Rhubarb & maple spice cake

MAKES 20 X 20CM CAKE

This dark and moody cake is delicious when served warm for dessert, plus it stores well too.

200g olive oil spread

100g (about 1/2 cup)

muscovado sugar

½cup maple syrup (you can

use golden syrup)

2 large eggs

1½cups GF flour

1 tsp baking powder

2 tsp mixed spice

1 tsp ground ginger

½tsp cinnamon

½cup ground almonds

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp warm water

2 cups chopped rhubarb

½cup almonds, roasted

and chopped

Icing sugar, for dusting TOPPING

1 cup mixed nuts, walnuts, Brazil, almonds, hazelnuts, roughly chopped

1 tsp butter, melted

2 tsp caster sugar

1 Heat oven to 180 ºC.

Grease and line a 20cm-square cake tin.

2 Beat the spread and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the maple syrup and eggs, beating briefly until combined. Sift in the flour, baking powder and spices, then stir in the ground almonds to combine. Dissolve the baking soda in water and add to the batter mixture. Don’t be concerned if it curdles or splits at this point. Fold in half of the rhubarb pieces and leave to stand for 5 minutes – it will thicken slightly during this time.

3 Pour and scrape the mixture into your tin and sprinkle over the remaining rhubarb and chopped almonds.

4 Mix the topping ingredients together and spoon over the top. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until it springs back when pressed gently. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then gently turn out.

5 Dust with icing sugar just before serving.