Rhubarb Soured Cream Cake

30 minutes, plus cooling prep, 1 hour 5 minutes cook

Serves 10

Ingredients

175g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing

175g caster sugar

150g self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

100g ground almonds

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

150g soured cream

1 orange, zest (optional)

For the rhubarb glaze:

300g rhubarb

3 tbsps caster sugar

50g icing sugar, sifted

Method

Preheat the oven to 200˚C/Fan 180˚C/Gas 6. Wash the rhubarb, shake dry, then cut into 2cm slices. Cut any thicker stalks lengthways, so the pieces are an even size. Toss with 3 tbsp caster sugar in a roasting tin, spread out in an even layer, then cover with foil and roast for 15 minutes. Uncover, then cook for 5 minutes more, until the rhubarb is just tender, bright pink and the juices are syrupy. Cool completely, then drain off all the juices and reserve both the rhubarb and rhubarb syrup for later.

Turn the oven down to 180˚C/Fan 160˚C/ Gas 4. Grease a 900g loaf tin and line with baking parchment, making sure that it stands 2-3 cm above the top of the tin. In a large bowl, use electric beaters to beat the butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Mix the flour, baking powder and salt together, then sift over the creamed butter and sugar; beat in. Add the almonds, eggs, vanilla, soured cream and ½ the orange zest (if using), then beat again to make a thick, even batter.

If the rhubarb has released any more juice since draining it the first time round, add it to the rhubarb syrup. Smooth 1/3 of the batter into the tin, then scatter with 1/3 of the rhubarb, spreading it out well. Repeat, finishing with rhubarb.

Bake for 30 minutes, until golden and risen, then turn the oven down to 160°C, gas mark 2 and bake for a further 30-35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then use the parchment to lift the cake onto a rack; cool completely.

To make the glaze, mix 1 tbsp of the reserved rhubarb syrup with the icing sugar and remaining orange zest (if using). Drizzle the glaze over the cold cake and leave to set. Slice with a serrated knife.