Wash the rice well, by submerging it into a bowl of cold water, swirling a couple of times with your hand, then draining (through a sieve). Repeat 2-3 times or until the water you discard runs clear. 

Heat up the milk with salt and butter, almost until the boiling point, then add washed rice. Cook for about 10 minutes. Turn of the heat, incorporate  the vanilla extract, 80 g of sugar and the lemon zest. Stir gently but well to combine. Set aside and let the rice cool off to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Split the eggs.

Combine the egg yolks with 80 g of sugar in a mixing bowl and beat with the hand mixer until the mixture turns pale and fluffy, around 5 minutes.

Wash the beaters well. In another bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks start to form, then start adding another 80 g of sugar gradually, still beating the mixture with the hand mixer. 

Incorporate the egg yolks mixture into the cooled rice/milk  first, then then fold in the egg whites mixture as gently and as evenly as possible, to preserve as much air in it as possible, which will result in a lighter cake. 

Pre-grease the bundt cake tin with the butter and sprinkle with bread crumbs.

Transfer the rice pudding batter into the tin and bake on 180°C for about 10 minutes or until the cake starts turning light brown. Lower the temperature. You really need to know your oven for this step, as every oven is different. What I do is lower the temperature gradually: first to 150°C for half an hour, then to 120°C for another 45 minutes. The cake will puff up, but it needs to be done in the center, so test for doneness with a knife or a skewer: it will come out dry when the cake is done. 

Take the cake out of the oven and let it cool off in the bundt cake tin, then trasnfer on a serving plate and let it cool off further in the fridge, for about 4 hours. 

Wash the rhubarb, discard the end parts and cut in 1 cm pieces.Place it into a pan with the sugar, the lemon juice and approximately 100 ml of water. Heat up and let simmer for 10 minutes on low fire with the lid on, stirring occasionaly (this will help the rhubarb fall apart). Taste the compote and add more sugar or lemon juices if needed, then add halved and pitted cherries, stir well and simmer for another 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the compote cool off completely. 

You can keep the compote in a previously well washed jar in the fridge for a couple of days. 

Before serving, drizzle the whole cake with the compote, cut in slices and serve with extra compote on the side.

Put your feet up and enjoy the summer.