These little cakes are delicious, with the vivid colours of pink rhubarb and blood oranges. The blood orange season is short lived so if they aren’t available just use regular oranges-the taste will still be great but the colour won’t be as vivid.

Flavour with orange flower water which is widely used in the Middle East and the Mediterranean and is sold in many supermarkets in the baking section. If you prefer the flavour you can also use rosewater.

Roasted Rhubarb Frangipane Cakes

Roasted Rhubarb and Orange

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 blood oranges
• 500g pink “Champagne” rhubarb
• 50g soft brown sugar
• A cinnamon stick
• 20g crystallised ginger, chopped
• 1 tbsp orange blossom water

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160C/140Fan/Gas3.
2. To segment the orange: Take a small sharp knife and carefully slice off the top and bottom of the oranges.
3. Let one orange stand on its flat bottom and carefully hold it still. Look for where the pith meets the orange flesh and cut down the orange to remove the skin and all of the pith work around the whole orange.
4. Hold the orange carefully in your hand and line up your knife to one side of one of the lines, which show you where the segments are. Cut just up to the middle of the orange and flick the orange segment off the line.
5. Repeat this all around the orange, holding the “pages” of orange segment back with your thumb as you go round the orange.
6. Cut the rhubarb into 5 cms long chunks. Place the rhubarb and orange segments in a heatproof dish, then add the sugar and Cinnamon. Chop the crystalised ginger and sprinkle over the rhubarb.
7. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the rhubarb is soft but still holding its shape. Taste and add more sugar if needed. Remove the cinnamon stick and drizzle over the orange blossom water.

Rhubarb Frangipane Cakes

Dietary: Vegan

Makes 12 individual small cakes

Ingredients

• 175g caster sugar
• 120g sunflower margarine
• 60g soya yoghurt
• 50ml soya or rice milk
• 1 tsp cider vinegar
• 1 lemon, zest and juice (60ml)
• 185g ground almonds
• 165g self raising flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 12 tbsp roasted rhubarb

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190C/170Fan/Gas mark 5.
2. In a large bowl cream together the sugar and margarine. Whisk in the yoghurt, milk, vinegar, lemon juice and zest. Finally whisk in the ground almonds, flour and baking powder and mix until smooth.
3. Pour the mixture into cup cake holders or individual cake moulds. Top each with a tablespoon of roasted rhubarb and blood orange. Scatter the top with flaked almonds and bake for 20 minutes until puffed up and golden.

Delicious food photography by Rob Wicks of Eat Pictures.

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