Rhubarb Orange Cake Food

STRAWBERRY RHUBARB CAKE WITH ORANGE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine rhubarb, strawberries, 2/3 cup sugar and cornstarch. Pour into an 11x7-in. baking dish., In a large bowl, cream butter and remaining sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg; beat well. Beat in orange zest and vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition. Spoon over fruit. Bake at 350° until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean, 50-55 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack. If desired, serve with whipped cream and additional orange zest.

RHUBARB ORANGE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Cut the rhubarb into 2-to-2 1/2-inch pieces and place in a medium bowl. Finely grate the zest of half the orange over the rhubarb and then squeeze the juice of the whole orange into the bowl. Split the vanilla beans and scrape out the seeds and place both in the bowl. Add the sugar and stir to combine.
• Pour the rhubarb into a baking dish and arrange the pieces so that they lie flat. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the vanilla pods. Serve with creme fraiche.

RHUBARB & ELDERFLOWER CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Butter the sides of two 20cm round cake tins and line the bases with baking parchment.
• To roast the rhubarb, line a high-sided baking tray with baking parchment, add the rhubarb, then top with the sugar, lemon juice, zest and cordial. Cover with foil and roast in the oven for 25 mins until soft. Remove from the oven and reduce the temperature to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Strain the rhubarb from the poaching liquor, reserving the syrup.
• Tip the almonds into the bowl of a food processor and blitz until ground (if using whole almonds), but still retaining some texture.
• Put the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or use an electric whisk) and cream it on medium speed for 2 mins, then, using a rubber spatula, scrape down the butter from the sides of the bowl, then tip in the sugar and lemon zest. Turn up the mixer speed slightly and continue whisking for 5 mins until light and fluffy. Turn the mixer speed down slightly, then add the eggs, egg white, vanilla extract and cordial and mix together.
• Combine the flour, almonds, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Scrape the butter mixture down from the sides of the stand mixer bowl, turn the mixer to low speed - so it's just stirring - then spoon in the flour and almond mixture in four batches, alternating with spoonfuls of the yogurt, and finishing with a batch of the flour and almond mixture. Mix until just combined, with no streaks remaining, then add half the roasted rhubarb and 1 tbsp of its syrup to the batter and fold it in.
• Divide the batter evenly between the cake tins and bake in the oven for 25-30 mins until a skewer inserted into each cake comes out clean. Remove the cakes from the oven, leave them to cool completely in the tins on a wire rack, then carefully remove from the tins.
• For the filling, whip the cream to soft peaks in a bowl and fold in three-quarters of the remaining roasted rhubarb, along with the elderflower cordial and yogurt.
• Put one of the cakes flat-side down on a cake stand or plate, prick it all over with a skewer, and use a pastry brush to brush the cake with a little elderflower cordial. Spoon on half the cream mixture, top with the other cake, and brush that cake with cordial, too. Spoon over the remaining cream mixture, top with the remaining rhubarb and spoon over some of the poaching syrup. Garnish with elderflowers or seasonal flowers.

RHUBARB, MARZIPAN & CITRUS CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter and line a 20 x 30cm traybake tin with baking parchment. Toss the rhubarb in 50g sugar and set aside to macerate for 20 mins.
• Tip the butter, remaining sugar and zests into a large bowl. Beat with an electric whisk until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each addition. Add the flour, polenta, almonds, baking powder and a good pinch of salt, and mix until just combined. Fold through half the rhubarb (reserving the rest for the top), plus any juices, and the marzipan.
• Scrape the mixture into the tin. Smooth the surface up to the edges and top with the remaining rhubarb. Bake for 45-50 mins until risen and golden, and a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. If there is any wet mixture, return it to the oven for 5 mins, then check again. Cool in the tin for 10 mins, then serve warm with crème fraîche, or cool completely to serve as a cake. Will keep in an airtight container for three days.