This is one of my favourite photographs from a shoot for Gourmet Traveller. All the props were sourced from secondhand stores (hmm, and my mother’s cupboards), and I think it compliments the petit gateau well. Rodney Dunn’s recipes are so delicious – he is very creative with his recipes, combining ingredients I would not think of and coming up with masterpieces. And his Baby Spice and Rhubarb Butter Cakes are one of them! I just LOVE this combination of spices – ginger, cinnamon and cloves – I love any recipe with these spices, my favourite being chai (indian tea).
Ben Dearnley is alot of fun to shoot with and I am always happy with the end results. So without further dilly-dallying, here is Rodney’s recipe! It serves 9 but I would say it serves 8 and one extra for you!
Cakes
225 gm soft unsalted butter
¾ cup golden syrup
3 eggs
225 gm (1½ cups) plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
Rhubarb compote
2 stalks of rhubarb, thinly sliced
55 gm (¼ cup) caster sugar
1 For rhubarb compote, combine rhubarb, sugar and 1 tbsp water in a saucepan, and bring to the boil over high heat, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 2 minutes or until softened, then cook, uncovered, for 8 minutes or until liquid has reduced and rhubarb is soft. Cool.
2 Using an electric mixer, cream butter and golden syrup until pale, then add eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition, until incorporated.
3 Sift over flour, baking powder and spices and stir to combine, then spoon into 9 lightly greased 2/3-cup-capacity mini loaf pans and spoon 2 tsp rhubarb down centre. Bake at 180C for 12-15 minutes or until just cooked. Allow to cool slightly, then turn out onto wire racks and cool. Cake will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
