Ingredients
| a good handful of lemon verbena sprigs | |
| 5 tablespoons sugar | |
| 1 bunch of rhubarb (approx 400g), cut into 3cm pieces | |
| 200g frozen berries | |
| SPONGE | |
| 75g butter, room temperature | |
| 75g sugar | |
| ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract | |
| 1 egg, room temperature | |
| 55g plain flour | |
| ½ teaspoon baking powder | |
| 35g ground almonds | |
| 1 tablespoon milk | |
| 1 tablespoon flaked almonds |
Sponge puddings were a huge part of my childhood and I have to say that the combination of seasonal poached fruit and cake topping is still a favourite thing to eat. Since it is impossible to buy rhubarb in anything more than a bunch I cook the entire amount and use half for this nostalgic sponge pudding while the rest is eaten over the week in breakfast bowls. My lemon verbena plant is thriving and while I mostly drink it as a tea (either the fresh or dried leaves) it is delicious to flavour fruits and is particularly great with rhubarb even though it has a very delicate flavour. You can omit it if you can’t get hold of any.
View the recipe collection here
Instructions
| 1. | Put the lemon verbena in a saucepan with 1⁄2 cup boiling water and leave to steep for at least 10 minutes to infuse. |
| 2. | Add the sugar and gently bring up to a simmer. |
| 3. | Cook for 5 minutes over a low heat. |
| 4. | Add the rhubarb to the pan and cook, covered, for 5-7 minutes, until just tender. |
| 5. | Remove the lemon verbena sprigs. |
| 6. | If the rhubarb is a little tart add 1-2 more tablespoons of sugar to taste. |
| 7. | Add the berries and set aside. |
| 8. | Spoon half the rhubarb mixture into a baking dish (if using an air fryer make sure the dish will fit in the basket). |
| 9. | The fruit needs to be still warm when you spoon on the sponge, or else the sponge topping will be browned on top but uncooked underneath. |
| 10. | Let the remainder of the fruit cool, then refrigerate for another use. |
| 11. | SPONGE |
| 12. | Cream the butter and sugar using a hand mixer until light and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes. |
| 13. | Add the vanilla then the egg and beat well. |
| 14. | Sift together the flour and baking powder and mix with the ground almonds. |
| 15. | Fold the dry ingredients into the butter mixture then add the milk to just combine. |
| 16. | Spoon the mix over the still warm fruit and spread evenly over the fruit. |
| 17. | Sprinkle with flaked almonds. |
| 18. | AIR FRYER |
| 19. | Heat to 160°C and bake for 25-30 minutes. |
| 20. | OVEN |
| 21. | Heat the oven to 180°C and cook for 30-35 minutes. |
| 22. | Cool for 5-10 minutes before serving with lightly whipped cream, yoghurt or ice cream. |
Recipes & food styling Ginny Grant Photography Aaron McLean Styling Jessica Crowe