This tender, lemon-scented almond cake is topped with roasted rhubarb, but is equally delicious with any kind of fresh or roasted fruit, like roasted strawberries, fresh orange segments, or roasted plums. Since the cake doesn’t contain any gluten or wheat flour, it’s ideal for those who’d like to avoid gluten, and it’s especially versatile for Passover since it’s also dairy-free.
How to Make It
Preheat oven to 425°F. Cut rhubarb halves to fit a 9-inch springform pan. Place rhubarb strips on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in preheated oven until rhubarb strips just begin to soften, 6 to 8 minutes. Let rhubarb cool on baking sheet 5 minutes; remove rhubarb, and let cool until ready to use. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.
While rhubarb cools, beat egg whites in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes.
In a separate large bowl, beat egg yolks and granulated sugar with an electric mixer on high speed until thick and pale, about 1 1/2 minutes. Add vanilla, lemon zest, and salt, beating until well combined, about 30 seconds.
Grease 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray, and coat with almond flour. Fold one-third of the beaten egg whites and one-third of the almond flour into egg yolk mixture until just combined (do not over fold); repeat 2 more times. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake at 325°F until top of cake just starts to set up, about 25 minutes. Arrange rhubarb strips in a decorative pattern on top of cake, cutting in half crosswise if necessary; sprinkle with sanding sugar. Bake at 325°F until cake is golden brown and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cake cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove sides from pan, and let cool completely, about 40 minutes.