This cake is a combination of caramelized quinces and spicy sponge, more like a gingerbread pudding. It is very tasty, rich and moist, with slightly caramelized crust that makes it even more delicious. The recipe suggests making some caramel custard to top the cake with, but the cake itself is quite nice.
The recipe is adapted from Delicious magazine (October, 2015).
Ingredients:
1 lemon for squeezing (can be replaced with 3 tbsp lemon juice)
approx. 1 kg quinces
175 g caster sugar
50 g butter
125 g softened butter at room temperature
100 g plain flour
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
25 g light muscovado sugar + 25 g dark muscovado sugar (demerara or soft brown sugar also work perfect here)
finely grated zest of 1 large orange
3 large eggs
125 g golden syrup
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 tsp vanilla extract
few drops of orange essence (optional)
1 tsp bicarbonate soda
Method:
Squeeze the lemon into a large bowl of cold water.
Peel, quarter and core the quinces, then cut them into 2 cm thick wedges, dropping the wedges into the water as you go to stop them discolouring.
Put the 175 g caster sugar and 4 tbsp cold water in a large non-stick frying pan and dissolve the sugar over a low heat.
Bring to the boil and cook for 5 minutes until you have an amber coloured caramel. Remove from the heat, add 50 g butter and swirl the pan until it has melted and mixed in.
Drain the quince slices, dry them well on a clean tea towel, then add them to the pan, cut-side down.
The caramel mixture will turn to toffee, but don't worry - the fruits will gradually release their juices as they cook and dissolve it again. Cook them for 5 minutes, then carefully turn the pieces over and cook for another 5 minutes until they are just tender when pierce with a sharp knife (note: some sorts may need less time to cook).
Using two forks, carefully lift out the slices of quince and arrange over the base of a lightly buttered and lined round 22-23 cm cake tin.
Return the pan of caramel syrup to the heat and bubble until it has reduced and thickened again. Pour the mixture over the quinces and leave to cool.
For the sponge, sift the flour, spices and salt into a bowl.
Beat the softened 125 g butter, orange zest (I didn't use it) and muscovado sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy.
Gradually beat in the eggs one at a time, adding a good tablespoon of flour mixture with each egg.
Beat in the golden syrup, grated ginger and vanilla extract.
Add half of the remaining flour mixture and gently mix in.
Mix the bicarbonate of soda with 2 tbsp boiling water, beat into the mixture, then mix in the remaining flour. Don't worry if the batter looks curdled.
Pour it over the quinces.
You can arrange the excess quince slices on the top, if any. They will sink to the middle of the cake while baking.
Bake in a preheated oven (180 C, fan 160 C) for 15-20 minutes until the top of the sponge is well coloured. Lay a loose sheet of lightly buttered foil over the top of the tin, lower the oven temperature to 170 C (fan 150 C) and cook for 35-40 minutes until a skewer pushed into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes.
Turn the cake out onto a plate. (Serve with some warm custard, if desired.)
Perfect with some nice tea or coffee.
Bon Appetit!
