RECIPE: Dorset Rhubarb Cake

Tried and tested seasonal recipes from our country cookery school kitchen.  Complete with hacks and ‘get ahead’ tips for EVERY cook. 

Garden rhubarb is ready to pick from late March onwards.  This moist cake is delicious warm with clotted cream for tea.  Or for a spring pudding served alongside a baked custard.

When rhubarb is not in season, try adding a couple of tablespoons of homemade marmalade instead. 

Total 1 hr 20 mins

• 450 g rhubarb chopped into 2 cm pieces
• 3 medium free range eggs

You will also need a 22 cm round tin, buttered and lined with baking parchment

Method:

Preheat conventional oven to 160 C or Gas Mark 3

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together.  The mixture should be pale, light and fluffy.

Add the eggs, one at a time along with a tablespoon of flour and fold into the creamed mixture.

Fold in the remaining flour and then add the chopped rhubarb.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared tin and bake for 45 – 60 minutes depending on your oven.

The cake should be well risen, firm to the touch and if you insert a clean skewer, this will come out clean and free of cake batter.

Let the cake to cool in the tin and then release on to a rack.

When completely cold, wrap well and store in the fridge.  The cake will keep for several days.

Notes for AGA Cooks

To bake in a 2-oven AGA use an AGA cake baker.  Slide grid shelf on to the floor of the roasting oven.  Preheat cake baker (or use a stock pot and trivet) when you begin preparing the cake tin. Make sure that the prepared tin will fit inside.

To bake in a 3 or 4-oven AGA slide grid shelf on fourth runner and slide plain cold shelf over at the beginning of cooking.

In a traditional AGA and the heat storage indicator is at optimum temperature,  slide the grid shelf on to the floor of the baking oven.

To make Rhubarb & Ginger Cake

Reduce the sugar by 25 g then add a generous heaped tablespoon of Tipree Ginger Conserve whilst creaming the butter and sugar together.  Follow recipe as above.

To make Marmalade Cake

Add two generous heaped tablespoons of homemade Seville orange marmalade whilst creaming the butter and sugar together.  Follow recipe as above omitting the fresh rhubarb.