Homemade custard
Once you've cracked this technique for silky smooth vanilla custard, you'll never go back to tinned
Rhubarb, ricotta & pistachio cake
Serves 6 - 8
Easy
Prep:
Cook:
plus cooling
Put rhubarb centre stage in this bake. Ricotta provides a lovely tang to cakes and softens the crumb texture. If you don’t have it, use soured cream instead
Skip to ingredients
- 200g salted buttersoftened plus extra for the tin
- 170g forced rhubarbcut into 4-5cm pieces
- 1 orangezested and juiced
- 250g golden caster sugar
- 3 eggsbeaten
- 150g self-raising flour
- 100g ricotta
- 45g shelled pistachiosroughly chopped
- custardto serve (optional)
Nutrition: Per serving (8)
- kcal461
- fat27g
- saturates15g
- carbs48g
- sugars33g
- fibre2g
- protein7g
- salt0.73g
Method
step 1
Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter a 20cm springform cake tin and line with baking parchment. Line a baking tray with baking parchment. Put the rhubarb on the tray, then sprinkle over the orange juice and 50g of the sugar. Rub all over to coat, then roast for 15 mins until a sharp knife can be inserted easily, but it still holds its shape. Leave to cool.
step 2
Put the remaining sugar, the butter and orange zest in a large bowl, then beat using an electric whisk for 4-5 mins until light and fluffy. Whisk in the egg, a little at a time, adding a spoonful of flour if it starts to curdle.
step 3
Beat in the ricotta, then sift over the flour and fold to combine. Pour into the prepared tin and smooth the surface, then arrange the roasted rhubarb over the top (reserve the roasting juices from the tray). Scatter over the pistachios.
step 4
Bake for 1 hr until golden, risen and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool slightly but while the cake is still warm, brush over some of the reserved rhubarb roasting juices. Leave to cool completely in the tin before serving. Cut into wedges and serve with custard, if you like. Will keep in a cake tin for up to three days.
