Ruth made this attractive cake for a gathering recently. Lovely and moist and not too sweet with a good tang from the rhubarb. If rhubarb is not in season the cake will work just as well with other fruit.
Preheat your oven to 180ºC. Lightly grease a 20cm round cake tin and line with baking paper. Cook 200g rhubarb with 1 tablespoon of caster sugar until soft and a little jammy. Set aside to cool. In a small saucepan combine 1 tablespoon of custard powder, 2 teaspoons of caster sugar, ⅔ of a cup of milk and ½ a teaspoon of pure vanilla essence. Stir and cook until the custard is thick. Set aside to cool. Now beat 75g of butter, ⅓ of a cup of caster sugar and 1 teaspoon of grated orange zest until light and fluffy. Beat in 2 eggs one at a time. Sift together ⅔ of a cup of self-raising flour and ½ a cup of wholemeal self-raising flour. Now stir the sifted flours and ⅓ of a cup of milk into the cake mixture until well combined. To assemble the cake spread ⅔ of the mixture in the prepared cake tin. Place the rhubarb over the cake mix then add the custard. Top with the remaining cake mix and bake for 55 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out. When cooled dust with icing sugar and serve with natural yoghurt.
michelle picker cooks 