Prep time:

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Total time:

Serves: 12

150g softened butter (or 50/50 oil and softened butter)

150g caster sugar

2 large eggs

1tsp vanilla essence

150g fine self raising flour 

2.5 stalks rhubarb chopped (save a few pieces for decorating)

75g roughly chopped ginger (stem or crystallised, also save a few for topping)

For the frosting / topping (optional – for a plainer cake leave out the topping)

100g cream cheese

50g butter

100g icing sugar

1tsp vanilla essence

Rhubarb and ginger to decorate (see above)

Rhubarb and ginger are both quite zingy flavours, but they go together very well in cakes, balancing out the sweet umami taste of sugar and vanilla. This can be made as a large cake too - if you want to make a sandwich cake just double up the rhubarb and frosting to make a filling.

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C (gas 4). Stew rhubarb – either over the hob with some sugar (approx. 1 tbsp, or to taste), or braise in a covered dish in the oven for 20 mins in a little water. Beat the eggs and sugar together, until light and fluffy (5 minutes or so with a food mixer/electric beaters).
  2. Carefully fold in the other ingredients/mix in on a low setting (to prevent air loss from the batter). Spoon mixture into cake cases (in a 12 hole muffin tin) and place in the centre of the oven for approx. 15 mins (until well risen). Leave to cool for 20-30 minutes while you make the frosting.
  3. Beat together softened butter, cream cheese and slowly add in icing sugar and beat again. Top cakes with frosting. Decorate with a piece of braised rhubarb and a scattering of chopped ginger.

You may also like

Mega Mexican beef tacos

Few things bring a dish to life quite like a great spice blend. Dust Bros’ Mega Mexican is packed with bold, warming Mexican flavours, making it the perfect partner for these indulgent beef tacos. Combined with sweet peppers, onion and...

Soft boiled egg, blue cheese & walnut salad

Simple ingredients, beautifully brought together, can make for the most satisfying dishes. This soft-boiled egg, blue cheese and walnut salad is a celebration of contrasting flavours and textures, with creamy avocado, rich local blue cheese and crunchy walnuts finished with...

Lemon pepper Parmesan fries

Great cooking starts with great ingredients, and few things transform a dish quite like the right seasoning. In collaboration with Dust Bros, makers of small-batch spice blends and sister brand to the much-loved Benenden Sauce, we’ve gathered a selection of...