Recipe for Success: Author and Dairy Farmer Lorna Sixsmith Shares Her Recipe For Squashy Rhubarb Cake

One thing that we’ve noticed over the years is that food plays such an important role our in lives and not just for fuel but for entertaining and providing us with fond memories too.

We’ve chatted to some of Ireland’s well-known faces to discover their favourite dishes and meals, be it from their childhood or simply something they like to rustle up at home.

Lorna Sixsmith is an author, blogger, social media trainer, mum and dairy farmer. Her witty book ‘Would You Marry A Farmer?’ was self-published in December 2013 and is now available in all good bookshops. Inspired by a blog post and a session of sorting cattle, it’s a must-read for anyone wanting to understand farming life.

When she’s not writing books, Lorna offers social media training and a copy writing service from Write on Track and a sister website We Teach Social provides online social media training. Passionate about blogging, she’s also a co-organiser of Blog Awards Ireland and blogs at Irish Farmerette.

Here in her own words, she shares her favourite recipe for a rather unusual cake!

Is it a cake? Is it a pie? Is it a crumble?  No, it’s a Squashy Rhubarb Cake

This is one of my favourite rhubarb recipe and comes from a parish cookbook of tried, tested and loved recipes by parishioners. (Mabel Neale was the provider of this one)

Ingredients:

• Crumble: 3 oz margarine or butter, 5 oz plain flour, 2 oz sugar
• Cake: 5 oz margarine or butter, 5 oz sugar, 3 eggs, 5 oz self raising flour
• Filling: 1 lb rhubarb cut into 1 inch size pieces, 1 tablespoon sugar

 Method:

1. Slice the rhubarb and toss in the sugar. Leave to stand while making the rest.
2. To make the crumble – rub the margarine/butter and flour together until it looks like breadcrumbs. Add in the sugar and mix.
3. To make the cake mixture – cream the butter and sugar in an electric mixer. Add the beaten eggs gradually. Fold in the sieved flour and mix.
4. Combine all 3 – Put the cake mixture into a greased 8 inch loose bottomed tin. Cover the cake mixture with the chopped rhubarb and sprinkle the crumble mixture on top. Bake in oven at 190 degrees Celsius for 50-60 min until firm to touch.
5. Tastes divine with icecream, cream or lashings of hot and runny custard.