Rhubarb and Amaretti Cake with Orange and Rosemary Glaze

This fabulous recipe was one I spotted in Delicious Magazine (my favourite!), and used at Stour as a gluten and dairy free option.  It tasted absolutely amazing, and is a worthy addition to the Stour Pudding canon.  The recipe below is as printed, but, to make it gluten free, I left out the Amaretti biscuits (annoyingly, because I had half a packet that could have benefited from being used!).   It keeps in an airtight tin for up to 3 days, which helps, and, if you are making the full-fat dairy version, you could serve it with lashings of real custard or whipped cream.

Rhubarb and Amaretti Cake with Orange and Rosemary Glaze

Rhubarb and Amaretti Cake with Orange and Rosemary Glaze

8oz/225g softened butter/buttery spread

7oz/200g golden caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 medium free range eggs, beaten

Grated zest 2 oranges

7oz/200g ground almonds

2oz/50g plain flour (or gluten free substitute)

1 tsp baking powder

8 Amaretti biscuits, broken into small chunks

1-2 sticks of rhubarb, timed, cut into 3”/6cm pieces, then sliced lengthways to give 12-16 lengths

Granulated sugar to sprinkle

Glaze:

Juice of 1 orange

1 sprig of fresh rosemary

1oz/20g granulated sugar

Optional squeeze of lemon juice

Preheat oven to 180 deg C, grease and base line a 9” loose bottomed tart or cake tin with parchment. 

In a food processor or Kenwood, blend the butter and sugar until fluffy, then add the vanilla and eggs, beating in one by one.  If it looks curdled, relax! Then fold in the zest, almonds, flour, baking powder and Amaretti.  Tip this mixture into the cake tin and arrange the rhubarb pieces in a spoke pattern, 2/3 uncovered.

Bake for about 35-40 minutes until the cake is cooked.  To test, put a (heated) knife or skewer into the middle, and it should come out clean – protect the cake with foil if it is going brown. 

Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then lift out (still on its base) on a wire rack. 

Now make the glaze – put the juice, rosemary and sugar in a pan, simmer and then boil for 4-5 minutes to reduce it.  Add lemon if you want a kick!  Once the cake has cooled, pour the syrup over and allow it to sink in before saturating it with the rest of the syrup.  Sprinkle with granulated sugar and serve as lavishly as possible – Delicious Magazine recommends crème fraiche, or cream whipped with icing sugar and a splash of amaretto.  Wow!