Vanilla Rhubarb, Orange Blossom Cream Cheese, Roast Hazelnut Sponge

Vanilla Rhubarb, Orange Blossom Cream Cheese, Roast Hazelnut Sponge

I’m seriously into the look and taste of this cake!  It has everything you want from a non chocolate cake.  The hazelnut sponge is off the chain and has this creamy meringue top.  The depth of flavour here is BIG.  Then a fragrant whipped frosting with a nod to all the blossom in town right now.  Topped with in season roast rhubarb with vanilla.  You can also swap for all ground almonds if preferred.

Ingredients:

GF
Serves 10

170g ground almonds
160g hazelnuts (if you can find blanched and roasted you can skip out first step)
360g caster sugar
8 medium eggs, at room temp.
Pinch of salt

For the icing:

130g unsalted butter, soft + diced
100g icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
350g cream cheese, at room temp
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp orange blossom water

For the rhubarb:

270, rhubarb, chopped into 2cm pieces
3 tbsp brown sugar
Zest of 1/2 lemon + 3 tbsp juice
2 tsp vanilla extract
Roast almond flakes for topping

How To Make A Sponge Cake

Add hazelnuts to a baking tray and into a 190 C degree oven for 6 mins.  Then use a tea towel to rub the nuts together to brush away their skins. They should flake off.  Leave to cool before throwing into a blender and blitzing into a flour-like consistency.

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees and butter and line x2 9inch cake tins with baking paper. Add 2 whole eggs, 6 yolks to a large mixing bowl.  Then add the leftover whites to a mixer and start whipping at a high speed until they are lightly whipped. 

Start adding in the sugar until all is incorporated.  Whip until it’s white, a little runny but not too firm like a meringue.  Add both ground nuts and salt to the yolks bowl and mix. Add 1/3 of the whites and roughly combine to get rid of any lumps in the batter. You can be quite rough on this first stage. 

Add the second 3rd of the whites, and start to gently fold the mix. Continue with the last of the whites and divide batter between the cake tins. 

Bake in the middle of the oven for 30-35mins or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Leave to cool.

Turn oven to 190 C degrees and line a baking tray with baking paper.  Add the rhubarb along with the other ingredients and mix together.  Bake for 12-18 mins depending on the thickness of the stems or until they are soft to touch.  Transfer to a plate along with the cooking juices to cool completely.

For the icing, add the soft butter to a mixer with the paddle attachment and start to beat until light and fluffy. After about 3 minutes stop and scrap down the sides of the bowl and add the icing sugar.  Slowly start to mix and then beat to a high speed to combine.  Stop and add the rest of the ingredients and beat together until airy and whipped (about 30 seconds).

Place one sponge on a large flat plate and top with half the icing, 1/3 of the rhubarb and place the second sponge on top. Ice and top with fruit and finish with a light dusting of icing sugar and a handful of crumbled almond flakes.  This cake will keep for 3 days covered in a cool dry place.