WHEN I WAS growing up, my grandad would often return with handfuls of rhubarb which had been grown locally by his friend.

My mum and grandma would then set about making rhubarb crumbles and pies, and also freeze a lot of it too.

It always tasted great however it was cooked and presented, so I wanted to make a cake that incorporated the fruit, but with an added boozy-twist!

This summer twist on the traditional dessert is suitable for almost any occasion.

The cake is a moist sponge, coated in a tasty homemade and somewhat boozy rhubarb jam. What better way than to enjoy some of this season’s sweet red fruit!

Making your own rhubarb jam is simple, quick and actually very inexpensive. This delicious rhubarb recipe is sweet and sour and is perfect for spreading on sponge cakes.

For this jam recipe experience and fancy pans are not needed. Just follow my instructions and you will be pleasantly surprised at the tasty, sweet jam you can make in a short space of time.

When purchasing rhubarb you will find you can find it pretty much all year round in Britain with field-grown varieties being harvested from April to September and forced rhubarb grown from December to March.

The latter can become coarse in late summer so choose pert looking stems and avoid any limp or slimy-looking stems when buying.

During preparation, wash and trim the rhubarb stems before use. Discard the leaves as they are poisonous. If using outdoor-grown rhubarb, remove any stringy outer layers.

In our region, growers plant and produce ‘forced rhubarb’ which is often grown by low light or in the dark. The Rhubarb Triangle is a nine-square-mile triangle between Wakefield, Morley and Rothwell.

Growing and forcing rhubarb was originally done by many hundreds of small farmers, smallholders and market gardeners and because rhubarb is a native of Siberia it thrives in the wet cold winters in Yorkshire.

West Yorkshire once produced 90 per cent of the world's winter forced rhubarb from the forcing sheds that were common across the fields there. Without daylight the rhubarb leaves are a green-yellow, and the stalks, measuring two feet, are smooth textured and crimson.

Traditionally the pickers pull the stalks in candlelight as any exposure to strong light will stop the growth. By the end of March the harvest is over and the root stock is totally exhausted and used for compost.

Baking and cooking with forced rhubarb requires a different tact because it is very fragile, so poach or bake only briefly to prevent it from disintegrating into a mush. Outdoor-grown rhubarb has a sharper taste and more fibrous texture so requires a slightly longer cooking, be warned!

This rhubarb boozy jam cake tastes perfect with custard, ice cream or eaten on its own. I love its versatility and the fact that it does not have to be presented perfectly. In fact, the more rustic the better!

A dessert cake you can make all year round, that will always go down a treat. Enjoy!