Make the most of in-season quince with this glorious upside-down quince cake. The light and fluffy sponge perfectly absorbs the rich, caramelised flavour of the quince, creating a dessert that’s both visually stunning and incredibly tasty. Serve it with a generous dollop of whipped cream for the ultimate indulgence.
Upside-Down Quince Cake Recipe
Serves 8
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups caster sugar
1 cinnamon stick
6 whole cloves
rind of 1 lemon, finely grated
3 large quinces, quartered and peeled
150g unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs
11/2 cups plain flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 cup almond meal
fresh cream, to serve
Method:
Preheat oven to 180°C. Place 11/2 cups sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and lemon rind in a large saucepan with 6 cups water and bring to the boil. Add quince and cover with baking paper.
Cook, covered, for 11/2 hours or until tender and deep red. Remove quince and set aside to cool. Strain syrup and return to pan. Cook for 5 minutes or until syrup thickens. Pour into a jug and set aside. Makes 11/2 cups syrup.
Remove cores from quince and slice each quarter into 4 wedges. Grease and line a 22cm cake tin and arrange quince slices in the bottom of the cake tin in concentric circles, slightly overlapping. Pour over 1 cup of syrup.
To make cake, place butter, remaining sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat for 8-10 minutes or until light and creamy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Add flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt, nutmeg, ginger, and almond meal and beat until just combined. Spoon mixture over quince and smooth with spatula.
Bake for 55-60 minutes or until golden and springy to the touch. Cool for 5 minutes in the tin, then turn out onto a serving plate. Reheat remaining syrup and pour over the top. Serve with fresh cream.
