For the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations I have chosen bakes that are inspired by British summertime. I love rhubarb and still have plenty in the garden and that along with strawberries are very typically British. Roses are one of our most popular flowers too and as I have some lovely deep red ones growing at the moment I decided to combine them with the rhubarb and strawberries for a great British Jubilee bake!

I made Rhubarb and Strawberry Curd; Rhubarb, Strawberry and Rose Jam; Rhubarb, Strawberry and Rose Victoria Sponge; and Rhubarb and Strawberry Cupcakes. They look lovely served on vintage red, blue and white china!

Rhubarb and Strawberry Curd

250g mixed rhubarb and strawberries (washed and chopped)

1 lemon

3 medium eggs, beaten

55g butter

225g caster sugar

Put the fruit in a pan with a very small amount of water and cook slowly until softened. Blend or mash and allow to cool a little.

Put into a bowl over a pan of boiling water and add the sugar, butter and juice and grated rind of 1 lemon. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.

Add the beaten eggs and continue to stir until the mixture thickens. Pour into a pot and cover immediately.

Rhubarb, Strawberry and Rose Petal Jam

250g mixed rhubarb and strawberries (washed and chopped)

1 large handful rose petals (I used dark red)

Juice of 1 lemon

680g granulated sugar

150 ml rose water

150 ml water

Put everything except the rose petals into a pan and cook gently until the sugar is dissolved and the fruit is soft, stir regularly. Add the rose petals and simmer a little longer until they are soft too. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil until it starts to set. (Test by dropping a tiny amount onto a cold saucer to see if it thickens). Pot and cover when cooled a little.

Rhubarb, Strawberry and Rose Victoria Sandwich

175g softened butter

175g light brown sugar

3 large eggs

175g self-raising flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon rhubarb, strawberry and rose jam

Preheat the oven to 180c and prepare two 7” tins.

Beat the butter and sugar together well. Beat the eggs. Combine the flour and baking powder together and sieve. Mix all the cake ingredients together gently until smooth and pour into the tins. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown, firm to the touch and shrinking away from the sides of the tin.

Turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

For the filling:-

Make a buttercream with 40g softened butter and 100g icing sugar, beating well until soft. Add 1 tablespoon Rhubarb, strawberry and rose jam and continue to beat.

To sandwich the cakes together use a layer of rhubarb, strawberry and rose jam, a layer of rhubarb and strawberry curd and a layer of the buttercream.

To finish, dust the top of the cake with sieved icing sugar and scatter a few rose petals to decorate. (These can be eaten with the cake or discarded). NB – I use roses grown in my own garden for this and for the jam as shop bought ones may have been sprayed with chemicals.

Rhubarb and Strawberry Cupcakes

120g caster sugar

60g softened butter

60ml yoghurt

120g self-raising flour

2 medium eggs, beaten

1 tablespoon rhubarb and strawberry curd plus more to add to the centre of each cake when cooked.

Preheat the oven to 180c and line a 12 hole muffin tin with cupcake cases (the mixture will make 12 small cupcakes or you can make less larger ones)

Mix all the ingredients together – beating only for a minute. Spoon into the cake cases and bake for about 20 – 25 minutes until light golden brown and firm to touch.

When cooled, cut a little cone shape from the centre of each cake and fill with the rhubarb and strawberry curd.

Finish with a buttercream topping made as the buttercream above but adding a tablespoon of the curd instead of the jam and a little pink food colouring swirled in.