally, in a cup or small bowl dissolve the bicarbonate of soda in the hot milk then add this to the cake mixture and mix again.

Spread the cake mixture over the rhubarb in the dish. It's quite a thin spread so don't be alarmed if it doesn't cover well.

Bake in the oven for approx. 1 hour. I put a layer of greaseproof paper over the top of the dish after 40 minutes to stop the top from burning but allow the middle to continue baking.

Serve warm with cream, ice cream or custard. Alternatively leave it to cool fully, store in the fridge (with a cover on top) for at least a day then reheat and serve. This will enhance the gingerbread flavour.

Strawberry and rhubarb trifle

Yes, I am still wading my way through all the rhubarb in my garden. I might as well rename the blog "what do you make of my rhubarb?"

In my effort to find more ways to use rhubarb I stumbled across a raspberry and rhubarb trifle recipe online by Phil Vickery. Having never tried rhubarb in a trifle before I was suitably intrigued and decided to make it for a little family gathering to celebrate my first wedding anniversary with the Man. If anniversary trifle isn't a thing then I'm totally making it a thing.

I made some tweaks to the recipe according to taste and also what I had in the kitchen. The most obvious swap was strawberry instead of raspberry as I had two packets of strawberry jelly and two tins of strawberries in syrup in the cupboard left over from Christmas (as trifle is a Christmas necessity) so it made sense to use them.

My only other significant change was using less sugar in the stewed rhubarb and omitting the vanilla as I prefer a more tart flavour. I think the original quantities would be far too sweet as mine was sweet enough. I guess it'll vary depending on your rhubarb though.

Although not necessarily a change, I also didn't follow the recipe for the custard. I used the same ingredients but measured by eye and went by taste. It was roughly the same quantity.

Usually for trifle I make a plain Victoria sponge, however I decided to go for a Swiss roll like the Phil Vickery recipe. I used my trusty Mary Berry recipe from her "Baking Bible", once again swapping the raspberry for strawberry jam. It's been a few years since I last made a Swiss roll (9 years ago, apparently?!) so that was a fun change.

The resulting trifle was fantastic! The lemon in the rhubarb gave a lovely zingy flavour in contrast to the sweeter strawberry flavour and Swiss roll. 

Everybody thought this trifle was immensely tasty. I have to admit, the rhubarb in our garden is the nicest rhubarb I've ever encountered; it is so red and sweet. This trifle is definitely one to add to the rhubarb repertoire.

Strawberry and rhubarb trifle

Recipe based on Phil Vickery's mum's trifle

X1 Swiss roll filled with strawberry jam. I used this Mary Berry recipe but without lemon. Same method but I used the following quantities in a larger tin measuring 33 x 23cm:

4 large eggs

100g caster sugar 

100g self raising flour

At least 4 spoonfuls of jam for the filling.

X2 135g packet strawberry jelly, made according to instructions. Admittedly I didn't end up using all the jelly, but I felt it needed more than one packet.

X2 tins of strawberries in syrup (drain the syrup) or fresh, chopped strawberries

Stewed rhubarb:

350g rhubarb, chopped into small chunks

Juice of 1 large lemon

100g sugar

Approx. 1 pint of custard, fresh/homemade, shop bought or made up with Bird's custard powder.

300ml double cream, lightly whipped.

Method: 

Make the Swiss roll, cut it into slices, then cut each slice in half. Place into the bottom of the trifle bowl and around the sides. Layer the fresh, chopped or drained, tinned strawberries into the centre.

Make up the jelly according to instructions. Top tip: if using tinned strawberries, use the fruit syrup for your jelly. Add enough boiling water to melt the jelly blocks then top up the rest of the liquid with the fruit syrup.

Once cool, pour the jelly into the trifle bowl until it fully covers the sponge and fruit. Put in the fridge to set, ideally overnight.

Put all ingredients for the stewed rhubarb in a pan and simmer over a low heat until the rhubarb has softened. Set aside to cool. Once cool, add on top of the set jelly.

Make up the custard, either using the powdered variety, make from scratch or buy ready made. If you're making it though, it's best to make it on the thick side to give it a firmer set. Let the custard cool before adding to the trifle, on top of the rhubarb layer.

Lightly whip the double cream and add as a final layer on top of the trifle. Re-chill and serve, with a flourish of sprinkles for decoration.

Adventures with rhubarb part 3: a failed loaf cake

Well this is embarrassing. After declaring in my last post that the only thing I was decent at baking was cake, here I am with a dud.

I suspected there was far too much fruit/liquid going into the cake batter as I was making it, but trusted the recipe anyway.

I should have trusted my gut. This is one soggy cake.

It reminded me of the time I baked this raspberry and apple cake (shockingly, 11 years ago?!) It was definitely fully baked, but sank into a stodgy heap whilst cooling due to excessive moisture from the fruit.

It's a shame as this is actually a nicely flavoured cake, I might even heat it up with custard to see if that saves it. If I were to bake it again I'd only add a couple of spoonfuls of the stewed rhubarb. Actually, it wouldn't be dissimilar from this almond and rhubarb cake I've made previously.

I won't bother writing out the recipe, which came from The Hummingbird Bakery's Cake Days book, as I feel the almond cake I linked to above is a better almond and rhubarb cake recipe.

Ah well. You live and learn. I'm moving onto rhubarb chutney next.

Adventures with rhubarb part 2: the trials and tribulations of making jam

"You should enter The Great British Bake Off", they say.

Little do they know I can basically only bake cakes. I would barely last a week in the tent as I am rubbish at jam and scones and have pretty much zero experience with bread and pastry.

I have made jam two or three times previously and all overset to the degree they could be used as cement mortar or silicone sealant. I was convinced the thermometer lied so threw it out after my last attempt. My last attempt also burned to the bottom of the pan so I became convinced my preserving pan base wasn't thick enough either. 

After moving house and discovering we had a rhubarb patch and gooseberry and blackcurrant bushes I knew it was time to conquer jam. I'm clearly not a natural, but determined nonetheless to learn. Luckily the sheer size of the rhubarb patch allows me to experiment without feeling like I've wasted too much money or precious fruit.

Armed with a different pan, new digital thermometer and a new recipe book I was ready to go!

Things I've learned about jam making in the last week:

I need a better preserving pan. I used my big Denby casserole dish this time as it has a heavy, thick base but it isn't quite tall enough for boiling jam as jam sparked EVERYWHERE. My kitchen was very sticky last week!

105C is not the "golden number" for jam setting, it's a rough guideline. I only found this out after reading "the basics" beginning section of my new jam making book, The National Trust Book of Jam. It was one of those penny dropping/light bulb moments and I suspect this could be where I've gone wrong in the past. Learning to "read" my jam will undoubtedly come with experience. For my rhubarb jam I discovered 102 - 103C was the best setting point.

Every jam is different, even when you're using the same recipe. It won't necessarily set the same even if you take it off the boil at the same temperature you used last time.

Pectin. Learn about pectin as this is what makes your jam set. Some fruits like strawberry and rhubarb are low in pectin, therefore need added pectin to help the jam set. This can be done by either using jam sugar (as opposed to granulated) and/or citrus like lemon juice. For my first batch I used jam sugar, but as I already had lemon and orange in the jam I found it made a firmer set. For subsequent batches I used half jam sugar and half granulated sugar and I felt it worked better.

For a complete jam novice I'm really pleased with my three attempts. Although the first batch is perhaps a bit too dark/over boiled, none of them are disasters. They are all edible and that's a vast improvement from previous attempts.

Batch 2 is definitely my best effort. I was initially worried it was under set but after spreading some on a scone (not baked by myself, as I said earlier, I'm crap at scones) I decided that it's actually spot on. It's incredibly tasty. There is something rather special about homemade jam.

Like the stewed rhubarb, the orange really lifts the rhubarb flavour in this jam. It's definitely a recipe I'm looking forward to perfecting over the years with my rhubarb patch.

There are also recipes for rhubarb and raspberry jam and rhubarb and strawberry jam in the National Trust Jam book which I'm keen to try later in the year. The Man and I have transplanted our young raspberry bushes and strawberry plants from our old garden so hopefully we'll have home grown raspberries and strawberries to enjoy with our home grown rhubarb in years to come.

Rhubarb, orange and ginger jam

Recipe from National Trust Book of Jam

 

1 kg rhubarb, washed and cut into 2cm slices.

1.1kg sugar (I used 500g jam sugar and 600g granulated sugar)

Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

1 large orange

55g drained stem ginger in syrup

Start your prep the night before you intend to make your jam:

Layer up the chopped rhubarb, sugar and lemon zest in a large glass bowl then pour the lemon zest on top. Cover with a tea towel and leave in a cool place to soak overnight. Stir it before going to bed then again the following day before using.

Place the orange in a small saucepan and pour in enough water to almost cover it or at least half cover. Bring to the boil and simmer until the orange has softened, about an hour. Remember to turn the orange every so often to ensure it cooks evenly. Leave to cool in the pan and set aside.

The following day, wash and sterilize 4-6 glass jars and lids then place them on trays in the oven at a low heat, around 100C, while you prepare the jam.

Tip the rhubarb sugar mixture into your preserving pan. Put it on a low to medium heat and stir until the sugar has completely dissolved.

Meanwhile drain the softened orange (discarding the water) and roughly chop it up. Chuck it in a blender with the stem ginger and blend into a paste. Alternatively, chop finely. Tip this mixture into the jam pan once the sugar has dissolved.

Now bring your pan to the boil, remembering to stir every so often and remove any scum which forms at the edge of the pan. It'll take about 10 minutes to thicken and come to a setting point, around 103 - 105C.

When you think it's ready take the pan off the heat and dab a small amount of jam onto a cool saucer then set the saucer in the fridge for 5 minutes. Push your finger through the cooled jam; if the jam "wrinkles" and leaves a trail, it's ready. If not, put the pan back on the heat and boil for longer.

Take the jars out the oven and ladle jam into them, filling right to the top. Put the lids on tight (or cover with waxed discs and cellophane tops with elastic bands) and add labels, naming and dating your jam. Store your jam in a cool place and keep in the fridge once opened.

Adventures with rhubarb part 1: stewed rhubarb and orange

I moved house at the end of last year. (I don't recommend selling, buying and moving house three days before Christmas, it was stressful.)

The garden at the new house, rather excitingly, has mature fruit bushes and a ginormous rhubarb patch. This is just my first gathering of rhubarb this year, I can already see I'll need to pick more in a few weeks time.

And what do you do when you inherit a rhubarb empire? Stew it, make crumbles and (try to) make jam!

Usually I stew rhubarb simply with sugar, occasionally pimping it up with ground ginger, cinnamon or vanilla extract, but this time I decided to follow a BBC Good Food recipe which added the zest and juice of an orange.

This flavour combination is a complete revelation, I don't know why I've never thought to pair orange with rhubarb. The orange lifts the tart rhubarb and gives it a sweet zing. It's insanely tasty. Even the Man had to admit it was delicious and he doesn't particularly like rhubarb. 

We enjoyed our stewed rhubarb and orange at the weekend with plain yoghurt and a handful of flaked almonds. A quick, fresh and simple dessert.

And this concludes part 1 in my rhubarb adventures. Stay tuned for part 2: the trials and tribulations of jam making.

Stewed rhubarb with orange

Recipe from BBC Good Food

500g-600g rhubarb, chopped into 2cm wide chunks

100g (ish) of caster sugar

Zest and juice of one orange

2 tbsp water

Put everything in a saucepan and simmer over a low heat until the rhubarb is softened but not mushy, around 8 minutes. Serve warm or cold alongside plain yoghurt, ice cream or custard.

Rhubarb and custard cake

This cake sadly did not turn out like the cake in the recipe book, but disappointing visuals aside it was a very tasty cake.

It's essentially a standard sponge cake with a layer of custard and stewed rhubarb baked on top, except with mine the custard and rhubarb sank to the bottom and the sponge rose above it. 

The juices from the stewed rhubarb were meant to be reserved for drizzling on top of the cake before serving. As you can see mine was more of a thickened sauce than a drizzle as I think I over reduced it. Still delicious though.

My "patisserie cream" (custard) didn't look right either. My electronic scale went a bit funny on me so I think I added more cornflour than intended and because I added it directly on top of the eggs to save on washing more dishes, I couldn't take it out to weigh again. It ended up pretty thick and bouncy, but still a lovely flavour so I used it anyway.

So yes, there are errors and a bit of disappointment (and a lot of washing up) but it really was a delicious cake and that's what matters most. The custard topping made a lovely change from an icing so perhaps I should revisit it again. . . but take more care with the cornflour.

On a totally separate note my 8 month old kitten got stuck on a neighbour's roof yesterday. He was wailing his head off and after a few hours of seeing him unable to get down off the chimney stack we had to go rescue him. I can tell you it's an interesting way to meet your neighbours. "Hi there, I live in the house diagonally above you. Would you mind if I put a giant ladder up the front of your property so I can retrieve my kitten?"

At least 3 other sets of neighbours came to see what was going on. I fear we're going to known as the couple in the village with *that* cat. Haha.

Rhubarb and custard cake

Recipe mildly adapted from "Bronte at home" by Bronte Aurell

Stewed rhubarb topping:

400g rhubarb, washed and cut into 3/4" chunks

30g butter

50g caster sugar (I would perhaps use slightly less next time)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pastry cream/ custard:

500ml + 2tbsp whole milk

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

1 large egg + 1 egg yolk

100g caster sugar

30g cornflour

1/2 tsp salt

25g butter

Cake:

175g butter/ Stork baking margarine

200g caster sugar

4 large eggs

200g plain flour

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

Preheat the oven to 180c/160c fan/gas mark 4 and grease and line a 23cm/ 9" round spring form cake tin.

Make the stewed rhubarb first. Melt the butter in a saucepan over a low heat then add the sugar and vanilla. Stir in the chopped rhubarb and stew for 2-3 minutes to start the cooking process then take the pan off the stove and set aside (I left mine for about 5 minutes, I'm guessing that's why I didn't end up with much juice.)

Whilst the rhubarb cools make the pastry cream/ custard. First, heat the milk and vanilla bean paste in a saucepan on the hob.

In a separate bowl whisk the eggs and sugar together then add the cornflour and combine. 

When the milk just about starts boiling take it off the heat and pour roughly 1/3 into the egg mixture, whisking continuously, then pour this mixture back into the saucepan of hot milk on the stove. Bring to the boil and keep whisking until the mixture thickens (about 1 minute) then take off the heat. Stir in the salt and butter.

Pour the custard into a cold bowl and press a sheet of baking parchment or clingfilm on top to stop a skin from forming.

Finally, make the cake. In a large bowl beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy with a mixer, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well between each addition, then the vanilla.

Combine the flour and baking powder in a separate bowl then fold into the egg mixture until everything is fully combined. 

Pour the mixture into the cake tin then spread 150 - 200g of the pastry cream on top. Remove the rhubarb from the syrup and scatter evenly on top of the pastry cream. Bake the cake in the oven for approx. 1 hour until risen and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. I put a layer of grease proof paper over the top of the cake after 45 minutes to stop the top from browning further but allow the cake to continue baking.

Allow the cake to cool slightly before drizzling the reserved rhubarb stewing syrup on top. Serve the remaining custard with the cake too as it's delicious.

rhubarb jam and vanilla muffins

I had quite a lot of rhubarb left over after making my almond and rhubarb cake so I thought I'd make some jam. I've only made jam once before and it didn't go well as it over set.

Yet again my inability to make jam struck again as my rhubarb jam over set, but somewhat confusingly my thermometer was nowhere near jam setting temperature. Eventually I took the jam off the heat as I knew it would have burned had I left it longer. The resulting jam is dense and sticky when the recipe said it should have a fairly loose consistency as it uses granulated sugar rather than preserving/jam sugar. I don't understand how I got this so wrong. Perhaps my jam thermometer is faulty?! Any insight gratefully received.

Anyway, the jam still tasted nice despite being solid, so it wasn't a complete write off. I read online that over set jam could be salvaged by heating it up with a small amount of water. I'm so glad I tried this! I've discovered that the reheated jam tastes amazing with plain yoghurt and berries.

Anyway, I digress. Basically I heated up enough jam to dollop teaspoonfuls of it in the middle of my muffin mixture before baking. The muffin recipe is the same as last time, but with a jammy centre instead of blueberries. I also sprinkled some porridge oats on top for a bit of texture and visual interest.

The muffins tasted lovely and more importantly I didn't drop the cake tin this time. If I don't end up eating all my reheated jam with plain yoghurt I think I'll bake these muffins again.

almond and rhubarb cake

Last month my uncle dropped off a pile of rhubarb at my doorstep. What's a lady to do with a pile of rhubarb? Bake, of course!

This cake is based on one of my favourite BBC Good Food recipes. I've used it countless times over the years with different berries, but never with other fruit.

I was unsure whether chunks of raw rhubarb would cook properly in the cake so I decided to stew the rhubarb first (with the addition of vanilla extract) then added it as a jammy layer in the middle of the cake before baking.

This worked really nicely. I loved the tart, jammy frill running through the centre of the cake. I thought it looked really attractive when cut open too. I stewed another few batches of rhubarb and stuck them in the freezer so I'm all set for another cake or a crumble.

Somewhat unfortunately I think I've killed the rhubarb plant which I inherited with my house. An impressive achievement considering it's a hardy plant. I've been steadily gutting and relandscaping my garden since I bought my house two years ago as it was seriously overgrown. The rhubarb plant got dug up and chucked into a shady corner on my path with the intention of replanting it after I weedkilled and reseeded my lawn... which I finally got around to doing this year. Perhaps I put it in too dark a spot when I replanted it, or perhaps it was doomed as it had been sitting out the ground for well over a year. Either way, it's a sad stump.

On the upside, my garden is really taking shape this year. The Covid lockdown has given me time to dedicate to my garden which I otherwise wouldn't have had. My new lawn has been seeded and is growing (incredibly patchy, but still a massive step up from brown earth), I've bought and filled hanging pots for my fence (the fence was built and painted last year), I have created a new border and filled it with colourful bedding plants, and I have finally filled my big planters with flowers, strawberries, onions and carrots. My fuschia and rose bushes have also recovered from their extensive haircuts and the rosebush has loads of pink buds blooming which are going to smell gorgeous when they open. I'm a complete gardening novice so seeing all this progress is ridiculously exciting and rewarding.

Now that lockdown restrictions are lifting in the UK my Dad has been able to come to my garden to help build a new garden shed. I knocked down the original one two years ago as it was completely rotten so I cannot wait to finally have a space to store all my gardening stuff!

Betty's rhubarb - a crumble and a tart

Dare I say it, but I think I can almost see a glimpse of light at the end of the house renovating tunnel. The demolishing stage felt neverending, but things are finally going back in. Plumbing  is underway, the rewiring is nearly finished and new insulation and plasterboard are going up. Plasterboard automatically makes the space look cleaner and brighter which is exciting.

There have been a few "oh my god, WHAT?!" discoveries and eyebrow raising moments in my six months of house-ownership, but thankfully they have been manageable and fixable without too much cost rather than devastating.

One of the more pleasant discoveries was finding rhubarb growing in the overgrown garden. I didn't expect to find anything edible growing there so it felt like a real treat. Thanks, Betty!

*Betty was the elderly lady who owned the house before me. We found a *lot* of her stockings tied round bits of trees when we were excavating the garden a couple of weeks ago. An elderly neighbour also told me she used to keep clothes in her microwave?! She sounds like quite a character!

As there wasn't a huge amount of rhubarb to use I baked a crumble and bulked it out with two eating apples. I also added a sprinkling of ginger and cinnamon since they pair well with rhubarb. The resulting crumble was incredibly tasty although perhaps a touch on the sweet side. I guessed the sugar quantity and underestimated how much sweetness the eating apples would add to the filling.

Lovely red filling! 

A few weeks ago I trimmed off more rhubarb with the intentions of making another crumble, but my Mum suggested a tart instead. After a raid of the fruit bowl I ended up making an apple, nectarine and rhubarb frangipane tart.

It was a very spur-of-the-moment decision to make a tart, so I used a roll of shop-bought shortcrust pastry from the freezer rather than make my own. Some may frown, but I am absolutely ok with the occasional baking shortcut, particularly when it comes to pastry... and custard powder. I have no shame.

Speaking of custard powder, this tart tasted even better the following day served with custard. Custard made from powder *and* shop bought pastry in one photo/pudding. Told you, no shame.

I definitely felt I achieved a better balance with the sweetness in this tart. I also liked the more fragrant, summery addition of vanilla and nectarine compared to my more autumnal flavoured crumble. My only disappointment with this tart was that it could have done with a few more minutes in the oven as I think there was a slightly underbaked bit of frangipane right next to the fruit layer. At least my pastry wasn't soggy. No soggy bottoms here!

On the whole though, as a spontaneous bake I was pretty pleased with my effort. It's also the first tart I've made in quite a few years. (Holy moly, last time was in 2012 if I don't count mini tarts I made in 2014. Seriously?!) Next time I'll have to be more organised and make my own pastry.

Rhubarb and apple crumble 
I recommend reducing the sugar quantity if you prefer a sharp rhubarb flavour.

fruit filling: 15oz (425g) red rhubarb, chopped into 1 inch chunks
3oz (85g)  caster sugar
2 eating apples, cored and chopped into similar sized chunks
sprinkling of ground cinnamon and ginger

crumble:
4oz (115g) butter (I use slightly salted)
6oz (175g) plain flour
2oz (55g) porridge oats
3oz (85g) soft brown sugar

Preheat oven to 190C/ Fan 170C/ Gas 5 and grease a pie dish with butter. Chop up the fruit for the filling and put into a saucepan along with the sugar and spices. Gently simmer on the hob for a few minutes until soft, but not pulpy. Pour the mixture into the pie dish.

For the crumble topping, rub together the butter and flour in a mixing bowl then mix in the porridge oats and sugar. Spoon the mixture on top of the fruit filling in the dish. Bake for 30 - 40 mins. Serve warm with custard or ice cream. Or both if you're feeling decadent!


Rhubarb, nectarine and apple frangipane tart.

fruit filling:
7oz (200g) rhubarb, chopped into 1 inch chunks
3 nectarines, chopped into similar sized chunks
2 eating apples, cored and chopped into similar sized chunks
a sprinkling of cinnamon (under 1/4tsp)
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

one pack of ready roll shortcrust pastry (or make more own)

frangipane topping:
4oz (115g) caster sugar
4oz (115g) softened butter
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
4oz (115g) ground almonds
1oz (28g) plain flour
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
a handful on flaked almonds for the topping

Requires an 8 inch (20cm) tart/flan tin.

If you're making your own shortcrust pastry, prepare that first. If you're using shop-bought, roll it out big enough to cover the base and sides of the tin. Press it into the tin (using a left over scrap of pastry to push it into the grooves/sides of the tin) and prick the base with a fork. Cover with tin foil and weigh down with baking beans to stop the pastry from puffing up in the oven. I also leave the edges hanging over the tin and trim them back after the tart comes out the oven. 

Bake for 15 minutes in a preheated oven at 200C/Fan 180C/Gas 6, until you can see the pastry turning golden, then remove the foil and beans and put back in the oven for a further 2 minutes to help dry the pastry out. 

Whilst your pastry case is in the oven make the fruit filling. Chop all the fruit in similar sized chunks and put into a large saucepan along with the cinnamon and vanilla. Gently simmer on the hob for a few minutes until everything has softened. Leave to cool whilst you make the frangipane topping.

Turn the oven temperature down to 180C/Fan 160/Gas 4. For the frangipane, beat together the sugar and butter with a mixer for a few minutes until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition. Add in the ground almonds, flour and vanilla extract and mix until everything is fully combined.

Pour the cooled fruit filling in the base of the tart case, followed by the frangipane mixture, which may need a bit of coaxing over the fruit filling with a palette knife as it's a stiffer mixture. Make sure the frangipane fully covers the fruit filling. Sprinkle a handful of flaked almonds over the top. 

Bake in the oven for at around 35 minutes until golden on top and the frangipane is firm to touch. (I forgot to write down how long it was in the oven for, but it was definitely over 30 minutes so keep an eye on it after half an hour),  Serve warm, but not hot, or completely cool. Both are delicious. Cream, ice-cream or custard make lovely accompaniments.