Dimpled Quince Pudding Cake

Do you remember those lovely poached quince I wrote about?

Of course you do. I only *just* posted about them (OK, so NaBloPoMo isn’t going quite as planned, but am still determined to get 30 recipes up by the 30th…).

Anyway, those quince were wonderful. Sweet and buttery soft with just a hint of sour from the fruit. In fact, they were so good that I couldn't stop myself from wondering what they would taste like baked *into* something.

So I made a cake. A pudding cake, actually.



I admit that this didn’t turn out quite the way I’d expected. I was hoping for a slightly less dense cake with better crumb, but I can’t say that I’m disappointed with the results.

I'm delighted, really. I pureed half the poached quince and added them to a brown butter cake batter so it came out moist and dense like the texture of bread pudding. The browned butter imparted a wonderful nutty flavor that worked well with the fruit and gave it that extra bit of naughty richness. The rest of the quince wedges were arranged on top, where they settled gently into the baked batter like a basket of rosy dimples.



This cake is just too gorgeous for words, and when you cut into it, the rosy vanilla-flecked quince look like gems. I think this would work wonderfully served with a bit of cheese (perhaps Stilton?) and a glass of wine. And, like so many other good cakes, this one is really better the morning after. Trust me on this.

Dimpled Quince Pudding Cake

**You'll need a batch of these vanilla and anise poached quince for this recipe** 
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup mashed poached quince
2 cups poached quince wedges
1 1/2 sticks butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup whole milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Place the butter over medium heat and melt gentle. Let the butter continue to simmer for a few minutes until it starts to foam. Stir it and leave to simmer for a couple more minutes until the solids start to brown and the butter takes on a caramel or nutty aroma. Let cool then strain.

Pour the browned butter into the bowl of standing mixer on medium speed and add the sugar and beat for 2 minutes. Add the eggs followed by the mashed quince and vanilla.

On low speed, add the flour in three parts, alternating with the milk.

Switch the mixer to medium and beat for an additional 30 seconds.

Pour batter into a prepared pan and arrange the remaining quince wedges on top in a circle. Put a few in the center.

Bake in the oven about 40 minutes to one hour, or until the top turns golden brown with just a bit of crisp on the quince and an inserted cake tester comes out clean.

Remove the sides from the pan and let cool completely before serving. If desired, dust with confectioner’s sugar or drizzle on a bit of the poached quince syrup.