Norq From Ork

If we could live off rhubarb, eggs and a bit of freelance writing, I’d be edging close to self sufficiency and entering the good life by now. Sadly that dream is yet to be realised but I can  teach you how to impress people and make them think you’re a baking genius with the easiest cake ever.

Rhubarb grows prolifically in Orkney and our  garden produces so much we struggle to keep up with it when it arrives. You see it growing wild at the side of the road and people have signs saying ‘free rhubarb help yourself’ so you should be able to make enough cake to last you all year as it freezes well.  Last year I made a rhubarb ‘champagne’ (I think we can use that term loosely)  from an old Orkney recipe book that are often sold as fund raisers.  Unfortunately during the making process I saw for myself just how much sugar is involved and it put me off a bit so now I stick to Prosecco as I can’t see it being made.The cake however is a real winner and I have friends who are frequent subscribers to it. (You know who you are!) So here is the easiest cake recipe in the world to make,and will have friends think you are amazing.

Ingredients

8 oz  SR flour

pinch salt

4 oz butter/marg

12 oz rhubarb

4 oz sugar caster or granulated

2 large eggs (whisk slightly with a fork just to break the yolks)

1 tbsp demerara sugar

Method

Set oven to 180 or gas mark 4/5

Wash and chop the rhubarb into 1/2 inch pieces.  You do NOT have to cook it.

Combine the salt and flour and rub in the fat to resemble fine bread crumbs.

Add the sugar, rhubarb and egg and mix well. The mixture will be quite dry and heavy looking.

 

Spoon the mixture into a lined loaf tin, sprinkle on the demerara sugar and bake for 45 to 50 minutes. Check it’s cooked through the middle by inserting an sharp knife.  You can always leave it in the warm oven with it turned off if it’s brown enough on top.

 

Delicious served warm with custard or cream, can also be eaten cold. Enjoy!

I once sent some round to a friend of Orkney Beef who I know likes it and got a boat in exchange.  Not bad! Read the full story here.