HONEY & HAZELNUT CAKE WITH SPICED CREAM AND ROASTED QUINCE
A birthday cake to celebrate!
"It really is the best way to celebrate; a cake to slice into, to gather around, to share. This one is wonderfully warming, and the spices in the cake and the cream are lovely and comforting. The roasting fruit will have your home smelling divine as they simmer away in the oven – this recipe makes more than you’ll need for the cake so you can have some leftover in your fridge to top your morning porridge with, or to serve simply with vanilla ice cream as a dessert on a cool winter’s night."
— Harriet Davidson
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INGREDIENTS
CAKE
175 g butter, softened
30 g brown sugar
125 g honey
1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract Zest of half a lemon
3 large eggs, at room temperature 225 g plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of sea salt
50 g hazelnuts, ground
(note: blitzing the nuts so there are still some larger pieces brings a wonderful texture to the finished cake)
ROASTED QUINCE
1 litre water
150 g caster sugar, plus an extra 2 tablespoons
4 quinces
Peel and juice of one lemon
*Can substitute with pear or apple if not in season*
SPICED CREAM
300 ml whipping cream
100 g mascarpone
1⁄2 teaspoon ground ginger
1⁄2 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Toasted hazelnuts, to top
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METHOD
Preheat the oven to 130°C.
Begin with the quinces. In a saucepan, bring the water to the boil, then add the sugar and stir until it has dissolved, then turn off the heat and set the pan aside while you prepare the fruit.
Peel and quarter the quinces, then remove the cores with a paring knife. Keep the skin and the cores of the quince as these add a lovely colour to the quinces whilst roasting. Pop the quinces in the base of an ovenproof pan (a large cast-iron saucepan works well), then sprinkle
in the skins and the cores. Drizzle the fruit with the lemon juice and the sugar syrup, then place a piece of baking paper over the quinces before you place a lid on the pan (use tightly wrapped foil instead of a lid if using a baking dish).
Pop the pan or dish into the oven and cook for 2-3 hours, until the quinces turn a beautiful rose colour and are tender. Remove the pan from the oven and remove the fruit from the pan and strain the liquid – keep the liquid and discard the skins and the cores.
Pour the quince roasting liquid into a small saucepan and add 2 tablespoons of castor sugar. Let this simmer away for 15-20 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced to half and is a lovely thick, syrup consistency.
Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
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Now it’s time to get on with your cake. Increase the oven temperature to 180°C.
Start by preparing a 20 cm springform cake tin by buttering the base and sides and lining the base with baking paper.
Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then beat in the honey followed by the vanilla and grated lemon zest. Gradually add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition to ensure they’re fully incorporated before adding in the next.
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together then fold this into the butter-sugar mixture along with the ground hazelnuts, until well combined. Add a dash of milk to loosen if required.
Scrape the batter into your prepared tin and bake for 30-35 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. While the cake is still hot, drizzle it with a tablespoon or two of the quince syrup and leave the cake to sit for 15 minutes or so in the tin before releasing it and removing the baking paper.
Whip the cream until soft peaks appear, then gently fold the mascarpone through the cream along with the spices.
Once the cake has cooled slightly, generously spread the cream over the cake and top it with the roasted quince.
Finish with a drizzle of the quince syrup and a good sprinkle of toasted hazelnuts.
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