Flourless Maple Yoghurt Rhubarb Cake

Cake is good for morale. Or, as Julia Child said; “a party without cake is just a meeting” (thank you to the lovely Loveyoubig for reminding me of that nugget of wisdom).

I’m all for finding small reasons to celebrate.

Here’s something that’s good for morale: libraries. In the local library last week, I picked up the below on a whim.

And so, at the end of  the last few grinding days with a wee one nursing a rattling cough and streaming nose  I’ve taken the first steps in my happiness project. In that open parentheses between the moment Will slips off to sleep and before dinner is served, I’ll take refuge with a glass of wine and read a book- mainly just drinking in the silence.  It just so happens in a slightly meta moment, that the current collection of pages is titled ‘The Happiness Project’.  Just ten minutes of reading and sipping is usually all it takes to polish the mental furniture up again.

Here are some other things that are good for morale:

Pink wine and fresh flowers. See above.

The sound of rain on the roof, when you’re tucked up in bed warm and dry.

Home made pesto. (I’ve taken to bulking my pesto out with cashews as well as pine nuts and I’m smitten with the creamy, rubbly texture you end up with).

The coffee station that’s at  Shelly Beach, Manly. It’s the perfect pit stop on the undulating coastal amble from North Steyne and back. Caffeine. Sunshine. Sand. That is a golden trinity right there.

New books arriving in the post. Particularly if they’re as thoughtfully put together as this beautiful one from Holly Bell.

Morning dates with my sidekick. Particularly when he’s content to sit for five minutes and munch on a cracker and clutch a rubber dolphin, rather than try to steal all the teaspoons off the table and secret them away in a stash in the undercarriage of the pram (at last count, there were nine that I found hidden in there. I’m sure he has grand plans for them.)

And weddings. Last Friday night I got to don a red frock and my late granny’s opera coat and slip out to my step sister’s nuptials. She looked glorious. The food was cracking (the mini yorkshire pudding and beef shin canapes were the stand out, but the rack of lamb came a close second). The band was rollicking. And I got some hugs with my gorgeous niece Pia.

And last, but not least; cake.  A new cake that that is mellow, but not too sweet, that is slow and also smart.. This flourless wonder is made up of ground oats, ground almonds, ground flax and yoghurt. There’s maple syrup for a wonderful lulling caramel and lemon for a bit of sparkle. I’ve taken to blitzing up batches of oats recently- it started as a quick way to make cereal for Will and now I’ve found they’re a wonder to slip into smoothies and substitute in baking when I want to play with some some slower, smarter carbohydrates than wheat flour. This is the kind of cake that eases into itself and is even better the next day. I like it topped with batons of rhubarb, but I’ve also enjoyed it with slivered strawberries. Next time I’ve trying it with both.  It’s one of those muddle together with a spatula jobs which means you can even manage it one handed while your sous chef peers on. It’s a perfect cake for afternoon tea, with a splodge of yoghurt over the top, but don’t let that constrain you. No matter what time of day you consume it, or how many hours of sleep you splintered together last night,  it’s an excellent boost for morale.

Flourless Maple Yoghurt Rhubarb Cake

Serves 8-10

Shopping/foraging

This is an easy mash together in a bowl sort of cake, but I’ve included weights in case you fancy whizzing it up in a thermomix.

3/4 cup/75 g  of oats  blitzed in a food processor until they are fine crumb (if you don’t have ground oats on hand and you’re doing this in a thermomix, then grind these for 5 seconds on speed 8 first).
3/4 cup/75 g of almond meal
1/3 cup/40 g of ground flax
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup/100 g of light olive oil
1/3 cup/80 g maple syrup
3/4 cup/200g Greek yoghurt
3 eggs
zest of half a lemon
3 sticks of rhubarb, roots trimmed and cut into 5 cm lengths, or 12 strawberries, cut into slivers.

Here’s how we roll

1)  Preheat the oven to 180C/350 F and grease a 20×12.5cm/8x5inch loaf pan and line with baking paper.

2) Combine together the ground oats and other dry ingredients in one bowl.

3) In another bowl mix together the oil, syrup, yoghurt and lemon zest.

4) Beat the eggs into the wet ingredients and then combine the wet with the dry.

5) Pour the batter into the prepared baking tin and scatter the top with the chopped rhubarb (or strawberries).

6) Bake for 55 minutes- 1 hour, until a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the loaf pan. Remove and slice. The cake will settle into itself and deepen in flavour over the next few days.

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