Strawberry Rhubarb Almond Cake

Ok friends, this cake is something for the books. It's delicious in that fresh, fruit-forward way thanks to the roasted strawberries and rhubarb, but it also has this incredible rich-yet-healthy dimension, due to the fact the 'base' is made mostly of almonds.

This recipe is adapted from the blog Cookie and Kate and has proved a huge success for birthday parties and random late spring celebrations of any kind. Plus, just the roasted rhubarb/strawberry compote element is SO insanely good - I recommend putting it on pancakes, in oatmeal, on a savory open-faced sandwich with almond butter, and just eating plain.

I hope you enjoy this wonderful concoction! 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups almond four or almond meal (I ground up almonds in my food processor. It was easy but LOUD!)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp sea salt 
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• tiny pinch of cardamom 
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 2/3 cup maple syrup 
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 
• 1 pint (1 pound) strawberries, hulled and sliced into small chunks 
• 2-3 stalks of rhubarb, sliced into 1/4 inch little crescents 
• ¼ cup maple syrup or honey

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and place one rack in the middle and a rack in the upper third of the oven. Grease a round 9-inch springform pan or cake pan and dust with almond flour/meal. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean-up.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the almond meal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cardamom.
3. In another bowl, combine the beaten eggs, maple syrup or honey, and olive oil. Use a whisk to mix well. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry. Stir just until there are a few clumps remaining, then pour the mixture into your prepared 9-inch pan.
4. Combine the strawberries and rhubarb on your prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with ¼ cup maple syrup or honey and mix well. Arrange the mixture in an even layer on the sheet.
5. Place the cake on the middle rack and the strawberry-rhubarb mixture on the upper rack. Bake for about 30-40 minutes, until the cake is golden brown and the center is firm to the touch (it shouldn't jiggle when you shimmy the pan). Toss the strawberry-rhubarb mixture every 15 minutes or so, and keep an eye on it in the last 10 minutes of baking—it's done when the strawberry and rhubarb are cooked through, watch for burning (especially if you use honey) 
6. Once the cake has cooled for ten minutes, you can release it from the springform pan by popping off the side piece. If you used a cake pan, you might want to wait longer before turning the cake onto a large plate just to be safe, or serve it right from the pan.
7. Use a large spoon to top the cake with the roasted strawberry-rhubarb mixture and all of its delicious juices

Enjoy!