FOOD STORIES
Photographer Andrew Montgomery and Leiths-trained cook Cherie Denham continue their series based on their latest book The Irish Bakery. This month: rhubarb
RHUBARB UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE WITH A SEVILLE ORANGE GLAZE
Rhubarb is one of my favourite things to eat. It evokes pure nostalgia for me and reminds me of home. I’ve been making this cake for about five years – based on family fruit cakes we’d eat growing up in Northern Ireland. Today, I serve it on a Sunday afternoon with a pot of tea by the fire. Seville orange is the perfect counterfoil for the rhubarb’s sharpness. Imake my marmalade in January so it’s ready just in time for forced-rhubarb season in February and March.
Serves 8
600G RHUBARB
200G SELF-RAISING FLOUR
1 TSP BAKING POWDER
200G UNSALTED BUTTER, SOFTENED
200G CASTER SUGAR
2 TSP VANILLA EXTRACT
ZEST OF 1 ORANGE
2 EGGS
55G NATURAL YOGURT
55ML MILK
30G FLAKED ALMONDS
225G SEVILLE ORANGE MARMALADE
2 TBSP WARM WATER
1 Preheat the oven to 160°C (140˚C fan oven) gas mark 4.
2 Grease a 23cm springform cake tin and line the sides but not the base with baking parchment.
3 First make the glaze. Put the marmalade and water in a small pan. Heat gently until the marmalade melts, then simmer for 1 minute. Strain through a sieve and pour 5 tbsp glaze over the base of the tin in an equal layer. Set the rest of the glaze aside.
4 Slice the pinkest rhubarb into 5cm pieces and place them on top of the glaze in a neat pattern, flat edge down. Cut smaller pieces to fit into the spaces, making sure as much of the base is covered as possible. Cut the remaining rhubarb into 1.5cm pieces and set aside.
5 Next make the cake. Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl. Put the butter, sugar and vanilla extract into a food processor or free-standing mixer. Blend or beat briefly until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the orange zest and then the eggs one at a time, mixing well between each addition. If the mixture starts to curdle, add a spoonful of the flour. Add the yogurt and milk and pulse gently to combine.
6 Add the flour and baking powder to the mixture and pulse again for a few seconds until well combined. You may need to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
7 Add the remaining rhubarb and gently combine until it is just mixed in but not chopped up.
8 Spoon the mixture carefully into the tin on top of the rhubarb and spread out evenly. Sprinkle the batter with the flaked almonds. 9Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 50-55 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
10 Transfer the cake to a wire rack and allow to cool in
