Rhubarb and Ginger Jam Cake

There are many ways to enjoy a batch of truly scrumptious jam. In a sandwich, with a bowl of yoghurt or slathered over too little toast; you can’t go wrong. This recipe for Rhubarb and Ginger Jam Cake, with its delicious hidden layer of homemade jam, is another to add to that list. It’s simple, rustic and absolutely divine.

Sprinkled with a dusting of icing sugar, this seasonal cake maintains all the elegance and sophistication of a classic Victoria Sandwich. However, as an all-in-one bake it also has simplicity on its side. It’s no more complex than making a jam sandwich on a Sunday afternoon. And it takes only a little more time too!

Of course, it’s not only rhubarb and ginger jam that works well in a cake like this – most homemade sweet preserves will work. My only advice is that you should try to use a full-flavoured jam, as the layer has to do battle with the light, airy, but oh-so-tasty sponge. As you can imagine, rhubarb and ginger make an exceptionally flavoursome combination.

As ever, with sponge cakes, there’s a foolproof way of getting the batter just right; weigh your eggs and use the same weight of butter, sugar and self-raising flour. Eggs, no matter what size the carton tells you they are, all weigh different amounts. It’s just a fact of life. That’s why you should always use scales. By weighing the eggs, you can ensure a perfect bake – and no food waste – every time.

Rhubarb and Ginger Jam Cake

Makes 12 squares

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• butter, caster sugar and self-raising flour in equal measure – weigh the eggs in order to get exact amounts.
• 3 tbsp rhubarb and ginger jam
• 2 tsp icing sugar, for decoration

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C(fan). Grease and line a square cake tin – 22x22cm.
2. Cream together the butter and sugar, beat in the eggs one by one and gently fold in the flour.
3. Spread half the prepared cake batter across the base of the prepared tin, followed by the jam – leave a border of 2cm around the edge of the jam to allow for spreading.
4. Carefully smooth the remaining mixture across the top of the jam and bake for 45-50 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through.
5. Once cooked remove from the oven and set aside for 10 minutes. Turn out and leave to cool completely on a wire rack before dusting with icing sugar and slicing into 12.

Cost: The joy of baking simple cakes is that although they are decadent, delicious and sweet, they never cost very much.

Making use of homemade jam, this recipe should set you back no more than £2.50 – the price of a slice in any high street cafe.