Rhubarb Cinnamon Cake

Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 50 mins

Ingredients

• 120 g butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing the cake tin
• 300 g caster sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 250 g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
• 230 ml semi skim milk
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 500 g rhubarb, chopped fairly small (but see note in method, below.)
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 100 g light brown sugar

Recipe

• 1 pre-heat the oven to 180°c.
• 2 prepare a 25cm / 10in cake tin by greasing thoroughly and dusting with a fine layer of plain flour.
• 3 cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. add in the egg and vanilla extract and mix well.
• 4 mix together the semi-skimmed milk and lemon juice. add to the other ingredients and beat until combined.
• 5 add the bicarbonate of soda and then gradually add the flour, beating well after each addition. add two teaspons of the cinnamon, and mix until it is all well combined.
• 6 take the chopped rhubarb (i divide the stalks into two longwise, then chop into slices about the thickness of a one pound / euro coin).
• 7 note as the rhubarb is cut small it will rise, giving a rhubarby "layer" on top of the cake. if you don't like this idea, don't cut the rhubarb so small - keep it in 1cm or so chunks and dust it with a very little plain flour before incorporating. fold it into the cake batter.
• 8 pour the batter into the prepared tin and level with the back of a spoon.
• 9 sprinkle the top with the light brown sugar (use less if you don't have a sweet tooth), crumbling any lumps between your fingers as you go.
• 10 finally sprinkle the top with the remaining teaspon of cinnamon - or more to taste.
• 11 bake in the centre of the preheated oven for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
• 12 leave to cool in the tin for 15 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.