Rhubarb, blood orange & pistachio cake

ingredients

serves 10-12

• 400g rhubarb, sliced into 4cm lengths

• 4 tbsp caster sugar

• Zest of 2 blood oranges

• 150g pistachios

• 250g room temperature unsalted butter

• 250g soft brown sugar

• 150g ground almonds

• 4 medium eggs

• 50g plain flour

• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder

• Seeds from 1 vanilla pod

instructions

Preheat the oven to 190C/fan 170C/325F and grease and line a 22cm springform cake tin. Place the rhubarb in a bowl and toss with the sugar and orange zest, and put to to one side to marinate for a moment.

Whiz 125g of pistachios in a food processor until finely ground and roughly chop the remaining 25g. Put both to one side for the moment.

Beat the butter and sugar together with a handheld electric hand whisk for 3-4 minutes until pale. Start adding the eggs, one by one, waiting for the previous one to be mixed in before adding the next. Fold in the ground pistachios, 125g ground almonds, flour, baking powder, vanilla seeds and a pinch of salt.

Toss the rhubarb in the remaining 25g ground almonds. Spoon half the cake mixture into the tin, spreading it right to the edges. Arrange just less than half the rhubarb on top, keeping it way from the edges of the tin. Spoon over the rest of the cake mixture, spreading it so it covers the rhubarb.

Arrange the rest of the rhubarb on top, again keeping it away from the edges. Sprinkle over any remaining sugar and scatter with the chopped pistachios, lightly pressing everything in. Bake for 50-60 minutes, covering the top with a sheet of baking paper if it starts to darken too much, until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool, then serve with creme fraiche, cream or custard.