This cake absorbs all the delicious flavours of the quince and then to add more deliciousness, it is soaked in the fragrant quince syrup.  

Serves 10

Ingredients 

Poached quince

3 whole quince

6 cups water

1 ½ cup sugar

1 star anise

1 orange, rind only

Cake

3 eggs

¾ cup sugar

1 ¾ cup self raising flour

125g butter, softened plus 1 tsp for greasing

3 tsp orange zest

⅓ cup quince syrup

 2 Tbsp toasted hazelnuts, lightly crushed (optional for serving)

Method

Begin by preparing the quince.  Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan.  Add the star anise and orange zest. Bring to the boil then turn down the heat to a gentle simmer.

Peel and core the quince, cut the quince into 10mm thick slices. Place into the syrup as you go. Once all the quinces are done, place a round or baking paper snuggly over the quinces.

Continue poaching the quince for an hour or until tender.  Turn off the heat and leave in the syrup to cool.

Remove the quince from the syrup with a slotted spoon and set aside. 

Return the poaching liquid to the heat and reduce until you get about 2 cups. 

Strain and set aside.

To make the cake

Preheat the oven 170C

Lightly grease a 18cm loose bottom round cake tin with butter and line the base with a round of baking paper.

Add the eggs, sugar, flour, softened butter and orange zest to the bowl of your mixer. Add ⅓ of the poaching liquid and mix on low speed for 1 minute. Turn up the speed and continue beating for a further 2 minutes.

Spread the cake batter evenly into the cake tin. 

Arrange the quince slices over the top of the cake and bake for 35 - 40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

Warm the remaining syrup and spoon gently over the cake and allow it to absorb into the cake..

Cool the cake in the tin.

Sprinkle over the hazelnuts if using.  

The cake is best eaten at room temperature.  Will last for 3-4 days.