HJÓNABANDSSÆLA - ICELANDIC OAT & RHUBARB CAKE

I wonder what it is exactly with me and holidays and wedding-themed cakes when I’m more of a babies-on-spikes kind of person and getting married feels like something that only exists in a galaxy far far away; however, there has been lots of planning and mis-planning and hard-effing-working around this Land of Ice lately, and it turns out that its inhabitants have this amazing thing that goes under the name of Happy Marriage Cake (that and arctic foxes, and little horses), and never mind the weddings, I could be unhappier, and I do have my chums (!) providing for videos of monkey cats, lifts through foggy towns at night, cake appreciation, moral support during IT crises, moral support during life crises, and emergency holidays, and I tend to cherish irony, and choose to believe in blessings in disguise (however: this weekend only, as an exception), and also look forward to seeing what my life-rebuilding session today will bring, and I hope a selected few of my allies will stick around for it; so here’s my own real delicious vegan version of the Icelandic oat and rhubarb Happy Marriage Cake, and for your reference, I may or may not end up legally marrying the thing.

HJÓNABANDSSÆLA

120g (1 ½ cup) rolled oats
60g (1/2 cup) plain flour
60g (1/2 cup) wholemeal flour
180g (1 cup) soft brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
125g (1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon) margarine

200g (7oz) rhubarb jam

50g (1.8oz) strawberry jam, or extra rhubarb jam

Preheat the oven to 180°C (360°F) and lightly grease a 20cm/8" cake tin.

In a bowl mix together oats, flours, sugar, baking powder and salt, then add the margarine and mix with your hands until it is well combined with the dry ingredients but the mixture is still crumbly. Place about 2/3 of the mixture into the prepared tin, pressing it down gently to cover the base and edges. Spread the jam evenly, then scatter the remaining flour mixture over the top, pressing it down lightly.
Bake for 30 minutes or until the top turns golden brown, let cool and a happy marriage (?) to all.