Recipe

Whisk together flour, almonds, baking powder and soda, and salt; set aside.

In large bowl, beat butter with sugar until light and fluffy; one at a time and beating each for 30 seconds, beat in egg yolks. Beat in orange and lemon rinds, lemon juice, and vanilla and almond extracts; stir in flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, making 3 additions of flour mixture and two of buttermilk.

Beat egg whites until in stiff but not dry peaks; fold into batter. Scrape into buttered parchment paper–lined 13- x 9-inch/3 L metal baking dish. Bake in centre of 350F/180C oven until firm and cake tester inserted in centre comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let cool in pan on rack.

Vanilla Rhubarb Compote: In saucepan, stir together rhubarb, sugar, orange rind and juice, and 1-1/2 cups/375 mL water.

Split vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out seeds; add both to saucepan. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer until rhubarb is tender-crisp, 2 to 5 minutes. Reserving cooking liquid, drain; refrigerate rhubarb.

Return vanilla bean, orange rind and cooking liquid to saucepan over medium-low heat; simmer until reduced to 1/2 cup/125 mL. Stir into rhubarb to coat; refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours.

Remove cake from pan and transfer to platter; spoon Vanilla Rhubarb Compote over top. (Or cut cake into individual serving squares; plate, then spoon Vanilla Rhubarb Compote over top.)

Makes 8 to 10 servings.