Almond Cardamom Cake with Rhubarb & White Balsamic Syrup

With the clever use of marzipan in the batter, this delicately spiced cake is full of sweet almond flavour. Fresh and fruity, Giusti white balsamic condiment is a perfect match for tart rhubarb and fragrant orange, making a delightful syrup to serve alongside this light, fluffy cake.

Serves 8-10

Rhubarb:
6 stalks rhubarb, chopped into 5 cm batons
100ml Giusti white balsamic condiment
100ml water
8 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
80g caster sugar
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
2 strips orange peel

Place all ingredients in a non-reactive baking dish, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes at 180°C.

Cake:
1 packet Lubecker marzipan, at room temperature, cubed
200g caster sugar
250g Lewis Road Creamery butter, at room temperature, cubed
Finely grated zest of 1 orange, plus extra
¾ tsp freshly ground cardamom seeds
6 eggs
140g Girolomoni ’00 flour
20g cornflour
1½ tsp baking powder
Pinch salt
20g Hazelz hazelnuts, finely chopped
Icing sugar, to dust
Yoghurt or cream, to serve

Preheat oven to 180ºC. Grease and flour a 23cm bundt tin. 

In a blender combine the marzipan and sugar for 3 minutes. Add the butter, orange zest and cardamom and continue to beat for 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well in between.

Sift flour, cornflour, baking powder and salt then add to the batter mixing until just combined. Pour into the tin and bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool for 15-20 minutes.

Once cooled, invert the cake onto a cake plate. Scatter with extra orange zest, pistachios and a dusting of icing sugar. Serve with the baked rhubarb, some of the white balsamic syrup and a dollop of yoghurt or cream.