Rhubarb spice cake

Rhubarb you either love it or hate it....try making this and have it with a cup of tea and your feet up one afternoon.

PREP: 20 MINS COOK: 1 HR EASY CUTS INTO 12 SLICES

Wonderfully moist and reminiscent of an old-fashioned gingerbread. Heat up a thick slice in the microwave and have it for pud with a dollop of custard

140g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing

300g self-raising flour

2 tsp mixed spice

1 tsp ground ginger

100g dark muscovado sugar

250g golden syrup

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

2 eggs, beaten

300g rhubarb, cut into short lengths

icing sugar, for dusting

Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4 and put the kettle on. Butter and line a deep 20cm square cake tin. Sift the flour and spices into a bowl. Beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy in the food processor, then beat in the golden syrup. Dissolve the bicarbonate of soda in 200ml boiling water, then gradually pour through the spout of the processor. Pulse in the flour, then add the eggs, mixing briefly. Remove the bowl from the processor, then gently stir in the rhubarb.

Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 50-60 mins, until the cake feels firm to the touch and springs back when pressed. Cool in the tin for 5 mins, then turn out and cool on a wire rack. Dust with icing sugar.