Poached quinces with almond cake and thick cream

Poached quinces with almond cake and thick cream

 

3 quinces, peeled, cored and cut into wedges

1 cup castor sugar

2 slices lemon

thick cream, to serve

 

Almond cake

1 cup castor sugar

125g butter, softened

2 eggs

1 cup ground almonds

11/2 cups self-raising flour

1 cup buttermilk

1 tsp vanilla extract

 

For quinces, combine sugar, lemon slices and 4 cups water in a large saucepan and stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil, add quince wedges, reduce heat and simmer or about 1 1/2 hours until quinces are tender and rose pink. Remove quinces with a slotted spoon and cool.

Pre-heat oven to 180C.

For cake, beat sugar and butter in a medium bowl until thick and pale. Add eggs, one at a time and beat well. Fold in almonds, flour and buttermilk alternately and when smooth, fold in vanilla extract.

Spoon cake batter into a greased and paper-lined 23cm. cake tin and bake for 40-50 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in tin for 5 minutes then turn out onto a cake rack to cool.

Serve poached quince wedges with almond cake and thick cream on the side.

Serves 6.