- 200 g almond meal
- 50 g custard powder - gluten free
- 1½ tsp baking powder – gluten free
- 6 eggs
- 140 g caster sugar
- pinch of salt
- 500 g rhubarb
- 5 medium sized apples
- 1 orange
- 60 g sugar
- 90 g brown sugar
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
- 50 g flaked almonds
- 200 ml whipping cream
- ½ tsp vanilla bean paste
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Preheat oven to 180˚C.
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Wash the rhubarb, trim the ends and cut into 2 cm pieces and place into a shallow baking dish in a single layer.
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Pare two very thin strips of zest from the orange using a sharp knife, or a peeler and then juice the orange. Tuck the rind in amongst the rhubarb, sprinkle over the brown sugar, and drizzle with the orange juice.
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Bake for 20 minutes until the rhubarb is tender. Carefully remove the rhubarb from the dish and strain the juices and set both the juice and the rhubarb aside.
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Meanwhile peel, core and quarter the apples, add to a saucepan with the 60g of sugar and just enough water to cover the apples. Bring to the boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the apples are tender, gently turning them now and then so they cook evenly. Strain the apple and set aside the fruit and the syrup.
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Place both the rhubarb juices and apple syrup into a clean pan. Bring to the boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook until the syrup is reduced by half. Set aside to cool.
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Increase the oven temperature to 190˚C and line a swiss roll baking pan with baking paper.
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Separate the egg yolks from whites. Place the whites together with the salt into the large bowl of a stand mixer and mix on high speed until soft peaks form.
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Add yolks and beat, then add the 140g of caster sugar gradually. Beat well.
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Sift in the almond meal, custard powder and baking powder and carefully fold through the egg mixture.
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Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden.
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Turn out on to a wire cooling rack and remove baking paper. Allow to cool completely.
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When you are ready to assemble the gateaux, whip the cream, 1 tbsp of caster sugar and the vanilla bean paste until stiff peaks form.
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Heat a pan over low heat and add the flaked almonds. Carefully toast until they turn golden. Be careful not to burn them. Set aside.
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To Assemble the cake, spread a little of the syrup over the cake, then spread a layer, no thicker than 1 cm of the whipped cream on top of that. Arrange the apple and rhubarb on top of the cream, sprinkle over the toasted flaked almonds and drizzle with the remaining syrup.
- Baking the rhubarb helps to retain its shape and stops it going mushy, it also intensifies the flavour.
- I like to cut each apple quarter into chunks before arranging it on top of the cake.
- You could replace the whipped cream with crème pâtissière
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