Quince cake with amaretto icing

A moist, fluffy and tender quince cake with a delicate almond note and a fantastic Amaretto icing. It stays fresh for a long time. For this recipe, I used quinces poached in cinnamon syrup (see the end of the recipe for instructions on how to make them). A wonderful way to use quince!

Ingredients for the quince cake:

• 140 g butter
• 150 g caster sugar
• 4 large eggs, separated
• 200 g plain flour
• 90 g sour cream
• ½ tsp almond extract
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• 2 large quinces in syrup

All ingredients should be at room temperature.

Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition until fully incorporated. Add the almond extract and beat to combine (the mixture may look curdled at this stage, but this will not affect the finished cake). Add the sour cream, then sift in the flour and baking powder. Fold with a spatula until just combined, no longer. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form, then gently fold them into the batter.

Line a 22 x 33 cm baking tin with baking paper (the cake will not be very tall). Transfer the batter to the tin and level the surface. Arrange the sliced quinces from the syrup closely together over the top.

Bake the quince cake at 160–170°C for about 40 minutes or longer, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven, leave to cool slightly in the tin, then transfer to a serving plate and leave to cool completely. Drizzle with the icing.

Ingredients for the Amaretto icing:

• 1 cup icing sugar
• 3 tbsp Amaretto

Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix with the back of a spoon until smooth. If the icing is too runny, add more icing sugar; if it is too thick, add a little more Amaretto.

Ingredients for quinces in cinnamon syrup:

• 2 large quinces (1 kg before peeling)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick

Place the sugar in a saucepan and add 3 cups of water. Stir, add the cinnamon stick and bring to the boil until the sugar has dissolved. Add the peeled quinces, cut into quarters. Bring to the boil, then simmer over very low heat for about 1 hour (anywhere from 45 minutes to 1½ hours), or until tender but not falling apart – a fork inserted into the quince should slide in easily. Remove from the heat. Transfer the quinces to a plate and cut them into slices. Continue cooking the syrup for longer, until reduced and thickened.

The prepared quinces can be stored for up to 7 days in the refrigerator, in the syrup.

Enjoy!