RHUBARB DAISY CAKE

Rhubarb Daisy Cake image

Provided by Chris Styler

Yield Makes 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 11

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1 vanilla bean
1/4 pound (1 stick) butter, plus more for greasing the pan
1/2 cup golden syrup (see Notes)
Teeny bit of finely chopped ginger in syrup, plus some of the syrup from the jar, if you like
Grated zest of 2 lemons
1 1/2 pounds rhubarb (the nice thin pink bits, not the tough ends)
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons vanilla sugar (made by adding vanilla beans to superfine sugar) or granulated sugar
1 cup self-rising flour
2 eggs
Milk, if needed (see Notes)
Crème fraîche or fromage frais (see Notes)

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds.
2. Grease a 12-inch, high-sided, ovenproof, nonstick frying pan with butter. Spoon the golden syrup (and about 1 tablespoon of the syrup from the ginger if you like) into the bottom. Stir in the chopped ginger, lemon zest, and vanilla seeds.
3. Cut the rhubarb into 3-inch pieces. Take one-third of the slices and cut them into small pieces, then make a circle with them in the center of the pan over the syrup. Arrange the rest of the rhubarb slices on the syrup like the petals in a daisy. Lay the fruit on the syrup nice side down (think how it will look upside down). Sprinkle with the 2 tablespoons of sugar.
4. Mix together the butter, 1/2 cup of sugar, flour, eggs, and milk if you want. Spoon the mixture over the fruit and level the top as best you can. It doesn't matter if there is some fruit showing through, although do try to get it as evenly distributed as possible. It is important to use really juicy fruit.
5. Cook for 40 minutes. It goes a lovely color. Let sit for 10 minutes before turning out. (I have cooked mine 1 or 2 hours in advance and stuck it in the warming oven just before serving.) Serve with whatever you like. (I use crème fraîche and fromage frais mixed with the zest of an orange.)