Rhubarb and Almond Streusel Traybake with blood orange whipped cream

Forced rhubarb and blood oranges arrive in the shops at almost exactly the same moment each year, and this recipe makes the most of that happy coincidence. The two are natural partners — both sharp, both jewel-bright, both at their best in the bleakest months of winter — and together they make a traybake that tastes as startling and vivid as it looks. The almond sponge beneath is tender and fragrant, the streusel topping gives a satisfying crunch, and the blood orange whipped cream — somewhere between a sauce and a syllabub — is the kind of thing you'll find yourself making as an excuse to eat with a spoon.

Why you'll love making this

Traybakes are the most forgiving format in baking — no tricky assembly, no precarious layers, no anxiety about whether it will hold together on the plate. This one is particularly straightforward: a simple one-bowl sponge, a streusel that comes together in minutes with just your fingertips, and a whipped cream that requires nothing more than a saucepan and a bowl. The result looks spectacular, especially if your rhubarb is that deep, candy-pink forced variety. It will feed a crowd generously, travels well if you need to take it somewhere, and is just as good the following day. A recipe, in short, that is entirely on your side.