Like so many other good things in life, the quince is a joy if you give it a little time. The transformation of a quince is nothing short of magical - you start with a rock-hard, sour piece of white, grainy flesh, which, with patience and care, transforms into a soft, sweet, slightly tart and delicately scented fruit with the most gorgeous deep red color when cooked for a long time becomes.Quinces are back in fashionand this quince cake recipe is like a godsend.
What is quince cake?
Since the quince is a fruit that cannot be eaten raw, is difficult to peel, and requires strong muscles (and a strong knife) to cut through, most people only know it as quince paste, which becomes one Cheese platter is served. But this humble fruit has hidden delights if you know how to treat it properly. One of them is the quince cake.
Quince cake is a soft, tender cake with a topping of poached quince. Like pineapple cake, quince cake is often prepared by placing the fruit on the bottom of a cake plate or pan, covering it with batter, and turning the cake over after baking.
Most quince varieties are too astringent to eat raw, so quince recipes almost always include precooked or canned fruit. Quince preserves are also known as “melimelum,” the root of the word “jam,” and the Spanish “membrillo,” typically a thick, uncooked quince paste with visible pieces of fruit.
Interesting facts about quinces & health benefits
The origins of the quince lie in the Caucasus - the region between the Caspian and the Black Seas - and in northern Persia. It is even considered to be the cause of the Trojan War, as Greek legend tells it. From there, the quince's usefulness in cooking spread to medieval banquet halls and beyond. Quince is now very popular in the tropical regions of Latin America and Mexico. It has also found its way into Western cuisine and cooking culture.
Quince is a very nutritious fruit that is also very low in calories. A 100 gram quince fruit contains only 57 calories. It is also a good source of fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. The fruit contains tannins such as catechin and epicatechin and has a very high concentration of vitamin C. Quince is also a good source of calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium and copper.
Recipe for quince cake with honey
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 2 hours
Ingredients for the quince cake with honey:
- 175g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing (at room temperature)
- 100 g Flour
- 150 g white spelled flour
- 150 g raw caster sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3 medium free range eggs
- 100 g hazelnuts without skin
- 1 lemon
- 300 g liquid honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean pulp
- 5 black peppercorns
- 3 large quinces (900g total)
Follow these steps to complete the recipe
- To poach the quinces, peel the lemon peel with a vegetable peeler in a pot and add a small splash of juice. Stir in the honey, vanilla and peppercorns, pour in 450ml water and bring the mixture to the boil, stirring, before reducing the heat to a simmer.
- Peel, halve and core the quinces. Cut each half into 1cm pieces and add them to the pot. Poach the quinces for 25-35 minutes or until just tender. The time depends on how ripe your quinces are.
- Pour the liquid into a small saucepan and set the quinces aside, removing and discarding the peppercorns and lemon peel.
- Reduce the poached liquid over high heat until you get about 300ml of syrup. Add another squeeze of lemon juice, if desired, and set aside to cool completely.
- Preheat the oven to 170 Celsius. Grease and line a 23cm springform pan.
- Place both types of flour in the bowl of a stand mixer along with the sugar, baking powder, butter and cooled syrup. Lightly beat the eggs, then add them to the mixture and beat until pale and creamy.
- Roughly halve the hazelnuts and fold them into the mixture along with half of the quinces. Spoon the mixture into the mold, level it with a spatula, then place the remaining quince slices on top.
- Bake the cake for 1 hour, checking after 40 minutes and covering with a sheet of aluminum foil if the top becomes too discolored.
- Halve the remaining hazelnuts and sprinkle them over the cake. Pour half of the remaining syrup over the top and return the cake to the oven for another 15-20 minutes, until golden and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the tin on a rack for at least 20 minutes.
- Serve the cake warm, with the remaining syrup you warmed up and drizzled over the top, and a dollop of crème fraîche if you like.
You can find more recipes with quinces that are perfect for autumnfind here!
